If Seminole, Texas, native Rusty Lanier seems right at home with Dickens County 4-H’ers and their animals, he comes by it naturally—with lifelong training and passion. The newcomer last summer to the Dickens County Texas AgriLife Extension office grew up in an ag family that “every weekend . . . were at a jackpot or TLBA show across the state” showing and raising sheep.
Lanier, who came to Dickens County as the extension agent succeeding Thomas Boyle, jumped right into meeting students, parents, and teachers in preparation for 4-H club activities and the upcoming livestock show. His father, a high school ag teacher for more than 30 years who’s now retired, and his mother, a fourth-grade schoolteacher also now retired, instilled in him “a passion for livestock and helping kids.”
Along with his parents and a brother seven years his senior, Lanier was involved in showing sheep all around the state. The Lanier operation had “some success over 20 years of hard work,” he said, with a club lamb operation that raised sheep for customers across the state. The family showed animals statewide, including the State Fair of Texas—but his personal favorites, he said, are “San Antone because of the food, but Houston is one of the best experiences for a kid growing up in the stock show world to see everything going on in that big city.”
Lanier, who now makes his home in Dickens, earned his bachelor’s degree in ag communications at Texas Tech in 2018 following a two-year stint at South Plains College. After graduation he spent two and a half years building commercial and residential fences with a Lubbock firm—a good starting point, he said. But he always wanted to put his experience to work in educating youth, helping the next generation discover the disciplines he was raised in. He’s been blessed, he said,
He’s been blessed, he said, to work with “a great group of kids here in Dickens.” He also works closely with ag teachers in both Patton Springs and Spur school districts and with both 4-H and FFA alike, and also has some 4-H’ers from surrounding counties, a total of about 60 youngsters.
With 4-H’s a focus on younger kids before high school, Lanier guides practices monthly year-round, assists with Horse Play Days, and helps prepare students for local and event major livestock exhibitions. In the fall the focus is on readiness for the January county junior livestock shows, while spring will see students traveling to invitational events such as horse judging, wool judging, and meat judging across West Texas. Some even plan to go on to the majors.
Familes and educators are also important in this process, Lanier said. “We have a strong 4-H program that a lot of people support, from the county judge to commissioners,” he said, “and great adult leaders who devote a lot of leadership and time with the kids.”
Lanier believes that 4-H enriches not only the kids but also experiences of adults. The ag community of Dickens County, Lanier believes, “are receptional producers with a lot of knowledge” that also enhances his learning. “Farmers these days are always on point; they know the technical ways to get the best yield they can,” said Lanier.” My role is to be a facilitator of anything they need; I am a resource that’s always available 24/7 for farmers and cattle producers.” One program, a multi-county chemical conference he will help coordinate with agents in adjoining counties, is coming up soon.
Lanier isn’t resting on his experience and past training, though. “As a new agent, I need to better myself for them, through trainings and just on the job.”
As for preparations for the 2022 Dickens County Stock Show, coming up January 21–22 in Spur, Lanier is busy assisting with showmanship skills and improving the show barn facilities. “These kids have put in a lot of effort, looking at an enthusiastic community” after last year’s pandemic restrictions.
“We are blessed in this county; our livestock community works diligently to put on best show possible,” Lanier said. “It’s the true essence of what a stock show is — it’s a project show. A kid undertakes a livestock project to raise an animal from a certain age and spends hours getting ready— feeding and maintenance; getting the animal ready to show and sell.”
The 2022 Dickens County Stock Show is coming up Friday and Saturday, Jan. 21–22, in Spur. Entry cards were due Jan. 5. One correction from the event schedule published in last week’s Texas Spur: There will be NO Saturday lunch for ticket holders as in previous years; instead, 4-H will have food items available at a concession stand in the show barn.
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