05/19/2026
Check out this feature from the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services on Jordan Mitchem, one of our livestock show participants at the N.C. State Fair!
The beef industry is showcased in many ways across our state each year, including through livestock shows at event centers, county fairs, the N.C. Mountain State Fair, and the N.C. State Fair. Jordan Mitchem, a freshman at N.C. State University, has been showing beef cattle for over ten years, as well as helping raise them on her family farm. From a calf’s first day on the farm to the show ring, Jordan knows what it takes to raise a ribbon winner.
Growing up on a family farm, Jordan Mitchen fell in love with agriculture at a young age. “My father was raised on a commercial cattle farm, and my mother was raised on a to***co and cattle farm, so they’ve both had a strong love of agriculture since before I was born,” she said. “Our family farm, 's Farm 3C in Vale, raises over 100 beef cattle each year and produces blackberries, blueberries, beans, and wheat.” Since she was a child, Jordan spent her summers helping her father bale hay, calve, breed cows, and assist with general herd health. Today, she continues to come home from college as much as she can to help around the farm and train her cattle for the show ring. “I’ve always had a strong love for agriculture and enjoy helping my dad around the farm,” she said. “Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been in the livestock showing ring. I started out with sheep around the age of five and stayed with them until 2016 when I showed my first beef cow.” From then until now, Jordan has shown at multiple shows across the state each year and become heavily involved in the beef cattle industry of our state.
So, what does it take to raise a beef cow for the show ring? Jordan reveals that it takes a lot of time, patience, dedication and hard work. “Many people don’t realize how many hours it takes to raise and train a calf from birth to the show ring,” she said. “In fact, the most important piece is getting the animal to bond with you, which takes consistent quality time on top of training.” Jordan and her family typically take two cows to the N.C. State Fair, and other shows across the state, each year; one that they have purchased from another farm and one that they have raised themselves. “This gives us the advantage to raise our own from premium quality heifers we have shown in the past, as well as one that was raised in a completely different part of the country, like Nebraska,” she said. When the cow first arrives on the farm, whether born or bought, the initial phase of training is to halter them. “Halter training can take a few days but just be patient with the cow/calf and remember that this is all new to them,” Jordan said. “The halter is the foundation for the rest of their training, so ensuring they have a good experience is vital.” According to Jordan, halter training will also get the animal used to seeing you every day. Once the cow is used to the halter, they can then move on to phase two of training, which includes walking on the halter and using the wash rack. “Walking on the halter becomes better with time, so just be dedicated and stay patient,” Jordan said. “The wash rack is a great place to work on desensitizing your animal, as well as further their halter training since they are tied up. Each livestock show comes with its own set of noises and distractions, so desensitizing your animal to as many as possible and creating a bond of trust with them ensures safety for both you and the cow.” Jordan practices nearly every day for multiple hours, ensuring both her and the animal(s) are ready for the show ring.
Each livestock show, showing class and class judge operate differently, but they all look for similar characteristics and qualities during a beef cattle show. “Structure is the number one priority for most judges,” Jordan said, “which evaluates their skeletal build by observing the animal's posture while standing still and on the move.” Although every judge has different preferences, they all look for the same things when it comes to structure, functionality, cleanliness, growth and showmanship. “Showmanship is one of my favorite classes because it is based off how well you train the animal,” Jordan said. “Often, it showcases how hard, or not hard, an individual worked on training their animal outside the show ring. It’s where all the hours of training pay off, and I take a lot of pride in winning showmanship classes for that very reason.” Last year at the 2025 N.C. State Fair, Jordan took home many ribbons and accomplishments, including an N.C. State Fair Scholarship that will help further her agriculture education. “It was a huge honor to receive this scholarship that will allow me to keep doing what I love and pursuing my dreams,” she said. “I am majoring in Animal Science and recently added two minors in Biotechnology and Agricultural Business. Although I don’t quite know what I want to do yet, I know that I will stay in agriculture because this industry has always had my heart.” Currently, Jordan is set to graduate from N.C. State University in May of 2029.
In addition to showing beef cattle, Jordan also loves the education and production sides of the industry. “The beauty of my position is that I not only get to show beef cattle, but I get to raise them and see their full life cycle on our family farm,” she said. “I love seeing the calves born each year and raising them but also watching how much they change and progress throughout the year. Whether they end up in the show ring or at the annual auction that we hold in the fall, it generates a lot of pride to know how much work we have put into each cow at the end of the season.” Jordan also serves on the National Junior Hereford Association Board where she helps educate the public on the importance of our state’s beef industry. “I truly love educating people, especially the younger generation, on how beef impacts their life every day,” she said. “Many people don’t grow up on the farm like they used to, so educating them on why agriculture is important is vital to the future of this industry. If I can help bridge that gap, even in a small way, it’s an honor to do so.”
We are so proud of all that Jordan is doing to further our state’s beef industry on the family farm, in the livestock ring, and on the National Junior Hereford Association Board. Look for her this year at the 2026 N.C. State Fair, taking place October 15-25th at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. We look forward to seeing how Jordan will impact the industry in the years to come!
