Allen Jones must think he’s seeing his own shadow when he walks among his herd of crossbred cows. His 6-year-old son, Houston, makes almost every step he makes, mimicking his father’s movements. Allen says that’s the way he grew up, following his father Glen Jones around Glenview Farms in the north Blount County. These days, Allen and his brother, Claja, operate the 1,250 acre spread with their father.Both Allen and his wife, Connie, agree that it’s that sort of family togetherness that gives them the most satisfaction from farming. The newest member of the Jones family, Hannah, will turn 2 in October, and she’s already developing the same love of the outdoors.Allen and Connie have a herd of 425 crossbred Red Angus brood cows that has earned them the reputation as breeders who know how to give buyers what they want–a meaty calf from cows that give an abundance of milk. That same reputation earned them the title of this year’s Outstanding Young Farm Family in the beef division.”We’ve worked on this for a lot of years and we’ve made some mistakes in that time,” Allen said of their beef cattle operation. “At one time we were concentrating so much on getting a heavy, meaty calf that the milk production in our cows began to suffer. That’s one reason I really like the Red Angus influence, because it provides the weight and good milking ability.”The Joneses buy their bulls after studying each one’s EPDs and most are semen tested before they are placed in the pasture with the cows. The Joneses have been keeping records on their brood cow herd since the late 1970s, and all but 65 of their 425 cows were raised right there on Glenview Farms.”We try to produce a uniform calf,” Allen said. “We want to sell 250 or more calves that are a uniform lot. That really helps when it comes time to sell your calves.”After a bout with brucellosis in the late 1970s that forced the Joneses to liquidate their cattle operation, the family bought 100 commercial Red Angus cross cows to rebuild their herd. Allen said he knew they wanted to combine the traits of a meaty calf with a good milking breed, so he used the Internet to search for his new herd bulls.”We bought two Red Angus bulls from a man in Montana sight unseen,” Allen said. “We had them delivered to Chattanooga, Tenn., and as it turned out, the decision to buy them was a good one. We ended up keeping most of their heifer calves as replacement cows for the herd.”The Joneses use purebred Red Angus and Charolais bulls on their cows and wean their calves in July or August. The calves are grazed until the first of October when they are placed on winter grazing where they are fed a ration of 50 percent broiler litter and 50 percent corn meal. The calves are sold when the heifers reach 700 pounds and the steers are 750 pounds.The Joneses also have developed a unique marketing strategy that has added to their success and their bottom line. For a number of years they participated in local board sales and sold their cattle by allowing local contract order buyers to submit bids on trailer loads of their cattle.But a few years ago, they began exploring new marketing methods that allowed their cattle to be sold at public auction without ever leaving the farm.”We make a brochure and video on the cattle we’re selling, and it’s shown at the sale barn in Cullman,” Allen said. “We pay the sale barn a fee per head, and the buyers participate in a live bidding process. It’s been the most successful for us so far.”The Joneses poultry operation, A & C Poultry, contributes heavily to the success of the beef cattle operation as well. The broiler litter is used in feed and as fertilizer for pasture and hayfields. The Joneses hay business helps give the farm’s cash flow a boost in the summer, Allen said.”Connie really operates the chicken houses, but I help her more since Hannah was born,” Allen said.The Joneses are contract growers for Tyson of Albertville, and they have four broiler houses.Connie’s success as a poultry farmer is equal to her green thumb that blesses their yard with dozens of flowers and shrubs.”I love working on the farm and staying home with the kids,” Connie said. “When I need to go do something, most of the time I put them in the truck, and they go with me. Hannah even goes to the chicken houses sometimes, and Houston is already helping out there a good bit.”Houston said he helps pick up feeder lids and helps put pipes under the feed spouts. But his favorite job is driving the tractor with his daddy.”I learned responsibility at a young age growing up on a farm,” Allen said. “I think that’s the greatest thing we can teach our children.”Allen and Connie both are active in the Blount County Young Farmers and other agriculture organizations as well. They were chosen as the Outstanding Young Farm Family in the beef division in 1989 and in the poultry division in 1999.Allen served as the representative for District 2 on the State Young Farmers Committee from 1992-1996 and served as state chairman in 1996. He has served on the Blount County Farmers Federation Board since 1987 and currently is vice president of the county organization.In addition to her work with the Blount County Farmers Federation, Connie also serves as president of the Blount County Cattlewomen’s Association.”I think the biggest benefit I’ve gained from my association with the Farmers Federation would have to be the leadership skills I’ve gained,” Allen said. “It’s not only helped me within the organization but in a lot of ways, including my business. The communication skills have really helped me learn how to deal with other people. It’s also given me the courage to stand up and talk about what I believe in and to defend and explain what we as farmers do to make a living.”