Anthony Cannon Is A Champion Many Times Over

Anthony Cannon is not terribly impressed by his success, even though the 14-year-old has won multiple blue medals and many other recognitions in his eight years in 4-H, including last year's Outstanding Exhibitor Award at the Contra Costa County Fair. 

"It's really fun," he said of 4-H. "I have to juggle school and going out for football with it. It totally keeps you out of trouble."

He said he spends about two hours a day raising pigs, lamb and goats. Cannon graduated from Christ the King School this year, and plans to attend College Park next year. 

Among the many awards Cannon has been awarded has been the Blue Hat, the highest award the organization bestows, for Master Showmanship. He has three blue ribbons, two second place ribbons, and two fifth place awards. 

At the fair this year, he sold his lamb for $945 to Les Schwab Tires in Martinez, and his grandparents purchased his prize pig for $937. He uses the funds to purchase more animals to raise. 

Cannon wants to be "a firefighter and a pig farmer," he said, and is planning to study agriculture in college. He is presently the youngest board member on the Board of California Pork Producers. His teacher at Christ the King said he was the school agriculturalist. As if to underline his reputation, Cannon wore his boots to graduation.

He even has business cards made up calling him "Pork Producer Extraordinaire." 

"He's really happy, he really enjoys it," said his mom, Susan Cannon. "It's not like a toddler in a tiara, where he's forced to do it. Anthony really enjoys it." 

His fifth grade teacher wrote about him: "I never learned more about agriculture than I have this year." 

Despite his many impressive achievements in 4-H, Cannon remains unimpressed by it all. But that doesn't mean there are not things he's excited about. 

"I was counting down the days until the In-N-Out opened," he said.