Alex Gardner

December 2023

Assistant Herdsman

MAFES Beef Unit

Animal Science Department

Driving down Hail State Boulevard, you can’t help but notice the picturesque view of cattle grazing throughout the rolling hills. An experienced herdsman, Alex Gardner is responsible for taking care of those cattle, along with sheep and goats at Mississippi State University’s H.H. Leveck Animal Research Center, also known as South Farm.

“I have been in the cattle industry for over 20 years,” Gardner said. “I chose this career because of my love of cattle and the outdoors.”

Growing up on a small farm in Fruitdale, Alabama, Gardner’s love for cattle began as a young child. He showed cattle from sixth grade until he graduated from high school, and, in college, he raised commercial cattle. Gardner turned his passion into a career and is now the owner of Rockin Double A LLC, where he and his wife raise registered Red Angus cattle.

His extensive experience has also made him a great teacher. At the H.H. Leveck Animal Research Center Beef Unit, Gardner assists with labs and research projects and helps teach cattle handling to veterinary students in their population medicine rotation. He also teaches livestock management practices where students receive hands-on training.

“I enjoy helping students who have no background in livestock production learn about, and become comfortable working with, cattle in a calm and stress-free manner,” Gardner said. “I feel like students can learn not only from my experiences but also from my mistakes.”