Youth in Agriculture features Paden Smith

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e voice of the Ozarks

Paden Smith

By Marissa Snider What is your involvement in agriculture?

“I’ve been showing cattle for about four years. I show at the fair and sometimes we go to Texas and show.”

Paden’s family operates a 1,200-head Brangus beef cattle ranch in Gentry, Ark.,called Schwerin Beef.

“My papa started the ranch about 40 years ago and now me, my dad, my mom and my brother help. I have a lot of chores to do to take care of show cattle.” Age: 9 Hometown: Gentry, Ark. Parents: Kaleb and Chrisie Smith Sibling: Paxton Smith 4-H Club: Logan 4-H Club leaders:

What is your favorite part of being involved in agriculture? Jackie Griffin and Anna Myers

“I love fair week because it’s a chance to see my friends and show my cattle,” he said, adding that seeing hard work pay off in the show ring, and at the fair with the Pasture to Plate auction fills him with pride.

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What are your future plans?

“I’m definitely going to work on the ranch. I love it,” he said. “I also want to be a diesel mechanic. His dad Kaleb Smith, is a mechanic, and Paden was quick to talk about all the things he fixes around the farm.

What is the best advice about agriculture you have received from adults?

“Watch out for the health of the animals. Steers are mostly what we sell to the feedlot so that’s how we make money. This year we had a big ‘ole drought. That means we didn’t have a lot of water in our ponds for our steers and it was really hot. Sometimes cattle die and that hurts our business so we try to do everything we can to keep the cattle healthy.”

Paden said his parents and grandparents help him understand the relationship between these animals and the business-side of ranching.

“Sometimes I worry about the cows, but mostly I don’t have to because I’m a kid,” he said.