Smith County Agriculture News – By Katie Martin, Smith County Extension Agent
The 2024 Smith County Cattlemen’s Association Annual Meeting was held on January 22nd at the Smith County Ag Center in Carthage. With one of the largest crowds ever, over 145 beef producers enjoyed a steak supper and a night of fellowship and door prizes. We want to especially thank Smith Farmers CO-OP for sponsoring the meal.
One of the highlights of the Annual Meeting each year is the presentation of the Harold Dillard Producer of the Year award. This year’s winner was Tommy Turner. Mr. Turner is well known for his outstanding Charolais cattle as well as his passion for helping youth get started showing cattle. Countless peewee exhibitors have benefited from the opportunity to walk in the show ring with his cattle at the Spring Showdown, Smith County Fair, and other shows.
For the 10th year in a row, a heifer was auctioned during the meeting as a fundraiser that will help with the youth scholarship fund. This year’s heifer was donated by Danny Baker and purchased by Dewayne Cantrell. Scholarship recipients for 2023 were Hayden Bush, Brooke Russell, Brady Russell, Lillian Dillard, Macy Turner, Abby Malone, and Bryson Greer.
The Smith County Cattlemen’s Association would like to thank all the members for being a part of our organization and to give a special thanks to those who had a hand in making this year’s annual meeting a success. We want to invite everyone to our Open Beef Show on May 4th and encourage you to follow us on Facebook at “Smith County Cattlemen’s Association.”
