From The Heart of Beef: Howdy and Welcome!

Howdy!

I would like to start by introducing myself and giving y'all some background on myself and my mission. My name is Alicia Smith and I am a junior level student here at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. Currently, my family lives in the small town of Sonoita, Arizona. (For those of you who don't know where this is, which is nearly everyone, it is about 60 miles Southeast of Tucson. No, I do not live in Mexico, just close to it). This is where my parents live and take care of my cattle and horses. Now, to get to the interesting stuff....

This is about the extent of the "town" of Sonoita

"Arizona's Hidden Jewel" Green During the Monsoons

I did not start out a beef producer. Nor did my immediate family raise cattle. I wasn't raised in a barn, in fact I was raised in a variety of different suburban homes. My family - Mom, Dad and I - followed wherever my Dad's job led him next, which happened to be several different places! My Dad pursued a career in mining, which apparently requires you to move around often. I was originally born in Deer Park, California before moving to South Dakota, Tucson, AZ, Prescott, AZ, Morenci, AZ, Thatcher, AZ, Safford, AZ, Sonoita, AZ and now College Station, TX. Never in any one of these travels did we live in the country or on a ranch. So how did I get my love for beef, you may ask?

Well, it all started with horses. I was that horse crazy girl all throughout elementary school. You know, the one who wore shirts that said horses over boys? Ya, I was THAT girl. My parents helped to suffice my horse craze by letting me do riding lessons, and for a short period, I owned my own horse! Then, we moved to Morenci and the lessons stopped. After 11 months there, and moving to Safford, I was back in the saddle! I found a wonderful friend in Jackie Hoisington, who allowed me to ride and show her horses. I fell in love with a little blue roan appaloosa, named Blue, who carried me through everything from western pleasure to halter and hunter jumper. I found my calling in riding jumper horses and showed for several years. I eventually bought Blue from Jackie and I was given Killian, who I also jumped competitively.

Jumping Killian 3'6".

This horse could clear 4 feet like
it was nothing.

Riding Little Blue in a Jumper Class

Jackie also introduced me to raising livestock through 4-H. She encouraged me to get a lamb, but I was dead set on raising a pig. Through much persuasion, I was talked into getting a lamb and a hog. There were two things I found out this year - I wanted to do this again, and that I do NOT like pigs! The next year, I figured I would try out a steer and a lamb, since it was obvious pigs were not my forte. So began my love and passion for cattle. My first steer was less than perfect in a number of ways, but I was absolutely hooked. Within two years, I bought my first heifer and was quickly improving my quality of cattle. I began showing intensively on the SAILA (Southern Arizona International Livestock Association) show circuit, and in 2010, finished the year off with Reserve Champion Senior Showman Overall and Fourth Overall Heifer, after taking a home a multitude of ribbons at various shows. I bred my first heifer, Bella, and began taking an interest in the nutritional aspects of feeding out market steers. All this time, I also continued to breed, show and sell sheep, which helped to fund the mounting costs of my cattle project. My cattle were, and are, a labor of love. But they are something that I enjoy dearly and I am passionate about being a voice for them and the beef industry as a whole. There are many, many stories, some funny, some sad, in raising my cattle, but that is for another day!