Name: Steve Smith
In The Country: Steve runs 40 Charolais momma cows on 190 acres near the edge of Madison County, Ark. His grandfather introduced Steve to the Charolais breed. His grandfather’s opinions on how fast the calves grew always stuck with Steve, and when making a decision on a breed he came back to the idea of Charolais. Steve bought the present farm a few years back after selling his farm in Tontitown, Ark. In addition to the Charolais that he mainly sells at Charolais breed sales, he keeps a few horses to ride for pleasure. Steve also serves on the Board of the Rodeo of the Ozarks, and enjoys riding his Appaloosa in the parade every year.
In Town: Steve owns and operates Steve Smith Country; the Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Jeep and Eagle dealership on west Sunset Avenue in Springdale, Ark. He purchased the dealership in 1984. He relocated to the present location from the original downtown location five years ago. Steve attended OSU in Stillwater, Okla., and obtained his undergraduate degree in Agricultural Economics.
Family: Steve’s 16-year-old son, Zachary and 20-year-old daughter Megan were both involved in 4-H. Zachary won grand champion steer at the Washington County Fair two years ago. Megan is currently pursuing her degree at Northwest Arkansas Community College.
How do you balance the farm and the job?
"Sometimes it becomes difficult, I find myself feeding after dark, and the winter is much more of a challenge. However, it’s what I enjoy, I love to get home, get on the tractor and do some brush hogging. I enjoy watching the baby calves running. I always try to make plans to be at the sale barn on Friday for lunch. It keeps me in touch with what’s going on in the cattle market, what the prices are, and the extra benefit is they have a great lunch!”
Are there any plusses about being a dealer and a farmer?
“I’ve always hoped the car business and the cow business wouldn’t be slow at the same time! Having a farm and knowing what they (the farmers) are going through, you’re having the same experiences. So if someone needs a truck, I can help them decide what fits their needs best, because I’m doing what they’re doing. It’s always good to have common ground.”
Why do you farm?
“I do it because I like it. The American people are fortunate that farmers want to spend the time and the money to do what they do. A lot of times I personally use the farm as an escape.”
