Name: Ryan Dean, 12
Parents: Ronnie Dean and Linda Hall
Hometown: Roland, Okla.
What is your favorite aspect of agriculture?
“I really love both auctioneering and working with cattle.”
Most influential person: “My grandpa is the most influential person in my life. I remember when I was 2 years old and riding on his shoulders and looking at the pens to see which animals were good. Now I go to sales with him three times a week, and there’s a sale barn right near my school. When my homework is done, I sometimes get dropped off there to be with him.”
Agricultural involvement: “I help with pretty much everything. I feed and water the cattle, and when it’s time, I help drive them into the chutes for their shots and sometimes give them the shots myself. I also sit with my grandpa in the tractor when we fertilize and hay, but that’s really hot because we don’t have any air conditioning in the tractor and have to leave the door open.”
Favorite memory: “I guess my favorite memory is when I was younger and we were driving into the pasture. The cattle started following the feed truck, and I would pretend I was an auctioneer. Now I sometimes auction the last two or three butcher cows when we go to the sale barn.”
Buying cattle: “I’ve been buying cattle since I was 10 and I’ve bought over 100 cattle. I pay back the price of the animal but get to keep the profit. Sometimes grandpa will buy one that I don’t think is so good, and sometimes I buy some that he’s not so sure of. It’s really fun and it all works out.”
Story and Photo by Terry Ropp
