Lacy Jo Barrett
Age: 17
Parents: Brian and Lisa Barrett
Hometown: Gravette, Ark.
FFA Chapter: Decatur FFA
FFA Advisor: Lisa Barrett
4-H Club: Maysville 4-H
4-H Leader: Nikki Crawley
What is your current involvement in agriculture?
“Currently I’m the farm manager and do the paperwork, figure out the feed rations, and make the decisions on breeding and AI. We raise show hogs, and any who don’t have the potential for show quality animals are sifted out in raised as feeder pigs.”
Favorite Ag Memory: “Six years ago I really wanted to win my County Fair Grand Champion Hog overall. It wasn’t till this year that I gained that title. Not only did I show and raise the grand overall barrow, but my sister had the reserve overall market hog who is a litter mate. This year the Durocs reigned which made it even more special.”
Awards: “I’ve won the state level competition for showmanship twice and the reserve Duroc barrow at the National Junior Swine Association (NJSA) Southwest Regional Competition. I have also won my age division at the County Fair since I was 10.”
Future Plans: “I plan on going to junior college to begin my pre-vet degree eventually wanting to earn a doctorate in veterinary medicine. Being a veterinary pathologist takes another four years of education, but I believe that would be a great backup plan. I believe in having backup plans for backup plans because you never know what’s going to happen.”
Advice to Younger Students: “I do show clinics all the time and I tell the youngsters to practice over and over again and never give up. I started at 6 and had my moments of wanting to give up, but never did and know that the persistence is worth it.”
