Colton Padgett
Parents: Matt and Rusti Padgett
Hometown: Siloam Springs, Ark.
FFA Chapter: Siloam Springs
FFA Advisor name: Mike Rogers
What is your favorite aspect of agriculture? “What I like best is taking care of the animals. I’ve had animals all my life and I love to go out and mess with them and play with them and feel like they’re part of the family.”
Who is the most influential person in your life? “My grandpa Tony because he has given me so many experiences and drives me every day. He is one of the tough-love people and says you have to do what you love and you give it 150 percent.”
What is your current involvement in agriculture? “I currently take care of the animals and spend a lot of time in our chicken houses. However, I probably spent most of my time in the fields because that’s a more time intensive process.”
What is your favorite agricultural memory? “My earliest memory is riding in the hay truck with my dad while still being in a car seat, but my favorite is the first time I drove a tractor. That’s probably when my love for engines really started.”
What are your future plans? “Right now I take two classes in the morning at Siloam Springs High School and then spend my afternoons at Northwest Technical Institute, a technical college in Springdale (Ark.) While I have taken a lot of ag classes at Siloam, I am going to NTI for automotive training because I want to become a service technician. The process really works out because I get credit for both high school and my NTI degree at the same time.”
What is most memorable about your competitions? “I always loved showing and showed quite a bit when I was in 4H but it became too expensive and I got interested in motors. I do remember one time my first year showing when I entered the bovine beauty contest at the county fair and dressed my cow as Hannah Mootana.”
