submitted by Scott Angle, UF\/IFAS<\/p>\n
An 1,100-pound heifer can be a little intimidating even if youre not a 60-pound fourth-grader. Fear was no match for Tucker Padgetts fascination, though, when the middle-schooler tending to the animal invited her to jump into the pen to help.<\/p>\n
Tucker was at a Santa Rosa County Fair 4-H prep meeting with her goats. UF\/IFAS Extension Escambia County 4-H agent Aly Schortinghouse had a hunch that Tucker would find interest in cows, so she had arranged for Tuckers visit to the pen.<\/p>\n
It went way beyond interest. Tucker, whos now a seventh-grader who lives in Molino, says she fell in love that day, with an animal and a way of life. The Black Angus named Blake Shelton kissed her. Tucker reciprocated with a fistful of Jolly Ranchers. That night she went home and told her parents she wanted a calf.<\/p>\n
The next test was faith. Tucker sold 40 goats and many of her chicks to raise the money to buy a calf from Barnes Feed Store. For a 10-year-old, thats betting the farm.<\/p>\n
She named the heifer Baby and worked for months to grow her. She brushed, cleaned, halter-trained and arranged for veterinary checkups. Tucker and Baby went to 14 competitions in Florida and Alabamacounty fairs and jackpot shows. Baby herself turned out to be a jackpot, as she and Tucker earned nearly $5,000 in premiums<\/p>\n
Tucker is now a 13-year-old with eight cows and intends to breed them to grow the herd. While shes still fond of Baby, shes not sentimental. Babys not a pet, shes a producer. Tucker is learning about artificial insemination, selecting the bulls to breed her heifers, and arranging for professional techs to impregnate the animals.<\/p>\n
The growing herd got the attention of neighbors who moved into Tuckers neighborhood in Molino a year ago. Hunter, 14, started asking questions and developing an interest in beef cattle. His sister Morgan, 12, wants to know more about dairy cows.<\/p>\n
Hunter and Morgan havent committed to an animal yet, but theyre learning from a young master, showing up at the barn at 6 p.m. every night where Tucker is teaching them to wash, brush, treat for hair growth, clip, tie and walk the animals.<\/p>\n
Tucker is a member of the JFCA and the Northwest Florida Cattlemens Association. She has addressed meetings of both associations to share her story.<\/p>\n
Its a classic UF\/IFAS Extension 4-H story. Its how a 4-H agent put opportunity in front of a kid, changed her life, and set her on a course to become a leader. The early signs are there in the hours Tucker now spends daily not only tending to her animals but extending that opportunity to others of her generation.<\/p>\n
Pictured top: Tucker Padgett with J. Scott Angle, the University of Floridas vice president for agriculture and natural resources, during the UF\/IFAS leaders visit to the area in December 2020. Pictured inset: Tucker Padgett with her calf, Baby. The pair has gone to 14 competitions in Florida and Alabama, earning nearly $5,000 in premiums. Photos UF?IFAS for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.<\/p>\n
Scott Angle is the University of Floridas Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources and leader of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF\/IFAS).<\/p>\n
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Molino 4-H Member Falls In Love With An Animal. And A Way Of Life. - NorthEscambia.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" submitted by Scott Angle, UF\/IFAS An 1,100-pound heifer can be a little intimidating even if youre not a 60-pound fourth-grader. Fear was no match for Tucker Padgetts fascination, though, when the middle-schooler tending to the animal invited her to jump into the pen to help. Continue reading