Jackson girl stays planted on the farm

The family farm has drawn Paige Birk since she was about 6 years old. While she and her father, Steve Birk, don't live on the farm, he grew up there with his parents, Orville and Mary Birk, in rural Jackson. His great-great-grandfather settled there from Germany in 1876. Today, he and his daughter continue the family tradition of raising registered black angus breeding stock on the Missouri Century Farm.

Steve Birk also works off the farm, but said, "I would not give this up for anything. You can come out here and relax."

As a young girl, Paige helped her dad feed calves and check on them in the field. She also used to raise pigs, but now they raise only cattle.

She stayed close to the farm lifestyle as an active member of the FFA at Jackson High School, serving as an officer for three years. She is a recent graduate of the school.

Her hobby of raising and showing the black angus breed has taken her on the road to various shows, some out of state as far as Maryland, Colorado and Nebraska.

Paige Birk starts her morning on the farm with some barnkeeping.Fred Lynch

In January, Paige showed Lola, a black angus heifer, and received a first-place award at the National Western Stock Show in Denver.

"That's the Super Bowl of shows," Steve Birk said. "You're competing with the best in the nation."

Paige showed recently at the Missouri State Fair and will be showing at the SEMO District Fair.

One recent morning, Paige drove out to the farm to meet her father "and just help him with whatever he needs done," she said.

Getting started, Paige did some light stall-cleaning with a pitchfork before washing Kimba, a 10-month-old heifer, outside the barn. Emmy and Lola would also get a bath later.

Steve Birk fills a creep feeder for the cattle.Fred Lynch

Emmy, 9 months old, seemed to take it all in stride, as Paige walked her with a halter away from the barn as if practicing for the show ring.

"Pay attention," Paige told Emmy. "You can't be doing that at the fair."

It seemed Emmy knew she was special with the attention given to her. Paige was all about the details, even making Emmy's ear tag with her name in gold script.

Paige continued to lead Emmy, stopping, starting and turning. With a firm grip on the halter, she looked Emmy in the eye.

"You got it? Good girl."

Paige Birk uses a roto-brush to train Emmy's hair to look better when showing the heifer.Fred Lynch

Paige will be studying pharmacy at the University of Missouri at Columbia. She intends to spend as much time as she can helping out on the farm during school breaks. After completing her studies, Paige expects to have a role in keeping the farm in the family.