🎙️ Watch Episode 3 of the AgricultHER Podcast
▶️ Click here to watch Episode 3: Betting on the Delta
Welcome back to the AgricultHER podcast series! If you've been following along, you already know about how this journey started in Post 1 and the horse girl roots that led to the LSU lab in Post 2. Now it's time to talk about the leap: the big, scary, exhilarating decision that changed everything.
This is the story of how a move to the Arkansas Delta, a role with the extension service, and a grandfather's entrepreneurial spirit all collided to create SMART Reproduction.
From Louisiana to the Arkansas Delta
Life has a funny way of pushing you exactly where you need to be.
After years of building expertise in reproductive technologies at LSU: mastering artificial insemination and embryo transfer techniques: Brittany found herself at a crossroads. The academic world had been incredible for learning, but there was a pull toward something more. Something hands-on. Something that felt like home.
That pull led to Arkansas.
The Arkansas Delta isn't exactly what most people picture when they think of cutting-edge livestock genetics. But that's precisely what made it perfect. Here was a region rich in agricultural tradition, full of hardworking producers raising Boer goat, dairy goat, and sheep operations: yet underserved when it came to advanced reproductive services.
Brittany saw opportunity where others saw flat farmland and humidity.
Brittany Scott preparing genetic material for export: a practice that would become central to SMART Reproduction's mission.
The Extension Service Years
Before SMART Reproduction existed, there was the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
Working with the extension service was transformative. It meant traveling across counties, meeting producers face-to-face, and understanding their real challenges: not just the textbook versions. It meant late nights at lambing barns, early mornings at goat shows, and countless conversations over coffee about breeding goals and herd health.
This is also where the women in ag community became more than just a concept. It became a network. A support system. A movement.
Special credit goes to Sherri Sanders with the White County University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service for championing programs like the AgricultHER podcast. These initiatives shine a spotlight on the women building agricultural businesses across Arkansas and beyond.
The extension years taught Brittany that producers didn't just need someone who could perform embryo transfer procedures or manage artificial insemination protocols. They needed a partner. Someone who understood their goals, spoke their language, and genuinely cared about their success.
That realization planted a seed.
A Grandfather's Voice
Here's where it gets personal.
Brittany's grandfather was an entrepreneur. Not in the Silicon Valley, venture-capital sense of the word: but in the truest, most authentic way. He built things. He took risks. He bet on himself when the odds weren't guaranteed.
Growing up, Brittany watched him work. She absorbed his philosophy without even realizing it: that building something of your own wasn't just about money. It was about legacy. Impact. Creating something that outlasts you.
During those extension service years, his voice kept coming back.
"Why work to build someone else's dream when you could build your own?"
It wasn't about ego. It was about recognizing that the skills she'd developed: the expertise in sheep and goat reproduction, the relationships with producers, the vision for what small ruminant genetics could become: all of it was pointing toward something bigger.
After returning from World War II, DL Wall built and ran multiple businesses—including his water well service operation pictured here. That post-war “see a need, build a solution” mindset is the same family thread Brittany leaned on years later when she took a big swing in the Arkansas Delta—turning modern livestock genetics work (AI, embryo transfer, and export-ready programs) into what became SMART Reproduction.
Brittany’s grandfather, DL Wall, pictured with her oldest two kids, Kendall and Rhett. The same entrepreneurial grit that shaped DL’s legacy is what gave Brittany the confidence to start SMART Reproduction—and now she’s getting to pass that “build something that lasts” mindset down to the next generation.
In this 2016 photo, Brittany’s two grandfathers: DL Wall and Eugene Scott—together in one frame. In a lot of ways, they were the twin pillars of her “go build it” wiring: DL’s post-WWII business grit and Eugene’s steady, practical influence. Seeing them side-by-side is a pretty perfect snapshot of the family legacy Brittany’s building on today with SMART Reproduction in the Arkansas Delta.
The Decision to Build SMART Reproduction
Making the leap from stable employment to entrepreneurship isn't romantic. It's terrifying.
There were spreadsheets. Sleepless nights. Conversations with mentors who said "go for it" and others who urged caution. There was the very real question of whether the market was ready for a company focused on export-quality genetics for Boer goat, dairy goat, and sheep.
But here's the thing about betting on the Delta: sometimes the best opportunities are hiding in plain sight.
Brittany realized that American genetics: particularly in the small ruminant space: were in high demand internationally. Producers in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and beyond were hungry for quality Boer goat genetics, superior dairy goat lines, and proven sheep bloodlines. Yet the infrastructure to serve them was fragmented at best.
SMART Reproduction was born to fill that gap.
The mission was clear from day one: provide elite American genetics through professional artificial insemination and embryo transfer services, with a focus on both domestic producers and international export markets.
The SMART Reproduction team celebrating another successful project: a reminder of why this work matters.
What the Delta Taught Us
Building a business in the Arkansas Delta teaches you things that business school never could.
It teaches you resilience. When your first big shipment gets delayed, you figure it out. When a client halfway around the world has questions at 2 AM, you answer them.
It teaches you community. The same neighbors who helped during harvest season become your first advocates. Word of mouth in rural America is more powerful than any marketing campaign.
And it teaches you that women in ag aren't a niche: they're the backbone. From the producers raising the animals to the veterinarians performing procedures to the entrepreneurs building companies like this one, women are everywhere in agriculture. The AgricultHER movement simply makes that visible.
Looking Back to Move Forward
DL Wall never got to see SMART Reproduction become what it is today. But his fingerprints are all over it.
Every time a shipment of genetics leaves for international export, there's a little bit of his entrepreneurial spirit in that tank. Every time a new producer partner joins the network, it's a continuation of the relationships he valued. Every time someone takes a chance on building something of their own, inspired by this story, the legacy grows.
The Arkansas Delta wasn't a detour. It was the destination.
And this is just Post 3. There's so much more to share.
Stay Connected with the AgricultHER Podcast
This series wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of the White County University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service and the vision behind the AgricultHER podcast.
Follow along on Facebook or check out all the episodes on Linktree.
Ready to Work With Us?
Whether you're a domestic producer looking to improve your herd or an international partner seeking premium American genetics, SMART Reproduction is here to help.
📦 Browse Our Online Catalog – Explore elite Boer goat, dairy goat, and sheep genetics available now.
🤝 Apply to Become a Partner – Join our growing network of breeders and distributors.
🌍 International Client Interest Form – Ready to export American genetics to your country? Let's talk.
🇺🇸 USA Domestic Interest Form – Domestic producers, start here to learn about our services.
Stay tuned for Post 4, where we dive deeper into the early days of SMART Reproduction and the challenges of building a genetics business from the ground up.