Name: Robert Doehring
In Town: Robert works at the Farmers Produce Exchange in Lebanon, Mo., in bulk feed delivery. He travels as far south as Hartville, west to Elkland, north to Lake of the Ozarks and east to Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo.
In the Country:
Robert and his wife Sam own 21 acres and rent 140 acres in Conway, Buffalo and Urbana, Mo. He runs nearly 50 head of registered Polled Herefords and at “last count” had 18 registered Limousins. Robert’s kids are very involved on the farm and they all show the family’s cattle.
Family: Sherry (Sam), Robert Jr., 21 years old; Vernie, 20; Tiffany, 16; and Becky, 15.
What's the biggest challenge of balancing a job and the farm?
“There are just not enough hours in the day! Especially when you rent so much ground. We have cattle scattered out so far.”
How labor intensive is running registered stock?
“The paperwork part of it is the hardest. And you have to be with them more at calving time so you get calving dates and weights. With EPDs, everyone wants EPDs, commercial breeders especially, and you have to keep up to date your weaning weights and birthing weights. If you get a little bit behind and start fudging (the numbers), you can get off in a hurry.”
Why Herefords and Limousins?
“A Hereford heifer was the first show heifer we bought, my son Vernie bought it. My neighbor started us off with two Limousin crossbred steers and we had a Grand Champion at the Dallas County fair from those, so we decided we liked those really well.”
What is one thing you can do to improve your operation?
“I don’t know. Unless it would be buy a place where we could have everything in one place.”
Why do you think it's important for kids to be involved in agriculture?
“When I look around town and see kids in trouble all the time… I just think it gives them more responsibility growing up out in country.”
By OFN Staff
