Four generations of Rick Haegele’s family have lived near Prairie Grove, Ark., with the first generation of seven families moving by covered wagon to Arkansas from Tennessee. Rick is surrounded by family. His parents bought the turkey farm in 1976. They have been raising turkeys and cattle ever since. Rick’s parents live just a stone’s throw away. “We have six turkey houses and 27,000 turkeys,” Rick said. Rick and his wife, Paula, just moved their turkeys from the brood houses to the range houses. In just a matter of weeks, they will have another 27,000 chicks to start the 14-week process of raising turkeys. “It is a rotation with 27,000 (maturing turkeys) with 27,000 babies behind them,” Rick said. “You’re never out of turkey,” Paula said.
“We (also) have 90 head of momma cows, mostly black Simmental,” Rick said. “We are just not geared up to do the registered cattle. It takes more time and feed than I am willing to do,” Rick said. “You have to watch them a lot closer than we have the time to do,” Paula said. “My dad turned me on to Simmental in 1970. There was only one Simmental bull in the nation at the time,” Rick said. “We got started way back then. I think dad was No. 639, and a charter member in the association.” Rick likes the Simmental-Angus cross. “What it does for the Angus people is to stretch their calves out bigger, longer and taller, but yet it puts the finer bones of the Angus on the Simmental,” he said. “There is not as much wasted neck. It is a good blend for both breeds.”
The farm takes a lot of work, but getting their children through college is the most important thing for Rick and Paula. Now that their youngest son, Clint, is a freshman at the University of Arkansas studying poultry science, they can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Kate, their next oldest child is studying Agriculture Business and graduates in May. Their eldest son, Luke, was in the marines and even went to Iraq. All three of their kids were in the Lincoln, Ark., 4-H program and went to the national competition judging dairy cattle. Clint was one of three 4-H kids in Arkansas to earn the honor of being a star farmer last year. “The kids have almost paid for their college through their own efforts,” Paula said.
Rick’s day job is serving as a supervisor for McBride Distributing, selling Budweiser beer. “I do everything; whatever the boss needs done,” Rick said. “I’ll go to St. Louis to meetings or go to Wal-Mart to stock shelves.” Rick has been with McBride for 34 years.
Rick and Paula see a time they will slow down, in the future. “I am not sure how much longer we can, or want to, do the turkeys,” Rick said. “The man that was here before us used our houses for over 15 years. Some of our houses are 40 to 50 years old.”
“They just aren’t efficient,” Paula added. Rick said he feels there will come a time when it will be necessary to build new ones. “We are looking to retire,” Paula said. “We might raise enough for the litter to supplement our soil. Two or three batches a year.”
Rick voiced concern about the water issue between Arkansas and Oklahoma. “If it goes against us (poultry producers) we will be shut down,” Rick said. “I will have no place to go with my litter. I’ll end up giving it away.” Rick is concerned about having a place to store the litter if that happens. “Ninety-eight percent of cattlemen use chicken litter to fertilize their pastures,” Clint added.
But the family is hopeful for the future. Their children are carrying on work in the ag industry, and the cattle will keep them all active for the years to come. “We love the cattle,” Rick said.
