Joleen Durham
In Town: For eight years Joleen Durham has worked at Texas County Memorial Hospital in Houston, Mo. TCMH serves a large rural area. Her position is the Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Physician Recruiting. Joleen grew up on a farm at Plato, Mo., and obtained her master’s degree from Missouri State University.
In the Country: Joleen and her husband, Brian, own an 80 acre farm 10 miles from Houston, and live there with their 4-year-old son, Andy. They bought their 100-year-old farmhouse first, and planned on renovating it and just living in the country, however, the land surrounding it came up for sale and they purchased it in 2004. They currently have mixed breed mother cows and have purchased a Salers bull. “We wanted a breed known for low birth weights,” Jolene said. “We raise our beef entirely on grass. The Salers still get some marbling and have an earthy flavor that we prefer.”
How do you manage the farm and time at work?
“The cattle pretty much maintain themselves,” Joleen said. “We feed before we go to work in the winter, and in the spring and summer we check the herd for new calves, and rotate pastures when needed, after work in the evenings.”
How does your farm and work in town compliment each other?
Working at the hospital and owning the farm is a good balance, according to Joleen. “Some of the new physicians recruited are coming out of residency programs and are just starting their families. They are community oriented and appreciate someone who knows the benefits of living in the country after the stress of the hospital environment.”
What is one improvement you would make at the farm?
Joleen had a quick answer for that. “Restore the old barn on our property.” The barn was built in the 1940’s from lumber harvested from the farm, and has the typical “old barn” shape, and is surrounded by huge Walnut trees. “It is a lovely old landmark and we want to preserve it,” Joleen said.
By Lois J. Waters
