Jerry Pegelow grew up in the farming country of northern Illinois. “We, my son and I, were housed out of farming,” is the way he put it. Coming from a strong background in farming livestock and cash grains, Jerry Pegelow has seen a lot of changes. The family farm consisted of over 1,000 acres in far northeast Illinois. Much of the land was being swallowed up by urban sprawl and corporate expansion. “Where we grew corn and soy beans they now grow concrete and black top. Chicago and Milwaukee will run into each other soon,” Jerry said.
“We had registered Angus, Oxford sheep and boarded horses as well as raising corn, soybeans, wheat and of course, hay. We still did square bales there because so many had horses,” he remembered.
After farming, Jerry went on to work for the municipality near his home. With his wife, Vicki and son Jerry Jr. they continued a family tradition in 4-H, with Jerry Jr. doing well showing mostly purebred Angus steers.
Fast forward to today, where Jerry and Vicki live on 80 acres in two separate parcels in rural Dallas County, with the Illinois farming life behind them. Jerry Jr. now lives near Ford, Kan., where he works for a grain co-op.
Besides Jerry’s memories, all that remains of those days are the half dozen green John Deere tractors that stand in mute testimony to a farming legacy. One of the machines in particular, a 720, holds a special place in his heart, as it was purchased new by his dad in 1958.
Then there’s another creature that’s taken up strong residence on their Missouri farm: Miniature donkeys.
Jerry and Vicki first became acquainted with the Miniature Mediterranean Donkeys on a visit to Spain. They recall the little foals running the streets like dogs. From then on they have had a special calling to the donkeys. Today they share their land with 30 registered donkeys.
“They are unique, docile and very inquisitive animals,” Jerry explained. “Our donkeys respond well to kids and older adults, even those in wheel chairs. We’ve taken them to the Dallas County Care Center for a festival. Several of the jennies have also taken part in a 4-H Special Youth Livestock Show, with the emphasis on special youth.”
Easy maintenance comes with raising donkeys as well. They are usually long haired and like to “dust” themselves by rolling several times daily. This helps deter flies and other pests, Jerry said. They can make themselves a dusting pit rather quickly out in the pasture, creating bare spots.
“Generally we don’t clip our whole herd, but for shows they get bathed and clipped to 3/8 of an inch. This changes the entire look of the donkey,” he added.
Jerry noted the common question is ‘What can you do with a donkey?’ Several of Jerry’s donkeys are trained to pull 2-wheeled carts. He is often seen driving them on the roads near their home. In addition, he spends a good deal of time training them for upcoming shows. They take part in halter classes as well as performance classes, which require action, jumping, lead line races, obstacle courses, pleasure driving and obstacle driving. Last summer Jerry and his donkey, Sabrina, placed first at the Missouri State Fair in obstacle driving. Jerry works his donkeys on roughly 25 different obstacles in preparation for competition.
The donkeys are housed in a special barn, designed by Jerry. The stalls are designed so they can be changed depending on the couple’s needs. “For birthing, sometimes you need several separate stalls at one time,” he commented. Outside paddocks also protect new mothers and their foals.
Jerry, who is president of the Central States Miniature Donkey Club, Vicki and several of their donkeys, participated recently in The Donkey Day of Knowledge held at the Dallas County Fairgrounds. “We drew people from four states, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri. We had a really good turn out,” he said.
Their farm, “Dancin’ Donkey Acres,” welcomes visitors. “Our donkeys love company,” they agreed.
