Jerry and Michelle Sanner’s Hidden Farm, as they call it, in rural Polk County is well-named, tucked in amongst the rolling hills outside Humansville, Mo. “I started with commercial cows,” Jerry explained, “but we’re converting over to registered Angus at this point. We’re working with Jeff and Shoni Wilson out of Clearwater, Mont. There’s 50 years of research behind the genetics in the herd we have established with top producers here in Missouri. It’s all about raising great-tasting beef. You cook chicken and you have to put spices on it to make it taste good,” he laughed. “We want to raise beef that when you cook it or put it on the grill, that’s all you need. We want people to eat beef.”
Jerry continued, “These cattle also have a docile nature. That’s in the genetics and really important. It goes right on with their calves, too. I recently loaded up three heifers all by myself and that gentle nature makes it so much easier. You honk your horn and you’ve got your whole herd up here with you.”
“I like having cattle I don’t have to be afraid of,” Michelle Sanner added.
Michelle said the difference between their Angus and the commercial cows is amazing. “My favorite was Tiny, an 1,800 lb. bull we just sent to Texas. I’d put fly spray on him and scratch between his ears and he liked that. I grew up around horses and Labrador retrievers and out here, we have both. My horse, Libby thinks she is part of the family,” she added with a giggle.
The Sanners own 20 acres right now and lease most of the rest, another 200 acres. “We do a lot of custom haying, in shares, working with others who don’t have the equipment to do their own. We’ve been at this – switching over to the registered Angus – for the last two years, but it’s been a good investment. You can’t always look at just the upfront costs, but rather the total cost down the road. We have a lot of our life invested in this and every cow counts.”
Jerry said he tags his calves the first 24 hours they’re on the ground. “We’ve had an orphaned calf inside the house on a pallet and a frozen one in the bath tub before. Whatever it takes.”
“My whole family is involved and that really helps. My dad has our heifers over on 40 acres at Halfway, Mo., where he lives. That’s a real help to us and also keeps him active and young. My son, Matt is in the military and he and his sister Lacey help out all they can as well.”
Jerry worked in construction for many years before being laid off in recent months but his upbeat attitude can be seen in all he does. Born with only half as many hands as most, he was asked once, if there was anything he couldn’t do. “Well, sir,” he answered, “I’ve never worn out a right-hand pocket!”
Jerry and Michelle are serious about their cattle, though. Their Angus are easy-calvers, with calves running 50-70 pounds at birth and weighing 500-600 pounds when they’re weaned. “We just weaned 30 commercial calves, running about 450 pounds each. It’s also about what you put into them. When we feed grain, we feed the best. We have 56 head at the moment but we’re taking baby steps right now.”
The Sanner’s plans for the future include buying more of their own land. “It’s not the cost of leasing the land that’s hard to keep up with, but the cost of driving to check on the cattle every day that eats you up,” Jerry noted. “We’re looking to buy 150-200 acres and our goal is a herd of 200 head.
Jerry explained, “Our friends in Montana say ‘most farmers raise what they like, rather than what the consumers want.’ We’re looking to raise great-tasting beef. Everybody can agree with that.”
