Dan Ruter
In town: Dan owns Marshfield Mill in Marshfield, Mo. He buys all the grain for the mill and prices everything. Marshfeild Mill does complete ration work at the mill.
How long have you been at Marshfield Mill?
“My parents bought it in 1981 and I bought it in 2007.” Dan has worked at Marshfield Mill since 1983. He started out working in the back, mixing feed.
On the farm: For the past 15 years Dan has been farming outside Niangua, Mo. “We put up and sell hay. This year we put up around 600 bales. It is a mixed hay. Fescue, orchard grass and clover. I have 30 cow/calf pairs. All are Black Angus. I just bought five head at first and slowly built it up. Farming is just a time-consuming hobby. We took that farm, cleaned it up and made something out of it. I’m not a professional farmer by any means.”
Advice for young farmers?
“Watch your overhead and intake. Any more, the young guys can’t make it without backup.”
Biggest challenge?
“The changing times. Every day when you get up, something is different. Just changing with the times is a challenge.”
Story and Photo by Brenda Brinkley
