Joe and Angela Gries
In town: Angela and Joe both work for the Bolivar School District. Angela teaches business and marketing at Bolivar High School and Joe is a Para-educator at the Bolivar Extension School. The couple truly enjoy their teaching positions and have been known to take a farm critter or two to class with them from time to time for their students to enjoy.
In the Country: “You name it, we do it,” laughed Joe. The Gries have a handful of adult pigs and several litters of piglets, 40 head of goats, a herd of 14 cows, nine donkies, six horses of various breeds and colors, a small flock of chickens and a multitude of dogs and cats on their Humansville, Polk County, Mo., farm. The pigs are a combination of Hampshire and Mule Foot – Angela and Joe have had good success with this cross. The goat herd at the Gries farm is a colorful mix of Boers, Nubians, Fainting Goats and crosses with all of these. Angela and Joe like to breed for good color – colorful goats tend to bring more in the sale ring. The cattle herd is made up of mixed commercial cows and a registered Angus bull.
Story and Photo by Klaire Bruce
