Farming is often a matter of generations as it is for Kenneth and Dorothy Rose who are 83 and 75. The couple has three children, seven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. The Roses currently have two homesteads, one in Muse, Okla., and one in Talihina, Okla. They run a commercial herd of 75 momma cows and five bulls on just under 300 acres.
Dorothy said, “We can remember when the first Charolais and Simmentals came over.” Kenneth added, “Back then everybody was leery of crossbreeding, but we tried anyway.” Kenneth believes success with a commercial herd requires two distinctly different kinds of bulls, a smaller Black Angus bull for first-time heifers for smaller calves and easier calving and larger framed Charolais or Simmentals bulls for larger calves with the rest of the herd.
The Rose R Ranch produces mostly spring calves and uses creep feeders. The cattle diet is supplemented by 32 percent crude protein cubes in 50-pound sacks the couple still hand loads into troughs. Recently they cut their operation from five pastures to the two homesteads and are hoping to pare the operation further to just the Talihina location to avoid the almost daily 30 mile trek between the homesteads.
Slowing down is out of the question. Dorothy said, “We wouldn’t know what to do with our time if we didn’t ranch.” Kenneth nodded in agreement and added, “Your hand shouldn’t ever be in your pockets. They should be working.” A strong work ethic has always been a part of Kenneth’s life. He was one of nine children on a farm that produced most of what they needed personally in addition to the family’s income.
The couple also has a storage unit business that Dorothy particularly enjoys. She said, “I’d never even been in one but decided it was a good idea so we built them in several locations, and I like people. It’s fun and always interesting.” Dorothy also appreciates being able to run the business out of their home and having a good supplementary income. Dorothy added, “I feel sorry for young people trying to get started in farming. You almost have to inherit the land because buying cattle and the other necessary equipment and services requires so much money.”
To demonstrate how times have changed, Dorothy pulled out a $75 chattel mortgage her father took out in 1941. The document listed three head of cattle by color and name, an 11-year-old Fort Smith wagon and various tack as collateral. The document didn’t even have a Social Security number. The money was used to put in a cotton crop and was paid back the same year. Then Kenneth showed a cattle ticket for 1971 that listed selling 15 head for $1,700 at $.21 per pound.
Dorothy sat flipping pages of a photo album and said, “Family is everything in the world to us and we think we’ve got a good family. Then I guess everybody thinks that.”
