Chris Chaves
In Town: Chris Chaves, of Ozark, Mo., is a shop manager for Architectural Building products, a commercial window contracting company. Chris has worked for Architectural Building Products for four and a half years, but he has been a member of the glass trade in general for 17 years. Chris’s father, Wayne, also worked in the glass trade, so this sort of job comes naturally for Chris. “I grew up in it,” he said.
In the Country: Several miles south of town, Chris farms his family’s 200-acre, third generation farm with pride – his grandfather, Sam, purchased the land in 1930. Chris’s father, Wayne, bought the farm from his father in 1992 and Chris purchased the 200 acres from his father in 2005. (A family cemetery was implemented onto the farm in 1997) In days past, the Chaves farm had an orchard, a dairy cow operation and an entire ridge planted in nothing but tomatoes. Today, Chris runs a small herd of Simmental beef cattle, 50 head of Boer goats, a handful of goat watchdogs and a few horses. “I cannot stand the idea of looking out the window and not seeing them,” Chris said of his livestock. When he is not at work, mowing or fixing fence, he enjoys simply watching his cows. “They’re peaceful.”
Best Part of Town and Country Life: “I am a social person by nature,” said Chris. He enjoys being able to meet and interact with new folks at work, but he loves to come home to the country and have some room to breathe. “I love nature,” he said, and he enjoys using things like mushroom hunting as a reason to go for a walk in the woods.
Best Management Tip: “Make hay while the sun shines.”
Story and Photo by Klaire Bruce
