Eric Bright
In Town: Eric Bright is the Farmers Market Supervisor and the Assistant Dairy Processing Supervisor at College of the Ozarks, a unique local college in Point Lookout, Mo., where students work for their tuition. Eric’s job entails overseeing the eight student farmers market workstation, and aiding in the processing and bottling of milk at the on-campus dairy. Every Friday from May through November, the campus farmers market sells produce, milk, meats and other goods that are all student grown, raised or made. Eric guides the students at this work station in harvesting the produce from the on-campus garden, processing milk, setting up tables and cash registers, and displaying the products, as well as holding weekly planning meetings with the students. “These meetings encourage student feedback and good supervisor/student relationships in the workplace,” Eric said.
In the Country: Eric and his wife, Hope, live on a small farm in Forsyth, Mo. They raise Jersey dairy replacement heifers, and they have a milk cow that provides them with all of their dairy needs. The Bright farm is also home to a flock of chickens and turkeys, which Eric raises for meat and egg purposes. On the horticulture side of things, Eric grows a big garden and maintains a fruit orchard, which consists of apple, peach, pear and cherry trees, along with some berry bushes. Eric is currently in the process of building a cabin and turning his place into a guest farm, where visitors who want something a bit more private than all of the Branson bustle can stay in a guesthouse and get a feel for country living. Eric also plans to expand his bovine herd to include beef cattle, and to implement an intensive rotational grazing program.
Best Time Management Tip: “Do the small things first,” Eric advised, “and make a realistic list of goals for each day.”
