Brenda Riggs
In Town: “I have worked at the Kings River Country Store in Huntsville, Ark., on and off for about 15 years and know both my customers and what they like. My husband, Dennis, is now at Tyson Foods in Berryville, Ark., as a knife sharpener and before that worked in the Springdale Berry Street plant in maintenance. We have three children, two stepchildren and 10 grandchildren with one granddaughter named Casey who lives with us.”
In the Country: “Although we own only 6 acres, we lease another 200 and run a commercial herd with 23 mommas and one bull. Our bull is a Charolais and our mommas are a Charolais mix. I was not familiar with cattle until I married and enjoy the Charolais because they are calm and gentle most of the time, so much so that they all have names.
“We supplement with sweet feed and also provide salt and mineral blocks. We have a vet vaccinate and castrate for us and usually sell the calves as soon as they are weaned at approximately 300 pounds. We are fortunate in that we have a spring on the leased land, which forms a reliable pond for the cattle.
“My husband does most of the chores because I am gone more of the time, and my brother-in-law occasionally helps. Casey loves to watch and play with the farm animals and sometimes checks the cows with Dennis. She’s grandpa’s girl and loves being outside with him. Because of her interest in animals, we think she might go into 4-H, which would be just fine with us.
“We all love living in the country because we are away from traffic and know our neighbors well. I love to fish, and one of the advantages of our leased property is that it borders the Kings River which gives me plenty of opportunity. Because of how we feel about our country life, our goal is to keep the cattle herd about the same size it is now in order to help supplement our income far into the future.”
