Cheryl Rust
In Town: Twenty-six years ago, Cheryl Rust, made a bold, yet exciting decision. She quit her job selling real estate and started her own business, Springfield Invisible Fence Company. “I got involved with it because I had a dog that was hit and killed,” explained Cheryl Rust. After researching options for her other dogs, she discovered the Invisible Fence Company in other parts of the country. “I put it in and trained my dogs and I thought this is so cool,” Cheryl recalled. She was so impressed with the product she decided to start a branch of Invisible Fence in the Ozarks. Her company installs invisible fences for pet owners. In the beginning, Cheryl dealt with doubts about owning her own business. She remembers how it took her four months to sell her first invisible fence. After that first customer, her business steadily grew. “I grew slow but efficiently,” Cheryl said. Now Cheryl has 2,500 customers. Cheryl exudes a passion for her job and a desire to help people and their pets. “I have people call me and say, ‘I have this problem. Can you help?’” said Cheryl. Springfield Invisible Fence Company offers indoor and outdoor solutions for pet owners. The company is gearing up to offer a new product that uses GPS technology to define boundaries for pets.
In the Country: Cheryl and her three daughters, ages 26, 21 and 18, live on a 22-acre farm in Rogersville, Mo. The family also rents nearby land to give them enough property for their farming operation. The Rusts run a herd of 80 commercial momma cows. They started with eight commercial cows 10 years ago and have continued building their herd through the years. The Rusts’ commercial cows have a Limousin, Angus, Charolais or Salers base. They use registered Angus bulls on all their cows. Cheryl says she appreciates the hybrid vigor in her crossbred cattle. In addition to the cattle operation, the Rusts also raise horses. They own 20 Quarter Horses and Fox Trotters. The Rusts train their horses for trail riding, roping and penning. Cheryl competes with one of her horses in roping and penning competitions in the Ozarks. The Rusts round out their farm with exotic Polish crested chickens and Cochin chickens, ducks, turkeys and peacocks.
