Trey Yoakum
Age: 17
Family: Parents, Stacy and Lisa Yoakum
Hometown: Rolla, Mo.
High School and FFA: Rolla High School and FFA
FFA Advisor: Cord Jenkins
What is your involvement in agriculture?
“We have a mixed herd of several breeds, including Angus and British Whites. We do spring and fall calving, on about 130 to 150 cows. We also do rotational grazing on multiple paddocks. I move a lot of cows when I’m at home.”
“We also put up 1,500 to 2,500 round bales each year so that’s pretty much what I do all summer. I like showing the animals. I’ve shown Yorkshire pigs and for the last two years I’ve shown a market lamb. Before that I had a steer. I like the pigs but while a steer is harder work, it is more enjoyable in the end. It feels like you can bond more with a steer. Of course, the hard part is in the end when you have to sell it.”
Trey’s family has long been involved in agriculture as well as the business of heavy equipment operation.
“My dad also has Yoakum Trucking and Excavating. He owns and leases a total of 35 trucks. We dig basements, ponds, septic tanks and that kind of thing. We stay pretty busy and that’s good because,” he grinned, “it also keeps me busy and that keeps me out of trouble.”
Trey’s grandfather had 300 sows at one point, but he sold them several years ago. “I have two sisters who are both Mizzou graduates. Both are married and are working on getting their own farms. They both already own sheep and cows.
Future Plans: “I really like operating the heavy equipment and the mechanical work that goes with that. I’ve thought about going to technical school, but I’ve been told that a lot of what they teach is what I already know in terms of operating heavy equipment so I’m not sure what I’ll do. I can already run the heavy equipment for my dad’s business. As far as my future, I think I would like to take over my dad’s business one day. I like agriculture, but I think my sisters are really into it more than I am. I think I’ll probably leave that part of it to them.”
