Wayne Merritt
Family: Wife, Debbie; daughter Kimberly Pearcy of Wasaw; son, Doug Merritt of Lebanon; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild on the way.
In Town: Wayne Merritt is currently serving his first term as the sheriff of Laclede County, Mo., after being elected in 2012. He took office on Jan, 1, 2013. Merritt began his career in law enforcement in 1981.
In the Country: Wayne moved to Lebanon in 1977 and bought a 40-acre farm, where he raised Angus and Hereford cattle, concentrating on the establishment of Black Baldie cattle.
Wayne said they “outgrew” the original farm and purchased 120 acres and began raising registered Limousin cattle in 1986. In 1992, he made the transition from red Limousin to black, and now has a registered Lim-Flex herd. He explained that he and his wife have scaled back their operation over the last few years and now have about 30 head of cattle total that they run on 50 acres, and he has some additional rented acreage.
“It’s relaxing to go out and be with the cattle,” Wayne said. “I love to go out and cut hay. I’ve got brome and red clover at home and I’ve got other places that I cut for people. Just to go out and go in circles, cutting hay with a rotary mower, you’ve got time to think and do what you want to do. I like to forget about the job and just go out and be on the farm.”
Wayne said he transitioned to Lim-Flex because he likes the high-quality carcass, the smooth appearance and the disposition of the breed.
He added that the longevity of a female is also very important to him because of his small herd size.
“For Limousin and some of the exotic breeds, 20-years-old isn’t anything for them,” he said.
Part of Wayne’s health regiment is to vaccinate twice a year, and addressing any health issues quickly.
“They’ve got good grass and they aren’t eating rocks, so it’s all in what you feed them and how you take care of them,” he said.
Wayne concentrates his efforts in producing high-quality seedstock.
“I only sell my best for breeding stock,” he said. “If it isn’t a good animal, I will sell it through the sale barn. I don’t want to sell it as a registered animal if it isn’t a good quality animal.”
