Larry Strauss
Family: Wife, Cheryl Strauss; daughters, Amanda and Andrea; and grandchildren, 14-year-old Keaton and 6-year-old Sawyer.
Hometown: Stilwell, Okla.
Town Life: “I was born and raised in Stilwell, Oklahoma, and after college and the Air Force, worked for Stilwell Foods. A friend told me (State Farm was) looking for an agent in Stilwell. I interviewed, was told I was hired and gave a two week notice at work. Unbeknownst to me, I had to pass insurance tests on life, health, fire and auto insurances and then wait for the results. Because I had given my notice, my wife Cheryl and I had to live off my savings. I started with a few hundred policies from the previous agent. Auto and home are the largest portions of our sales with State Farm being the largest auto insurer in Arkansas and Oklahoma. I am an independent agent and have four full-time employees.”
Country Life: “We have a cow/calf operation with 35 momma cows and 10 heifers bred by one Black Angus bull on 420 acres. I also have a Jersey cow to show the grandkids that milk comes out of a cow and not a jug, just as I expect our new chickens to demonstrate eggs come from chickens and not cartons. Our dairy cow is expecting her first calf so we will soon be able to milk her. I carefully cycle my cattle for spring calves in April and May. Since replacement price is so high, I do breed again in late summer but will replace any cow that skips a year or is temperamental. I view genetics the old way: if you have a crazy cow, you’re probably going to have a crazy calf. I feed grass and hay and supplement with 20 percent protein cubes during cold weather. I contract hay per bale on 70 acres. My land is predominantly Bermuda, Fescue, clover and mixed grasses. I sample the soil every three years in order to spring fertilize with only what the soil needs. I also know you can’t always count on the second or third cutting and plan ahead.”
How the two lives work together and future plans: “Small farms do well in this part of the country, and we are blessed with a good blend of quality people including both friends and customers. I love to go for long walks with my dog and never get off my land. I can shoot squirrels or fish in the creeks. I’m considering going totally AI to be more sure of calving times and need to build a barn to solve the problem of wet hay becoming unusable. Finally, I’m looking to add insurance clients in Western Arkansas in the near future.”
