Tammy Kester
Family: Husband, Dale Kester; children, Danny and Jody; and grandchildren Coleman, 2, and Whitley, 4.
Hometown: Stillwater, Okla.
Town Life: “I have been a history teacher for 17 years and at Stilwell since 2006, though I also taught elsewhere for an additional five years. I am here for the kids, which keeps me going during these difficult educational times. My husband Dale is assistant resident engineer for Eastern Oklahoma Circuit Engineering, which builds roads and bridges. His job is to ensure that contractors follow all state specifications. Because building is in his blood, he loves bridges best because they are more challenging.”
Country Life: “Dale and I were born and raised as local country kids. We now have 2 acres with 10 mommas and one bull, leasing additional land as needed. I have had knee replacement surgery, therefore I am somewhat limited in what I can do. Nevertheless, I’ve got my finger in every aspect of our little operation. Our bull is with the cows all the time so we are on a continuous breeding/birthing cycle, which makes sense in our small, part-time operation. Since our herd is by the house, we see them twice a day and know if a cow happens to calve while we are working because it is obvious ‘the deed is done.’ We supplement with hay and cubes as needed, though the herd has constant access to a mineral lick and salt block. We normally sell all the calves at the Stilwell auction at 500 pounds, although we will occasionally keep one from a really good heifers as a replacement. Our biggest challenge is time management, and we strive to vaccinate twice per year. We are an animal loving family and have just discontinued show pigs in favor of cows and chickens. While we’ve always had cows, I am now learning about these crazy chickens. We hatch out game chickens, those that have free run of the forest and pasture land, and sell or give them to people interested in more wily birds. Dale and I are also highly involved in community and county agriculture. Dale has been president of the fair board for seven or eight years, though he has recently decided to have more time on the farm and is now simply an active member. Meanwhile, I am the high school 4-H leader.”
Future: “We are homebodies. We want to retire and grow old together on the farm with God’s love and guidance. Our hopes are to increase both the herd and land acreage as well as having our grandchildren involved in agriculture.”
