Brad Cole
Family: Daughters: Kaleigh, 22; Maddy, 14; Abby, 14; and Brailey, 4
Hometown: Nixa, Mo.
Town Life: “I have been the Christian County Sheriff for a year and a half and in law enforcement for 23 years. Because my stepfather, Larry, was a state trooper, I grew up around law enforcement people all my life and heard all the shop talk. As a kid I spent more hours in the passenger seat of a patrol car than I can count. In law enforcement there is no such thing as a routine day and that appeals to me. My oldest daughter is attending Missouri State University for business and will make me a grandpa soon. The twins, Maddy and Abby, go to Licking High School, while Brailey is still at home.”
Country Life: “I have scattered pieces of leased land totaling 220 acres because farmland here in Christian County sells for $6,000 to $10,000 per acre. The cost of land is high do to the growing population of Christian County with needs for more housing and industry. My dad, Bobby, has always had a farm, and I was raised with the MFA feeder pig program in the 1970s and 1980s before my dad switched to backgrounding steers. I have a cow/calf operation with 50 mommas. I have retained heifers the last three years because my herd is aging and I could handle up to 60 mommas but no more due to time restraints right now. My mommas are mostly Hereford and Brahman influenced and bred by four registered Hereford bulls. Most of my calves are white faced and red with some having a little ear. I think the Brahman influence produces a better calf that is heavier at weaning. I usually sell in February because I raise spring calves so the mommas get recovery time before having another calf. I wean 60 days prior to sale and administer two rounds of shots. I also background about 20 steers at a time. I sell at the Buffalo Livestock Market, which is owned by my brother-in-law, Leon Caselman, and my sister Tara. I also custom bale hay on shares in addition to haying 40 acres of my own.”
Future: “Right now the farm fosters my peace of mind and the hustle and bustle of being the sheriff of an ever growing county. I may increase my herd when I retire, if I can find more land with farm life being a dying breed in our part of the country. Four years ago I began purchasing registered Hereford bulls and already have eight registered mommas as I move toward a predominantly registered herd. In the future, I hope to raise some registered bulls to sell off the farm.”
