Family: Husband Lance; and daughters Eloise (4) and Emmy (9 months)
Hometown: Elkland, Mo.
In Town: Kelsey, 27, graduated as salutatorian from Buffalo (Mo.) High School in 2009. She enrolled at Missouri State University with the intention of getting a bachelor’s degree in education. To support her studies, Kelsey got a job as a part-time teller at O’Bannon Bank in Buffalo, Mo.
“I found I was really enjoying banking and changed my major to finance and business and earned my bachelor’s degree in 2012,” Kelsey said.
Kelsey eventually became a loan officer and enjoyed working with clients seeking home loans, business financing, and other types of financing.
“I had the opportunity to become a credit analyst in 2016 and was promoted to assistant vice president credit analyst in 2017. My job consists of reviewing various accounts to assure that all financial criteria originally established for each loan are currently being met. I also consult with the loan officers with an additional perspective regarding customer’s financial ratios and trends,” Kelsey explained.
In the Country: Kelsey grew up on the family farm and she and sister Jennifer raised and showed market hogs in addition to helping with routine chores. Her younger sister, Madison, currently shows goats at the local Dallas County Fair. “Eloise and my niece, Molly, have shown goats in the pee-wee class the past two years. The fair has always been a family event. My father, Scott Turner, works hard to help us prepare for the fair. He has influenced me in many ways to love the farming lifestyle.”
Her husband, Lance, and his father, Lanny Doty, currently farm together. Lance is a full-time welder off the farm. Kelsey and the girls help as much as possible.
“Eloise is really interested in the animals and, with my help, is raising two bottle calves she calls Ferdinand and Plum,” Kelsey said. “We farm around 400 acres among three separate locations. We raise hogs and beef cattle.”
They currently run about 100 cow/calf pairs, including Limousines, Charolais and Limousine/Charolais cross cattle. They also raise and sell a few dozen hogs a year. The Dotys raise their own hay for the cattle and grain for the hogs.
“Lance and I are part of the Young Farmers and Ranchers group sponsored by the Missouri Farm Bureau. We really enjoy meeting other young couples and exchanging ideas and information relevant to living a farming lifestyle in the modern world,” Kelsey said. “Lance and I hope he will be able to farm full time within 10 years. I am not sure what I will be doing by then but I know I want to keep this family farm lifestyle for us and for our children.”
