Hometown: Macks Creek, Mo.
Family: Wife, Cindy
In Town: Johnny Hix has been in the construction and remodeling business for 15 years, Johnny Hix Landscaping and Construction.
“We do remodeling of homes, sometimes purchasing, remodeling and flipping them, but mostly remodeling jobs for homeowners. We can do it all, from floor tile to ceiling and roofing,” Johnny said. “Right now, we have three major construction jobs going so we are really busy.”
In addition to construction projects, Johnny and his wife Cindy stay busy with a luxury cabin Johnny built on the back edge his farm property in 2005 and rents out through Evolve Rentals. The two-story 1,000 square foot log cabin, sleeps six and features a hot tub, all wood interior, large outside deck, an upstairs balcony with a table, spacious windows and is located on a private fishing lake.
“We see folks coming here from all over,” he explained. “They come from the big cities to enjoy a touch of country living in the Ozarks. It’s a secluded location and in addition to the peace and quiet, they can enjoy fishing for bass, crappie and channel catfish. On our property, we also have a couple of horses, donkeys, chickens, turkeys and guinea hens as well as our cattle. Our guests really enjoy the animals, too. We have a lot of repeat customers and some of them even bring treats for the animals when they come back.”
In the Country: “My family has lived in the Macks Creek area since the founding of the town 150 years ago,” Johnny said. “I grew up on a dairy farm here and for years, I raised Holstein replacement heifers. I still miss my dairy cows but about four or five years ago, my parents, Jay and Bessie May Hix, gave me my start with beef cattle. I just could not continue to lose money on the dairy cows and it’s different but I think these Angus-Gelbvieh cross cattle are starting to grow on me.”
Johnny has approximately 20 cows and a bull, plus calves on his 230 acres and is working on growing his herd.
“I trade my bull calves for heifers with my dad right now,” he added. “I also hay most of my acreage, selling some of it. I keep my hay indoors in a big arch barn with an asphalt floor so I can actually keep the hay for years.
“I’ve raised replacement dairy cows all my life. This is different but I’m really learning to like these beef cattle.”
