Hometown: Cabool, Mo.
Family: Husband Donald; daughters Autumn Hardy and Patrice Pyatt; son Brandon Andrus; and six grandchildren.
In Town: RoMona Andrus is wrapping up a 20-year career as an agriculture instructor at Mountain Grove High School. Her official retirement date is June 30.
She has also been very active in 4-H, serving as a leader for 35 years.
Despite her retirement from education, RoMona said she plans to continue working with 4-H and volunteering where needed with the ag department.
In the Country: RoMona and her husband Donald have not milked for several years, but they have remained active in the dairy industry.
“Now we raise registered Ayrshire cattle for the grandkid to show and have for projects in 4-H and FFA,” she explained.
RoMona said her family has shown for decades at local and regional shows, and has participated in the Missouri State Fair dairy show for more than 30 years.
While she is raising Ayrshires, RoMona said they raised Holsteins, Milking Shorthorns and Brown Swiss in the past. Donald always Holsteins and she grew up with Milking Shorthorns.
“When my kids were younger and we would go to the fairs, one had a string of Holsteins and another would have a string of Shorthorns,” she recalled.
With her impending retirement, RoMona has plans to expand her farming operation. She is currently a relief milker for a local dairy farm and is planning for her own milking herd.
“I’m breeding some heifers that will freshen next year, and I plan on milking a few, making some butter, ice cream and things like that,” she said. “Maybe selling some farm-to-table meat and raising some pigs. Our focus is to make sure the kids have some show cattle and heifers coming on. I don’t want to get too many, maybe six cows.”
While RoMona is looking forward to expanding, she said she doesn’t want to get “too big.” Her plan is to keep about 15 registered cows and heifers.
Meanwhile, show season is beginning for the family, and RoMona said they kicked off the 2022 show season at the recent Tri-County Fair.
