Hometown: Gentry, Ark.
Family: Husband Jim Eastep
In Town: Misty Eastep has been with Farm Credit of Western Arkansas for about five and a half years. She is currently vice president/loan officer at the Tontitown, Ark., location.
In the Country: Misty and her husband of 15 years Jim have a commercial cow/calf operation with about 300 momma cows.
“They are mainly a Charolais-cross,” Misty said of their herd. “We did get into some Angus, so about a third of our herd is Angus.”
Between owned and rented land, the couple has about 1,000 acres.
The Easteps have spring and fall calving seasons, and the bulls remain with the herds year-round. Misty and Jim retrain their replacement heifers.
“The majority of what we have has been raised on the farm, with the exception of the Angus herd we bought,” Misty said. “We cull out some older cows every year to keep things fresh and young, and the genetics we like.”
Unretained heifers and steers are sold at weaning, typically weighing 500 to 600 pounds. “When we contact the sale barn to sell calves, they let some of the buyers know we are coming,” Misty said. “They like our products because when we wean them, they haven’t been introduced to feed. When our calves hit feed, there’s a big gain and that’s what the buyers are after. They make profit in the gain.”
Misty also breeds and shows reining horses.
Farming isn’t always easy, but Misty says she enjoys the way of life the industry offers.
“Hard winters aren’t fun, but I like the lifestyle; I like being outside,” she said. “I like the animal husbandry and am proud of that. We have some good genetics and we like the work. It’s a joy and a proud moment when you pull all of those calves in and see where you are, and how nice and framed up they are. When people see your product and say, ‘Boy, that’s a nice group of heifers or steers,’ it makes you proud of all the hard work you put in and the dedication. It’s not all roses and happy pay checks. Expenses are up everywhere, and if you have rough weather, you’re fighting Mother Nature too.”
Misty said her town career and her farm life are a good mix.
“I’m in an industry that works with farmers, and that’s the key,” she said. “I’m not sitting in some industrial facility or someplace where I don’t get to talk about cattle with my customers; I get to talk about them all day long and build a relationship.”
