Hometown: Halfway, Mo.
Family: Wife, Melissa; sons Michael Ray, Keaton and Brantley
In Town: Mike Carter and his brother-in-law, Jason Foster, have owned C&F Construction in Halfway for 13 years.
In the Country: Mike and his family reside on a generational farm near Halfway. Mike is the sixth generation. Mike said his great-grandparents, Vernon and Jean (McCallon) Carter bought the farm in 1958, which had been in Jean’s family since 1870. Mike operates the 400 acres with his family, including his wife Melissa and sons Michael Ray, Keaton and Brantley.
They have a mixed herd of registered Beefmaster and commercial cattle, totaling about 80 pairs. Most of their calves go into the beef market, with 15 to 20 calves sold at various times of the year. They retain only a few heifers from “speical” cows.
In addition to the herd grazing most of the farm, the Carters harvest 150 acres of hay, mostly fescue, and have an additional 40 acres for other crops, rotation wheat, corn and soybeans.
What do you enjoy most about being a farmer?
“The challenge of it,” Mike said. “If you succeed or fail, it’s mostly up to you and the effort you put into it.”
