Hometown: Nevada, Mo.
County: Vernon
Family Members: Wife: Angi; Kids: Blane, Laken, Paige, Kyle, Shalea; Grandchildren: Paizlei, Trigger
In Town: “I work with Hutchison Insurance Agency in El Dorado Springs, Mo. I am an independent agent, currently licensed in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. I offer property and casualty insurance for farm, ranch, home, auto, livestock mortality, agri-business, poultry confinements, commercial and other specialized lines. As an independent agent, I can write for multiple carriers and I am not limited to one specialized brand.”
In the Country: “I have been on the farm for over 45 years. While we no longer have a row crop operation, I still run Simmental-Angus cross cattle in cow-calf production. We are always looking to grow the operation and the cow numbers as often as possible. We used owned and rented land to accomplish this goal and have often marketed through local sale barns. Marketing and other avenues have allowed us to expand into possibilities of selling farm direct or retained ownership when we can do so. While prices have been good for the beef industry, the shortage of momma cows has certainly helped that number hold strong. Every producer out there in the commercial cow business is looking to expand their numbers and understandably so.”
What do you enjoy about living on a farm? “I have always enjoyed watching things grow, with the exception of weeds of course. Seeing a crop grow to maturity, a baby calf grow to market weight, or the size and health of a herd grow is very rewarding. Sure, there is a lot of hard work involved, but that too can be rewarding when you see the results. You must take the bitter with the sweet and grit your teeth through the tough weather and conditions, enjoy those banner days when the weather is perfect and you know the cattle are happy. Happy, content cows aren’t usually looking for an escape to graze on the neighbor. Seeing the youth take an interest in what Dad and Grandpa are doing is also a huge reward, after all they are the future carrier of all that hard work.”
