A voice for positive, impactful changes
VANZANT, MO. – Kaleb and Erin Rodgers’ Action Farms of Vanzant Mo., in rural Douglas County is well-named as they work in various facets of agriculture, including dairy and beef cattle, raising goats, sheep, dogs and cats and also serve on various boards and advisory councils. They own and milk as well as raise livestock on 1000 acres, a part of the farm where Kaleb and his father, Mike Rodgers were both raised. They also rent an additional 500 acres.
“Kaleb is the fifth generation to be raised on this dairy farm,” Erin shared recently. “Our son, Everett who is eight right now, will be the sixth. Part of the original farm will qualify as a Century Farm this year.”
In 2023, they completed a new six-on-side herring bone dairy parlor, a much-needed improvement from their two-on-a-side block barn built in the 1960s.
With the help of EQIP, a USDA program with the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) designed to help farmers with various production and financial issues, the Rodgers were able to build a new 36,000 square foot covered facility which included two pack barns, feed floors, a flush system, a separation basin, an exit alley, and a lagoon. This allowed them to utilize renewable resources like recycled water for their flush system and collect solid waste for fertilizer use.
The Rodgers are now milking 150-200 primarily Jersey cows, along with a few Jersey-Holstein cross cattle twice daily through their Twin Knobs Dairy.
She continued. “We proudly market our milk through the Dairy Farmers of America (DFA). Our dairy is primarily pasture-based, focused on rotational grazing and feeding our custom parlor mix in the barn, but they do love their new pack barns and fans. And then it’s back out to the pasture.”
The Rodgers hosted the Missouri Dairy Summer Social on their farm this past June. “Chris Chinn, Missouri Director of Agriculture came and did a Dairy Month proclamation here that day, too,” she added.
Kaleb and Erin also raise Angus-Hereford-Simmental cross beef cattle and some small barnyard stock like Katahdin sheep, milk goats, rabbits and assorted poultry. Alongside their livestock operations they diversify with a commercially-licensed kennel and cattery. They raise several breeds of small and medium-sized dogs, including Pembroke Welsh Corgis and miniature dachshunds but are best known for their European Maine Coon cats.
Over the last couple of years, both Kaleb and Erin have recognized the importance of advocating for the dairy industry and the significance of being a voice for positive, impactful changes.
Kaleb serves on the DFA Council, the Midwest Dairy and Missouri Dairy Boards. Erin was recently elected to the DFA Resolutions Committee and jointly they serve on the Farm Credit Services Stockholder Advisory Committee, DFA Young Cooperators (YC)Committee and the National Milk YC.
“We need to step out and make the time investments for our future generations of dairy farmers now, not after it’s too late. Our vision and passion for the dairy industry and agriculture here in Missouri, is to support and educate our first-generation farmers with the tools and support they need to thrive as well as innovate and update business models that create a path forward for the generational passing of the baton. We need to do our part to promote legislation and educate the public and law makers about solid science, not pseudo-science pushed out by political propaganda. We need to shine a light onto what farming and agriculture really look like and who we are as people. We are just hard-working families, loving what we do and trying to preserve our natural resources and our unraveling way of life the best we know how, with a clear conscious, not enough sleep, and usually a little bailing twine,” Erin said.
She concluded. “I grew up in town in Mountain Grove so I didn’t grow up on a farm like Kaleb. I volunteered at a local veterinary clinic while in high school and that’s where we met. We can do all this with the help of my father-in-law, Mike Rodgers and a couple of part-time employees. We are at the lowest number of employees we’ve ever had right now. Together, we do it all.”
