Hometown: El Dorado Springs, Mo.
County: Vernon
Family members: Husband David, Colt (14), Dawson (10)
What is your off-the-farm job/career? “David and I are teachers and coaches at El Dorado Springs. I am in my 21st year of teaching and David is in his 19th. I have taught 2nd and 5th grade (Stockton) and HS Business/College Prep at El Do and have been the Head Volleyball Coach at both schools (Stockton-5 years, El Do-13 years). I am currently the Head Volleyball Coach and David is the Head Boys Basketball Coach and MS Volleyball Coach. I am the FBLA Advisor and the Junior Class Sponsor. Colt is a freshman and Dawson is in 4th grade. They both play football, basketball, baseball, and golf. They also both participated in the Cedar County and Land O’ Lakes Youth Fairs.”
Farming operation: “When my husband and I aren’t teaching and coaching we are at our 20 acre farm just west of El Dorado Springs where we raise cattle and chickens. We have a small herd that provides primarily for our family needs and our boys 4-H projects. We have a mix of Black & Red Angus along with a few Herford. We have laying hens and around 15-20 meat birds a few months out of the year for showing and butchering ourselves after 4-H projects are complete. Even though our farm is small we stay busy with it. From making sure things are fertilized, hayed and sprayed to ensure the best quality for our animals.”
“Our main goals for our small operation is to make sure we have animals for our kids to show in 4-H and provide meat for our family. We typically sell animals once a year that helps provide for yearly expenses. Any marketing of animals is done through social media. Our small operation has helped teach our boys responsibility and allowed us to have fresh food on our table.”
“We typically have one cow butchered per year and we have personally butchered all of our meat birds for the past two years. We did this with the help of some friends and our boys. They are learning the process and it definitely helps fill our freezer.”
What do you enjoy most about being a farmer/rancher? “We love being out of town and on the farm. There are things that can only be learned by doing them hands on. Our kids have learned the benefit of hard work and discipline. I love that they are involved in the day to day chores and reap the benefits of raising animals. You can find my kids outside the majority of the time-playing sports, riding four wheelers, mowing/weed eating, or hunting. We try to get the most out of our farm.”
