After his wife and family, Gerald Richardson loves two things: his singing and his cattle. Gerald, a long-time member of the bluegrass and gospel group, Joe Sasser and Friends, has been entertaining in the Ozarks for over 30 years. The group consists of Jimmy Joe Sasser, Nancy Bergeron and Gerald. They are regular performers at the Ozark Folk Center and other bluegrass gatherings. The group performs at volunteer fire departments, schools and other civic organizations, and is loved in the community.
Gerald grew up in Marion County during a time in which music was all the entertainment most families had. After a long, hard day’s work, the family would gather with friends and sing and play. No formal music training was needed, just natural talent and love for their homespun mountain music.
Although his first love, music, runs deep in Gerald’s blood, his second love consumes most of his time being outside and working with his animals. He couldn’t have a more beautiful setting, either. Located on a mountaintop just outside Yellville, Ark., his 250 acres are fenced and cross-fenced with tree lines, wood lots and ponds everywhere. Forty of these acres are used for hay, but he has an additional 400 acres of pasture and woodland located outside Pyatt, Ark.
Land has been owned in Marion County by Gerald’s family for quite some time. Gerald’s Grandpas Richardson and Patton owned land in the Pyatt area, and his Great-great-grandpa Brady’s name is on some of the original abstracts and old deeds in the area. And Gerald isn’t the only one in the family who has roots that grow deep in north central Arkansas. His wife Chloe’s family, the Doshiers, are long-time Marion County residents. Back when Chloe’s dad was ranching, it was still open range. Gerald said, “He’d let hogs and cattle run out and he’d get on his horse and check on them and gather them up. They could just run everywhere back then.”
Traditionally, Gerald has raised cow-calf pairs, maintaining around 55 pair. Gerald’s herd is made up of grade cows. He keeps the cows that calve well and don’t give him any problems, and culls the rest. But this year he has decided to try to raise some steers and see how the market performs.
When asked why he doesn’t have much trouble calving, Gerald said, “I don’t turn my heifers to the bulls until they’re close to two years old, and during calving season I check on the cows at least once a day for any problems.”
Another reason for his success is because he provides good pasture, fresh water, rotation, minerals, salt and inoculation as needed.
Gerald said, “I think it’s vital for the cattle to have minerals in this part of the country. Back in the ‘20s and ’30s they cultivated this land and about half of it washed away down in the Gulf of Mexico somewhere. Lots of minerals went with it. You have to supplement with minerals.”
As for calving seasons, Gerald added, “I try to have it where most of my cattle will calve in the fall and then they can be ready when the springtime comes. They’re really big enough to hit that grass and take off.”
Gerald has some basic advice for those who are just getting into the business. He said, “When I first started in, I thought you had to herd those cattle. I’d just get out there and run my legs off chasing them. It didn’t take long for me to learn that I could do twice as much with a feed bucket and let them follow me.”
At the end of this month, Gerald will be taking on a new ranch hand. Chloe will be retiring as branch manager at Arvest Bank in Yellville after 25 years in the banking business. Chloe probably won’t be out in the field with him all the time, but Gerald is hoping she’ll enjoy watching the cattle grow as much as he does. He said, “Like music, it gets in your blood.”
