Rob Higginbotham
In Town: “I have worked in banking since 1983 and started as a teller. I am now Vice President of Commercial Lending at First Community Bank in Neosho, Mo. My wife, Kathy, has been the kitchen manager for Seneca Elementary School for 17 years.”
In Country: “My wife and I have lived in Seneca, Mo., all our lives. We live on a small farm we purchased in 1986 where we raise show pigs. We started out with Suffix sheep but switched to show pigs 17 years ago because my youngest son, who has Downs Syndrome, was able to manage show pigs more easily. My son showed crossbred pigs throughout his school years for both 4-H and FFA. Later my eldest granddaughter became interested in Chester Whites, a heritage breed developed very early in the 1800s, so that now we have both crossbreds and Chester Whites. For the last three years my granddaughter and I have gone to the State Fair where she has shown Chester Whites she bred and raised. In 2012, she won State Champion Chester White Guilt in both the 4-H and open divisions. In 2014, she won guilt class in both 4-H and open divisions as well as third overall guilt.
“One thing we have learned through the years is that management of both the animal and facilities is the key to success. The animals must be well taken care of which means a good health regimen that includes careful feeding and watering with clean water that promotes optimum growth. The animals also need grooming, exercise and training continually. The more animals are handled, the easier they are to handle in the ring.”
Making it Work: “Our country and town lives blend together very well. The country life provides an opportunity to have animals in a spacious and quiet environment that brings the family closer to nature and in touch with agriculture. On the other hand, knowledge of agriculture makes me a better lender for the bank because I understand farming and farmers’ needs including the inevitable up and downs of agricultural life.”
