Phillip and Beth Robidoux moved to Missouri and started a Hereford operation
Phillip and Beth Robidoux moved to Macon County, Mo., from Massachusetts in 1999 and then migrated south into McDonald County in 2014 when their daughter’s family relocated to Bella Vista, Ark.
Beth’s childhood memories of her uncle Ray and aunt Ermie Oaks’ rural home in Monroe City, Mo., planted an indelible seed that would become the basis for the Towerview Farms vision.
“Whenever we returned to Massachusetts after a visit to their farm, I would be homesick for Missouri,” Beth reminiscenced. “They are why I wanted to move to Missouri.”
Phillip grew up in a small town and Beth on a hobby farm, also called Towerview Farm, and was familiar with a variety of farm animals, but it was her time at her aunt and uncle’s Missouri farm that formulated the notion of raising Herefords.
“I always remember seeing a picture of my mom with a Hereford,” Beth said. “A story goes that she got lost once and they found her sleeping next to a Hereford bull.”
Beth, an avid horsewoman, showed horses during her youth and she developed a knack for judging good conformation in livestock. Even though she had this basic knowledge, it was the mother of a good friend in Macon County, who raised Simmental cattle who taught her most of what she needed to know about cattle.
“Kathy Baker showed me in about two hours what a good cow and a good bull should look like,” Beth recalled. “One thing I’ll never forget is that ’big is not always better.”’
A neighbor sold them their first bottle-fed black bull calf, which they ultimately traded back for a Hereford heifer. They decided to start out with commercial cattle and later added more Hereford cows. When they relocated to Southwest Missouri, they brought that first cow, now 13 years old, with them. She serves as one of the foundation Herefords on their 80-acre farm named after Beth’s parent’s farm as a tribute to them.
The choice of the Hereford breed was somewhat sentimental, but the breed’s temperament was also a major factor in terms of building a herd of registered cattle. To date they have 28 head, including two registered bulls.
The Robidouxs say Herefords are attractive for the region because of their tend to be “easy keepers.” They also appreciate the breed’s muscular build on a moderate farm, as well as their vigor and foraging ability.
Beth documents the birth of calves, development of their herd and just the day-to-day adventures on the farm Facebook page. In fact, one gentleman returns each year to buy whatever they have available.
In the spring, they feed range cubes at a minimum if the grass is slow to come on. The calves are never creep-fed and do not receive any hormone supplements. Although they are not certified grass-fed, their cattle are totally grass-fed by choice, which is an attractive qualifier for buyers seeking grass-fed only beef.
They sell registered bull calves or castrate them to sell at the local sale barn. With their main goal of building a solid registered herd.
“People like to see what kind care the cattle receive and ours are very calm because we interact with them often,” Beth said. “We have never had anyone who has come to the farm looking to buy leave without purchasing one of our calves in the four years that we have been here.”
For Beth, the icing on the proverbial cake would be for one of their calves to go on to the show ring and bring recognition to their growing Hereford operation.
“I would love to see one of our bull calves or heifers go on to a show home,” Beth said. “Since I work full-time at the bank I just do not have time to show our cattle.”
