Hometown: El Dorado Springs, Mo.
Parents: Matthew and Rachel Stauffer
Sibling: Macy Stauffer
FFA Chapter: El Dorado Springs FFA
Advisor: Amy Green
4-H Club: Union Hall 4-H
Club Leader: Lisa Manning
What is your involvement in agriculture?
“I help with the day-to-day management of the farm, including hauling and feeding hay, checking on the general health of the cattle herd, and keeping up with the maintenance of the farm. Over the past few years, my family has implemented the practice of artificial insemination, which requires us to check for signs of heat so that we can breed the cows and allows us to pick the genetics that are going into our herd. I also do custom work for other local farms and ranches, including caring for other animals, hauling hay, landscaping, and helping care for a feed lot operation of around 300 head of cattle.”
What is your favorite part of being involved in agriculture?
“It’s a good way to learn the necessary skills to potentially run your own quality operation in the future. I have learned how to look for signs of sickness and how to treat them, how to operate farming equipment and maintain it, and the daily struggles that come with running a farm. One of the most important skills that I have learned from farming is my strong work ethic. Living on a farm has taught me that you can’t ever give up, even when the going gets tough.”
What are your future plans?
“I plan to attend college to obtain a degree in wildlife conservation and management to eventually work for Missouri Department of Conservation to preserve wildlife habitats and impact educate the youth about harvesting the wildlife throughout the year.”
Awards: “County Champion Livestock Judging, Junior Showmanship at the Missouri State Fair, Star Greenhand for my FFA chapter, Area 9 Winner in Forage Production Placement Proficiency, sixth place Conduct of Chapter Meetings at state, and I have been a member of several state-qualifying contest teams.”
