Arkansas Neighbors

J.R. and Shirley Little, have a very pretty home, with a neatly manicured yard snuggled cozily in the middle of 306 acres of lush Bermuda grass pasture. Between their Decker Giants, a Rat Terriers breed that has become nearly extinct, and a busy cow-calf operation, Jim and his wife, Shirley have a lot to tell. Jim grew up on a farm down in Mena, Ark., down by the Washita River, his dad raised Hereford cattle, and Shirley was raised just outside Nashville, Tenn., on a farm. They also taught school, Jim was an agriculture teacher, and Shirley was a principle for an elementary school and then superintendent.

"I’ve waited four years to be here and if I don’t get the one I want today, I think I’ll just cry,” said Kriss Yunker of Flippin Ark., just before the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Mustang and burro sale held on Nov. 7 at the Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction in Harrison, Ark.

Hugh and Brandy Reynolds originally owned and operated a dairy but, after adding three turkey houses they still couldn’t make ends meet. “There just never was enough money in the dairy to support the business and make a living,” Hugh said. Hugh decided to go to school to become an electrician while working the turkey houses.

Highland cattle may be the most unique type of cattle ever seen on an Ozarks hillside. An ancient Scottish breed, the stock has outward-spreading horns and long wavy hair. Exported to North America in the 1880s, they are known as a hearty breed that will graze, browse and eat plants other cattle will avoid.

When Vernon Schmiegelow went searching for cost-effective ways to pack pounds on calves, he discovered the solution was near as the grass underfoot.

If you are a person who loves to play with horses, cows and you live near Hogeye, Ark., you know LaCosta and Andy Napier and their family arena. “People like the lifestyle. We like to rope steers, train horses, run barrels, poles and flags,” Andy said. “We have people we would never have met if it weren’t for the arena. Those people are like family now. We ride together, we play together and we eat together. We are like a big family. We even have our own little Christmas party just for people who come to the arena. It’s just family oriented fun. We just love it.”

The actions of a kind uncle many years ago set in motion what has become a lifelong pursuit for David Kidd of Lincoln, Ark.

John Robinson did not grow up in the country, but he has found his niche on the 450-acre farm he and his brothers inherited from his grandfather in Valley Springs, Ark. He has tried everything from custom combining and hay baling to running a large herd of cow/calf pairs.  However, four years ago John implemented a MIG (Managed Intensive Grazing) program. He now runs around 250 head of stocker cattle and 40 Red Angus/Saler cross mama cows. “I have learned cows can pick up grass more efficiently than I can.  This is the most profitable for me at this time,” said John. 

"I try to treat my animals the way I want to be treated and in doing so I really haven’t faced many challenges concerning their care over the past two years,” explained Linda Sanchez of Lou-Lin Valley Ranch just north of Mountain Home, Ark.

How many big radio names credit their start to The Future Farmers of America?