The Freshness of Natural
For Steve and Tammy Alger, raising grass and grain fed chickens, sheep and goats is just a small part of their beautifully simple way of life. Steve and Tammy married 23 years ago, moved to Southwest Missouri from Illinois 15 years ago, and now have ten children together: Jennifer, Emily, Amanda, David, Joshua, Rebekah, Samara, James, Hannah and Paul (all are pictured above except David, Jennifer and Emily).
Advancing the Family Cattle Business
Lifelong resident of Webster County, Aaron Day can’t remember ‘not’ having cattle. His dad, Jim Day, gave him his first show heifer when he was nine years old. “It was a deal. I did the work and I only had to pay for half of her. It instilled the facts that I needed to take care of her. I had an investment in her myself, so it meant something to me. That got me started with cattle. I’ve shown cattle since I was nine.”
Ozarks Roots-A Texas Rancher in Missouri
The sun has just crept above the eastern horizon. Sunlight glints off the windows of the house on the hill, but it will be awhile before it strikes the horses and cattle in the low-lying pastures on each side of the house. Bill and Georgia McCloy and their youngest son, Ben, have finished their morning coffee and head to the barn.
Cutting Edge Production
For Mary Beller it was a desire to reach out and grow that led her to the show arena.
“This was an opportunity for me to get out and do something on my own,” said Mary, owner of Rafter B Cutting Horses in Cabool. “But Robert is my support; I couldn’t do this without him!”
“This was an opportunity for me to get out and do something on my own,” said Mary, owner of Rafter B Cutting Horses in Cabool. “But Robert is my support; I couldn’t do this without him!”
Liking the Limousin Looks
At the ripe old age of “six or seven” Kenneth Phillips had his first cow. “My dad sold her. I didn’t get the money out of her,” he said laughing. “Other than that, I didn’t have any cattle till I was about 17.”
Kenneth has been farming and raising cattle for 54 years. “I’ve had Limousin ever since ’78, that’s when I got my first bull.” He liked the looks of the Limousin cattle he’d seen, and liked the looks of the calves.
Kenneth has been farming and raising cattle for 54 years. “I’ve had Limousin ever since ’78, that’s when I got my first bull.” He liked the looks of the Limousin cattle he’d seen, and liked the looks of the calves.
Two Sisters and a Farm
Don’t expect to get rich, and you have to enjoy it,” was the advice Laura King had for anyone wanting to get into the cattle business.
Full Circle
In the early 1970s a young man from Wichita named Dan Kinney was in the beginning of what would be a long and storied career with the City of Springfield’s park system. One of his first tasks was to arrange for overflow parking at the Dickerson Park Zoo. He met with Louis Miller, then Director of the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, the Zoo’s neighbor to the east.
Being Aware of What Goes In
In the cattle business there are big rewards for finding a niche that develops into a national interest. Rodney Lowrance of Pleasant Hope, Mo. is taking his investment in Gelbvieh cattle and possibly venturing into one of these niches; grass-fed meat production.
Show-Quality Steaks
After moving to Webster County from Nashville, Tenn., about five years ago, Tom Donkin found the breed of cattle he was looking for at FarmFest.
Growing Gelbvieh
Whether you’re marketing petroleum products or raising cattle, the key to success is staying competitive.
That, Jim Woods would tell you, is a matter of knowing what customers want, which product can best fill their needs and how to provide it most efficiently.
That, Jim Woods would tell you, is a matter of knowing what customers want, which product can best fill their needs and how to provide it most efficiently.
