Missouri Neighbors

For Bill Berg and his family, who's farm lies just southwest of Exeter, Mo., raising hogs has been part of their lives for many years. “I was raised here. My parents moved here from Pratt County, Kansas and bought 120 acres.” Bill shared that his dad raised hogs and butchered them as well. Bill's own childhood memories of having pigs on the farm were also echoed in the next two generations. His daughter, Bridget Schreiner, second youngest of four daughters that Bill and Barbara Berg have, recalled late summer nights of sitting near the sows waiting for baby pigs to be born. Bills 18-year-old grandson, Jesse Hinds, who is the son of daughter Becky, has enjoyed helping his grandpa with the pigs since he was a toddler.

White-faced Dorset sheep can be seen grazing the pastures near the home of Ronnie and Debbie Dains, residents of Rockville, Mo.

One glance across the beautiful golden green rolling hills that make up the 2,500 acre Rambling River Ranch owned by Jerry and Gisela Hiland in rural Camden County explains why the former California residents bought this land and traveled back and forth for years, beginning in 1978. “I’m a pilot and I’d fly back every few weeks,” the now retired, full-time Missouri resident and cattle rancher explained recently while sitting in his home with his own panoramic view of the Ozarks. “I was in the retail business back then, working for IBM and then operating a chain of retail cigar stores. My son still has a cigar store in Scottsdale, Ariz., and does a big mail order business but I always had a love for the cattle business. I did my research before buying and although it varies a bit, Missouri is always one of the top states for cattle and cow-calf operations.

Jim McDonald has been farming long enough to know pretty much what it will cost to raise a calf to a desired weight.