Missouri Neighbors

Growing up on farms in the Northwest Missouri community of Standberry, Garland and Alice Pierce knew they wanted to have “a few” cows once they retired.

In today’s society, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to jump into farming and ranching without family ties to the business. Chris and Brittany Shouse from Dadeville, Mo., took a leap of faith and decided to follow their passion and become cattle producers, despite not being born into industry.

After more than two decades in the broiler chicken business, the Schnake family sold their flock and closed its poultry barns.

“The mother of invention is necessity,” explained Greg Brown of Lucky Falling Star Ranch located in Howell County in South Central Missouri. “Opportunity also has a lot to do with things,” he added with a smile.

When Dalton Smith, a Rolla student at East Central Community College and his friends, Seth Morris and Lane McDonald, both students at Rolla, Mo., High School heard about the devastating wildfires that hit Oklahoma and northern Texas, they made the decision to try to help.

When it comes to selecting a herd sire, picking the right genetics is key, but do EPDs tell the whole story?

What started as the purchase of a few Rhode Island Red chicks for her husband about three years ago started a new farming operation for Pamela Vinyard.

Waynesville High School senior Justen Leifer has aspirations of becoming a veterinarian, but before he gets there, he has found becoming a farrier to be a job in the field of agriculture which will, in part, help to prepare him in the arena of horse health.

On their 112-acre Webster County farm, near Niangua, Mo., Jeff and Kim Bradford raise Angus cattle. Some are registered, but not all.

Carter and Jill Pugh have owned their farm in Irwin, Mo., for 45 years and have been raising Haflinger horses for 25 years.