Missouri Neighbors

When Rick and Rita Cameron got tired of paying premium prices for local, grass-fed and antibiotic-free meats, they decided to take on the task themselves. Now, they work to offer high-quality, natural and antibiotic-free, beef, pork, eggs and produce on their farm in Shell Knob, Mo.

Timbers Edge Farm is a beautiful place – it is peaceful, secluded, and overlooks the western side of Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Refuge. It is also where JR Combs and his granddaughter, Sophia, raise and train their champion Missouri Foxtrotters in Spokane, Mo.

The small settlement of Ben Davis, Mo., in the western part of, Texas County, is home to a very diversified farming operation, Spring Hill Farms. Duncan and Tara Smith now own this farm that has been in the Smith family since 1970. It does, indeed, have many springs and a live creek flowing through the property. They have two Grade A dairy barns, a cheese plant, a beef cattle herd and a commercial Pumpkin Patch. Even though they’ve had the dairy for several years, they were recently licensed as a cheese plant in 2012.

“If my cows get out, they’re in the next county before I know it,” joked David Hirschler.

Some of the best family traditions come from not following the crowd and that is especially true with Tyler Rush. Like his father, Rocky Rush, this 25-year-old farmer maintains a profitable Red Angus herd consisting of 40 head on his 250-acre farm located a few miles east of Jasper, Mo.

Two life-long city dwellers decided to make a change, a big change, fueled by the desire to provide natural, healthier food for their two children. Three years ago, Brent and Marci Sonnemaker bid city-life farewell and moved their family to a 20-acre farm in Marshfield, Mo. “Going from not producing any of your own food, to producing quite a bit of it has been fun,” said Brent Sonnemaker. In just a few years, the Sonnemakers transformed their land into a thriving farm abounding with chickens, ducks, sheep, goats and cattle. “I am a cook and food is my life. So to have the best for our family is awesome,” said Marci Sonnemaker. Marci works as chef and kitchen manager at the Sunshine Valley Farm café in Springfield, Mo. Brent helps run his family business. Despite their lack of farming experience, the Sonnemakers were eager to take on this new challenge for their daughter, Annabelle, and son, Benjamin.

Bobby Avila Jr., of Avila Performance Horses LLC, likes to train reining horses with “good minds.” A good reining horse prospect needs to be trainable, athletic, have good conformation and a good pedigree. These are all qualities that Bobby looks for in his equine counterparts that he trains out of Rogersville, Mo., at the Zimmerman Performance Horses facility. “I want to train a horse that is smooth, willing, happy and pleasing to the eye,” said Bobby. With several reining competition victories under his belt, he is no stranger to the sport, the training, or the outstanding horses involved.

As the former owner of three different area Laclede County motels and now running Graven Chrysler-Dodge in Lebanon, Mo., for the past four years, Terry Graven has always been a businessman at heart. He smiled when asked why he also has a cattle operation. “There’s always been cows,” he answered. “First, with my grandfather and then my dad. My dad had registered Limousin and that’s where I learned to love the breed and now I work primarily with Lim-Flex, a cross between Angus and Limousin. They have great maternal instincts, docility, growth and muscle development.

Approaching the 420 acres known as The Milkey Mile, west of Highway 39 between Stockton and Greenfield, Mo., it doesn’t immediately look like a dairy. Several outbuildings, grain bins and a building that could be the milking parlor; but none of the typical black-and-whites were seen right away.

Ask Gary Bush about the benefits of raising livestock naturally, and you will get a long list of positive results. At Lampe Farm in Lampe, Mo., Gary uses all natural management practices to keep his animals in good health. Lampe Farm is located on a homestead that was built in 1901; the original house and barn are still standing strong. Today, the historic homestead is home to Gary’s herd of hair sheep, meat and dairy goats, bees, peacocks, and heritage breeds of chickens, turkeys, geese, guineas and ducks – all raised naturally for the good of the animals, and the environment.