Missouri Neighbors

What happens if the back part of your farm is covered in blackberries and poison ivy? And yes, you are allergic to poison ivy. One solution might be to buy some pygmy goats. That’s exactly what Hank and Michele Yoos, of Nashville, Mo., did over six years ago.

Most of the time when people say ‘you’re seeing red,’ it’s a bad thing. But at Reinert Family Farm, seeing red (and black and gold) means you are looking at John and Denise Reinert’s fine herd of Gelbvieh and Red Poll cattle near Billings, Mo.

With swiftness and agility, Heartquest Erin moves effortlessly within the show arena. His well-muscled body appears of mass and strength, but that is just a small part when compared to the ability he possesses due to his training and natural temperament. Hearthquest Erin gained first place in Reining at the World Champion Morgan Horse Show in Oklahoma City, Okla., in October of this year.

Dennis McCulloch of Laclede County is proof that author Thomas Wolfe’s oft quoted ‘you can’t go home again’ isn’t always right. Raised as one of eight siblings in Lebanon, Mo., like many a young man after high school, Dennis went west, looking for his own adventures.

In Wright County, near Norwood, Mo., Eugene Ussery raises Beefalo cattle on his 322-acre farm. At the present time he has 150 head of Beefalo.

When it comes to Fox Trotters, southwest Missouri is the hub of the universe. In recent years, Dallas County, where Alice and Vic Rowden live, has been home for as many Fox Trotter champions as any other county in the country.

The Taylor family has been involved in the cattle business in various ways in Texas County for many years. Dr. Bernard Taylor has operated a veterinary clinic in Houston, Mo., since 1981. Carla Hollenbeck Taylor grew up on a large farm in this area. Their son, Logan is responsible for bringing registered Angus into the family.

For some rodeo may be a thing of folklore, country songs and television sports highlights but for Seth Barclay of Camdenton, Mo., professional rodeo is living in the Ozarks. “I’ve raised cattle all my life,” Seth explained recently, standing outside the corral on a part of his land in rural Camden County. “Right now I’ve got 30 big bulls and 30 young bulls as well as about 50 rodeo bred cows. The bulls are a mix of White Park and Long Horns.” White Park, an English breed with roots that trace back over centuries that looks like its American counterpart, the legendary Texas Long Horns, only all white. “We raise them on about 5,000 acres, on several parcels of land, throughout Camden County.”

On a 364-acre farm near Fordland, Mo., in Webster County, Richard Ewing and wife, Susan, are busy. They are operating a dairy, raising beef cattle and teaching their children the value of hard work and responsibility.

When Sandy Fiorini moved to Missouri three years ago, it was like she was moving home. She is surrounded by family here with her dad, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews. It does give them a lot of room to trail ride and that makes Sandy and her son Christopher pretty happy. They have several horses on their property near Bolivar, Mo., that they train and ride.