Missouri Neighbors

Josh Titus, of Lebanon, Mo., knows that every situation can turn into a learning opportunity and that is the exact mindset he has used when it comes to horsemanship.

Aaron and Kim Fields reside on a farm in Webster County, near Marshfield, Mo. They have always been very active with their Quarter Horses and Missouri Fox Trotters, but four years ago they took the plunge into the cattle business.

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.

For over 58 years registered Angus cattle have grazed the pastures of Baker Angus in Butler, Mo.

Delicately planted near downtown, Springfield, Mo., grows Urban Roots Farm owned and operated by Adam and Melissa Millsap. Daughter, Bela, 6 and son, Owen, 4, love to get their hands dirty along side mom and dad.

Operating a laying house has many challenges. Tom Leverich of Pioneer near Wheaton, Mo., who owns and manages his laying house said, “The big thing is that you have to be consistent.” In his house (which is 400' x 40') he keeps and maintains approximately 13,000 hens, that lay, at their peak, as many as 12,600 eggs per day. What are the most important things? Tom, who has owned his laying house since 2004, said, “There are four things you have to be consistent with: Quality of the air in the chicken house, temperature, water and feed. If you manage those four things the birds are going to do well.”

In 33 years as an agriculture education instructor, Sam Lower of Lebanon Technology and Career Center, a part of Lebanon High School, has seen an incredible number of changes and also has great hope for the future.

Feta, Brie and Marscapone; yes, these are the names of some tasty goat cheeses, but they are also the names for three of the Saanen milk does owned by Christie Moore of Rocky Horse Acres in Rocky Comfort, Mo. Tall and gentle, these all white goats are considered the Holstein of the dairy goat breed.

The Van Tassel family moved to Missouri from Pennsylvania in 2004 with nine Jersey heifers that were their children’s 4-H projects. Today, they have over 50 registered Jerseys with a few registered Ayrshires mixed in the herd. Located two miles south of Cabool, Mo., the Van Tassel’s are relatively new to the Ozarks, but they are experienced Jersey dairymen. They started milking Jerseys in 1983 and have been known as Maranatha Farms since then.

The enthusiasm that Danny and Lisa Cantrell share as they talk about their Missouri Fox Trotters, outside Conway, Mo., is positively contagious. The couple, along with daughters, Anna, age 19, and Meg, age 16, maintain approximately 20 horses on 87 acres. When not on a horse or working with them, Lisa works as a counselor at Buffalo High School and Danny works in concrete and construction.