Missouri Neighbors

“I grew up on a dairy farm outside Norwood, Mo., but since I was 6 years old, I’ve known this is what I wanted to do,” Dalene Schober, a petite blonde with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, said as she began explaining the horse training business she operates from her home in rural Douglas County, outside of Mountain Grove, Mo.

No matter how you shake it – surviving in the dairy business is a difficult venture. However one Ozarks dairy remains steadfast in an industry where mega dairies continue to edge out smaller, traditional dairy farms.

The tales that Jerry Crownover documents in his column Life is Simple have brought Ozarks farmers laughs throughout the years and stories to be passed on at local coffee shops in every small town. Friends getting their tractors stuck in frozen ponds, dead cows sliding down the hill or even memories of what he learned as an agriculture teacher about the real way to farm – Jerry has shared much insight about rural life and the changes in the industry. But, what about the man behind Life is Simple?