Missouri Neighbors

Ed Cahoj, a cattle farmer in Polk County near Halfway, Mo., remembers the day he became aware of soil fertility. He was 7 or 8 years old on his dad’s farm in Kansas. The land had just been plowed, and like any good farmer, his dad picked up a handful of the freshly turned sod and smelled it.

For the past 32 years, Terry Halleran has been an agriculture educator in southwest Missouri – beginning in Pleasant Hope and in classes at University of Missouri-Columbia, Missouri State University, Ozarks Technical Community College and for the last many years, as the ag teacher at Buffalo High School.

What has four legs, a tail, likes to work and has ears almost as long as your arm? Why, a mule, of course. A mule is a hybrid cross between a mare and a jack – with a combination of such diverse traits, you get the best of both worlds: the size of a horse, the stamina of a donkey and who can forget those famous ears? Bill Jackson, of Ozark, Mo., in Christian County knows these hybrid equines inside and out – he has spent more than 50 years of his life with them. “I’d rather work a mule anytime than a horse,” he said.

Jay Wilkins is one of those whose town life and country life are so entwined that figuring out where one ends and the other starts is hopeless. Jay is both the Agricultural Division Chair at Crowder College in Neosho, Mo., and their farm manager. His wife, Tresa, also works at the college.

Former ranchers, originally from Arizona, Margo Chilcott and her husband, Brian, came to the Ozarks seven years ago and fell in love with a place, a 100-acre valley outside West Plains, Mo., in rural Howell County. Both currently work in real estate in southern Missouri.

For Jim and Judy Protiva, of West Plains, Mo., pastured poultry has been part of their lives for almost 20 years. “We took our maiden voyage with chickens in 1996,” recalled Jim. “From there we continued to grow, adapt and raise chickens and turkeys for individual sale and consumption.”

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.