Missouri Neighbors

At first glance, cousins Isaac McGinnis and Dusty Roberts might look younger than the average Ozarks farmer but a few minutes of listening confirms that these two are indeed the real 'McCoy.'

Denis Turner has been raising replacement heifers on his 148-acre farm near Hartville, Mo., in Wright County, since 1994. He explained, “We did a grazing project – a heifer development project – for the University of Missouri here for 2 years. That’s what got me into grazing. There were 10 or 11 dairies that contributed heifers, and at the end of that project, a few of those dairies wanted me to continue raising their animals. That was how I got into it.”

Along a stretch of Ozarks highway, just west of Lebanon, Mo., a small herd of beautiful Texas Longhorn cattle graze in a summer-green field filled with wild flowers, tempting any amateur photographer to stop and capture a scene that speaks of the Texas prairie 100 years ago.

Glenn and Mary Jane Phifer, and their daughter, Savannah, live on an 82-acre farm in Douglas County near Mansfield, Mo. They moved to this farm after living for 20 years in the east. Glenn retired from the Art Department of Appalachian State University. They have been married for 25 years.

Ryan Cable and wife, Samantha, own and operate a farm near Halfway, Mo., that once belonged to his grandpa, Gale Cable. Although he didn’t grow up on a farm, he had been off and on this farm since he was a kid. Now it is where they are raising their children, Carli and Cash.

Dairy farmers have watched a volatile industry over the past decade and for those producers that have remained through stormy weather, adapting to change is how they have remained competitive. For Matt Byerley and his family farm – adapting – is the name of the game. Matt has taken over his family’s dairy at age 30 and says that it’s his progressiveness and his father’s knowledge of the business that has aided the farm in changing with the tide.

Kenny and Dawn Jones live near Polk, Mo., in Polk County. Married nearly 30 years, Kenny grew up just down the road. He built their house in a hog pen, although you couldn’t tell it today.

Three years ago, Gary Morris and his family moved from the outskirts of St. Louis, Mo., to an 8-acre farm near Fair Grove, Mo. The family includes wife, Amy, and teenage sons, Gregory and Ben.

Lloyd Gloe and wife of 36 years, Donna, reside in Webster County, near Marshfield, Mo., doing business as D & L Farms, running 1,200 head of cattle.

The farm of retired school teachers Sam and Jan Starks lies on the outskirts of the town of Salem, Mo. and has been in Jan’s family for over six decades. During that time, Jan’s family has owned, almost exclusively, a herd of purebred horned Hereford cows.