Missouri Neighbors

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.

A small herd of Highlander cattle grazing on a farm in the midst of the rolling Ozark hills can, for a moment, transport you to the Scottish Highlands. These small gentle beasts known for their ability to adapt and survive in rugged terrain have found a place in the heart of Jerry Delcour, wife, Janet, and daughter, Jerica, in Hurley, Mo.

Most people have seen uprooted trees; whether the result of a bulldozer or a spring storm, it is not an uncommon sight. When a tree is uprooted, we miss the shade or the scenery, but we also soon learn that the missing tree leaves a hole. No matter how a landowner tries to fill in the hole, it is always noticeable for years afterward. The same is true when a member of the community passes away.

Why do Jerrod and Julie Ball of Exeter, Mo., raise Boer Meat Goats? “Because someone fell in love with the babies,” said Jerrod as he glanced over to his wife, Julie. But it is evident that the sweet kids are just one reason for using goats in farm diversification. The goats have also become an important 4-H project for their son, Jason, 11, who enjoys training and showing both doelings and meat wethers. Last year Jason and his older sister, Jessica, showed three doelings in several area shows.