Neighbors

The magnificent fall-drenched Ozarks countryside that surrounds Jeff and Charlyce Ruth’s Rogersville, Mo., home serves as the perfect backdrop for Jeff’s backyard collection of vintage tractors that he marveled over as a youth.

In 1999, Wendy Dickens, now Childers, attended a cattle sale that included an essay contest on the attributes of Shorthorn cattle.

It took a while, but Arkansas State 4-H President Travis Clark finally found his niche – swine.

An old African proverb states, “It takes a village to raise a child.” That is even truer today when interest and knowledge are so diverse.

Kyle Kilgore is a rising star in the rodeo stock contractor world – and he’s only 17.

While some young livestock producers are born into the business, others have to find their own path into their chosen industry; and 16-year-old Linsey Lowrance-Rogers is one of those young producers.

Cole Clark’s day reflects the life of most farmers. He rises before the sun and works until his head hits the pillow at night. The only difference is Cole is a 16-year-old high school student.

Hesston Stark has been gaining ranching experience on his family’s beef cattle operation, located outside of El Dorado Springs, Mo., as far back as he can recall.

It’s no surprise that Tara and Jacob Hudson met at the University of Arkansas. They pursued the same degree in agricultural economics, worked for the same professor and attended the same church. After college, they got married and now have three children, Canaan who is 8, and daughters Hayden, 6, and Harper, 4.

Randall Davis, ranch manager for Honey Creek Land and Cattle, stands next to a converted stock trailer that could be likened to a truck modified for rock climbing.