Neighbors

For some farmers there is nothing prettier than a herd of Herefords grazing in the pasture. Tom Luthy III is one of those farmers. Tom owns a 200-acre farm in Laclede County; LIII Farms. He said, "We farm a total of about 350 acres." That includes his father's farm.

To say that Bill Mousadakos and his father-in-law, Lazos Makridis enjoy the best of both worlds is no understatement. Not only do both operate restaurants in the Rolla, Mo., area while running a farming operation on the side, they also raise Katahdin sheep and Black Angus cattle. Born in Greece, Lazos and his wife, Ellie, live a long way from their original Greek roots but Bill and his wife, Christina, both were born in the United States. All, along with Bill and Christina’s children, Vasili age 3 and Mari age 6, speak fluent Greek.

Dan Corman’s association with Charolais cattle began when he was 5 years old. “In the fall of 1958, I traveled with mom and dad, C.R. and Joanna, to Chillicothe, Mo., where we purchased a 7/8 Charolais bull,” Dan recalled. “Dad wanted to increase the frame size of our basic commercial cow herd.”

Many farmers and ranchers depend upon sale barns to purchase and sell their livestock. At the center of that process is the auctioneer whose task is to present and sell each animal for the best price possible. The process is rapid and requires intense concentration from both the buyer and the auctioneer.

A rather common sight on the outskirts of Miami, Okla., is a herd of goats charging out of a pasture into the front and side yards of Richard and Cherrie Fry's. No dog is outside to round up the goats and bring them back to the pasture. All that can be seen is a couple standing near the charging goats with long, flexible fiberglass poles in their hands. The goats soon stop and start munching on grass in the side yard. The couple then walks among them, petting them, talking to them and gently herding them to different parts of the yard. The goats never stray near the busy road in front.

It’s no surprise to the Peper family that the clan’s patriarch and matriarch, E.W. and Shirley, were named Mayes County Farm Family of the Year. "I know that my dad sure worked hard his whole life,” said Angela Root, the couple’s daughter.

Where can you find a good quality forage that is drought tolerable, protein rich, good to wean calves on, grows thick and can be baled every 30 days during the growing season? Taney County farmer Rob Dalton’s alfalfa field, that’s where. Rob has always been a longtime fan of alfalfa. “I don’t know where you’d find a better quality feed,” he said. With quality in mind, Rob and his wife, Anita, have been working closely with their area extension office in order to develop a good, solid alfalfa program that fits their area and their needs.

Driving any of southern Missouri’s or northern Arkansas’ two-lane highways on Tuesday morning, heading to West Plains, can be a lesson in patience for many. Why you ask? Everyone knows Tuesday is “trailer” day and it has been for the last 30 years.

Don and Mary Deffenbaugh of Neosho, Mo., live on the farm where they raise and breed purebred, registered Black Angus cattle and bulls. Don's father started the herd in the 1950s on his farm near Newtonia on Highway 86. Don partnered with his dad a few years later, and now, Don's son John partners with his dad in the Angus business.

"Dunlap’s Spring Breeze” sounds like the name of a sweet-smelling air freshener or maybe the newest brand of antibacterial hand soap. But in reality it’s the registered name of Paul and Teresa Schot’s milk cow. No wonder they call her “Daisy.”