Neighbors

Juanita McClellan is 90 years old and an example of what one highly capable and strong willed woman can accomplish in 40 years on her own. Juanita has lived in Cane Hill, Ark., for 65 years, and her grandchildren are the seventh generation on the farm. Her husband Charles passed away in 1971 and she and her son Johnny continued with the slaughterhouse business in Cane Hill for another two years before he died. She sold one year later. Juanita said, "At the time, I didn't know if I was going to sink or swim, so I sold it and started to build the farm of my dreams."

Jim and Diana Hale's home faces a small Ozark mountain outside of Morrow, Ark., devoid of homesteads or even roads. The land directly in front of the house belongs to them and is pasture for the last of a dairy herd in transition to a commercial beef herd using a Black Angus bull. The couple owns 175 acres and rents an additional 160 acres for their 100 momma cows, three Simmons chicken houses and 150 acres of hay fields.

When it comes to Fox Trotters, southwest Missouri is the hub of the universe. In recent years, Dallas County, where Alice and Vic Rowden live, has been home for as many Fox Trotter champions as any other county in the country.

The Taylor family has been involved in the cattle business in various ways in Texas County for many years. Dr. Bernard Taylor has operated a veterinary clinic in Houston, Mo., since 1981. Carla Hollenbeck Taylor grew up on a large farm in this area. Their son, Logan is responsible for bringing registered Angus into the family.

For some rodeo may be a thing of folklore, country songs and television sports highlights but for Seth Barclay of Camdenton, Mo., professional rodeo is living in the Ozarks. “I’ve raised cattle all my life,” Seth explained recently, standing outside the corral on a part of his land in rural Camden County. “Right now I’ve got 30 big bulls and 30 young bulls as well as about 50 rodeo bred cows. The bulls are a mix of White Park and Long Horns.” White Park, an English breed with roots that trace back over centuries that looks like its American counterpart, the legendary Texas Long Horns, only all white. “We raise them on about 5,000 acres, on several parcels of land, throughout Camden County.”

The State of Arkansas began a new program this year called the Arkansas Century Farm Program. Agriculture has always been important in the history of Arkansas. Farms remain the backbone of our agricultural industry, and families who have persevered throughout the past 100 years are being honored.

First generation bison farmer, Rowdy Mott, sees potential in the expanding market of natural, lean meat that is high in protein and low in fat.

Howe, Okla., has a country road with the quaint name of Bean Patch Loop. The road provides a 20-acre homestead for Dewey and Teresa Shepherd and their Pineywood cattle. The couple also owns 9 acres in Wister, Okla., which serves as one of three pastures used on a rotational basis.

On a 364-acre farm near Fordland, Mo., in Webster County, Richard Ewing and wife, Susan, are busy. They are operating a dairy, raising beef cattle and teaching their children the value of hard work and responsibility.

When Sandy Fiorini moved to Missouri three years ago, it was like she was moving home. She is surrounded by family here with her dad, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews. It does give them a lot of room to trail ride and that makes Sandy and her son Christopher pretty happy. They have several horses on their property near Bolivar, Mo., that they train and ride.