Neighbors

What has four legs, a tail, likes to work and has ears almost as long as your arm? Why, a mule, of course. A mule is a hybrid cross between a mare and a jack – with a combination of such diverse traits, you get the best of both worlds: the size of a horse, the stamina of a donkey and who can forget those famous ears? Bill Jackson, of Ozark, Mo., in Christian County knows these hybrid equines inside and out – he has spent more than 50 years of his life with them. “I’d rather work a mule anytime than a horse,” he said.

Jay Wilkins is one of those whose town life and country life are so entwined that figuring out where one ends and the other starts is hopeless. Jay is both the Agricultural Division Chair at Crowder College in Neosho, Mo., and their farm manager. His wife, Tresa, also works at the college.

Former ranchers, originally from Arizona, Margo Chilcott and her husband, Brian, came to the Ozarks seven years ago and fell in love with a place, a 100-acre valley outside West Plains, Mo., in rural Howell County. Both currently work in real estate in southern Missouri.

Sometimes the pathway to farming and Oklahoma is a long one. For Bill and Ruth Dewel and their son, Alan, this is definitely the case.

Brad and Hillary Drain of West Fork, Ark., met and married in 1999. They have two children, Brady who is 10 and Samantha who is 9.

T Bar W Farms is located in the Barrens Community, near Clinton, Ark., and is owned by Tom and Gayla Whillock. Their passion for farming began in 1975 when they found out about a farm for sale. “We were young and enthusiastic,” said Gayla. They started out as a poultry farm, while growing hay to provide an extra income for the farm. In 1990 a dairy was added to the farm but discontinued in 1996 because of the difficulty of running both types of farms.

For Jim and Judy Protiva, of West Plains, Mo., pastured poultry has been part of their lives for almost 20 years. “We took our maiden voyage with chickens in 1996,” recalled Jim. “From there we continued to grow, adapt and raise chickens and turkeys for individual sale and consumption.”

Josh Titus, of Lebanon, Mo., knows that every situation can turn into a learning opportunity and that is the exact mindset he has used when it comes to horsemanship.

Aaron and Kim Fields reside on a farm in Webster County, near Marshfield, Mo. They have always been very active with their Quarter Horses and Missouri Fox Trotters, but four years ago they took the plunge into the cattle business.

Cody Bauserman Race and Barrel Horses in Sallisaw, Okla., is a workplace and home to Cody Bauserman and Stefanie Frei.