Neighbors

Keith Stevens farms with his brother-in-law, Les Hopkins, on a 170-acre farm in Polk County near Bolivar, Mo. Keith and Les both have jobs off the farm.

Lowline Angus cattle have it all:  perfect size, friendly dispositions and fabulous finished beef. If you want the ‘lowdown’ on this great breed, no one is more knowledgeable than Mark Ramsey of 4R Farms in Republic, Mo. Mark and his wife, Becky, have been raising Lowline Black Angus cattle in Greene County for seven years.

Back in 2002 Silvia Shirley joined 4-H and decided to raise a goat. The next year she acquired one more, then four more, then nine. Now Silvia and her mom, Nancy, by birthing and buying, have a herd of about 45 LaMancha milk goats.

Oldest daughter Sydnie seems well beyond her 14 years, especially when it comes to handling horses.

When Dale Johnston went off to college, he had no plans of returning to his multi-generational ranch. Dale was a business major in college, and didn't have anything to do with the agriculture field. “When I left home for college, my intention was not to come back. Got out in the real world, and found out ranching wasn't so bad after all.”

Paul Sims’ herd of American British White Park Cattle move as a wave of white, trotting up to the fence to greet him on his Dent County farm. Paul claims he rarely feeds the cattle, except necessary hay in the winter, but maintains that the breed’s affection for humans is inherited.

When Darrel and Anita Franson started Shiloh Land and Cattle Company in Lawrence County nearly 19 years ago, their commercial herd consisted of 50 mismatched cows.

The Ozark hills are rich with hidden treasures and Marge Booton of rural Laclede County is surely one of them. Originally from Sylmar, Calif., 15 years ago, she and her husband, Harley, a retired Air Force major and Lockheed engineer, moved to a ranch tucked in behind Bennett Spring outside Lebanon, Mo. Today, they operate the Booton Ranch and offer quarter horse stud services, riding lessons, both English and Western riding and boarding. “We have about 25 acres here,” Harley Booton explained, “but we have access to another 1,500 for riding so that is a great help to us.”

Bill Lundberg was raised in Valley Mills, Texas on a dairy farm, which served three small towns. His family’s milk route included the restaurants in these towns and individual homes. When Bill graduated high school, he went to electronics school, but he did not care for it. However, he loved farming and cattle, so he started working at custom fitting other people’s cattle for them. “It’s where you train, and halter break them, then show the cattle for the farmer that doesn’t know how, that’s how I got started showing,” said Bill.

"Way out. Bring ‘em here. Come around.”