Neighbors

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.”

Travis Ballard lives a little north of Charleston, Ark., just across from his son, T.K. Ballard. Father and son raise broiler chickens and Red Angus cattle, and share heavy equipment, fences and ideas about farming.

For 22 years, David and Cherri Middleton ran a pretty traditional registered black Angus operation on their Lawrence County farm near Mt. Vernon, Mo.

In Christian County, near Oldfield, Mo., David and Connie Krider are raising a different breed of cattle. On their 220-acre farm, they are crossing South Poll and Tuli cattle. David said, “There are so few Tuli cattle in the United States. This is the only South Poll/Tuli cross that I’m aware of.”

Married 39 years, Stanley and Connie Bryan have lived on their 96-acre farm in Webster County near Seymour, Mo., for 37 years. They named it Post Oak Flats Farm. Stanley and Connie raise Scottish Highland cattle.

It doesn’t take Terry Davis long to answer the question, “What is unique about your farm?” He immediately answers, “We do 100 percent artificial breeding. We don’t even use a bull. Mainly what we sell are virgin bulls, breeding and show heifers.”

Jim Bray tries to get back to the old days with his herd of Charolais cattle just south of Greenwood, Ark.