Neighbors

Roy and Beth Kibbe from near Mulberry, Ark., have taken full advantage of the second chances they’ve been given. Today, they raise around a dozen Santa Gertrudis and Black Angus cross cattle on 15 acres in eastern Crawford County, but six years ago, Roy’s diagnosis of cancer put everything else on hold.

After 34 years of teaching, Bill Roberts hung up his hat and retired at the end of the 2010 school year. He spent the last 25 years teaching Agriculture Education at Marshfield High School.

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.

The tales that Jerry Crownover documents in his column Life is Simple have brought Ozarks farmers laughs throughout the years and stories to be passed on at local coffee shops in every small town. Friends getting their tractors stuck in frozen ponds, dead cows sliding down the hill or even memories of what he learned as an agriculture teacher about the real way to farm – Jerry has shared much insight about rural life and the changes in the industry. But, what about the man behind Life is Simple?

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.

John Love is a thinker, and he’s always thinking of things to improve his family’s farm in St. Clair County, Mo.

A major concern for anyone living in rural areas is fire. Fire hazard potential determines safe burning, hay storage and insurance rates. Paying attention to wisps of smoke, especially during burn bans is critical for everyone's safety, and when fires do occur, dealing with them is often a multi-community effort.