Neighbors

Along a stretch of Ozarks highway, just west of Lebanon, Mo., a small herd of beautiful Texas Longhorn cattle graze in a summer-green field filled with wild flowers, tempting any amateur photographer to stop and capture a scene that speaks of the Texas prairie 100 years ago.

Glenn and Mary Jane Phifer, and their daughter, Savannah, live on an 82-acre farm in Douglas County near Mansfield, Mo. They moved to this farm after living for 20 years in the east. Glenn retired from the Art Department of Appalachian State University. They have been married for 25 years.

Gerry and Gail Sansing’s back property line borders on the city of Harrison, Ark. But don’t think that means they’re city folk. Gail learned 37 years ago when she married Gerry that they were definitely in the country.

Nell and Ron Dent never really planned to raise goats, it just sort of happened. It all started when a friend who had leased the Dent’s six acres to raise his goats asked if Nell would be interested in bottle-feeding a set of orphaned twin does.

Benjie and Cathy Stalcup, live at the end of a very interesting road, with trees that greet you with smiling faces, as you drive up the lane. At the end of the road it opens up to a very neatly kept, peaceful view of a poultry farm that Benjie runs, while Cathy works in town as plant manager of Hanes Brand, Inc. "We have been farming since 1986,” she stated, "we started with 70 acres in the beginning. Benjie and I decided that instead of moving with the company we both worked for, we would put in a laying house,” said Cathy. “I worked the laying houses for about 2 years for Tyson, while Benjie went to work helping in the start up of the rendering plant,” she replied.

Ryan Cable and wife, Samantha, own and operate a farm near Halfway, Mo., that once belonged to his grandpa, Gale Cable. Although he didn’t grow up on a farm, he had been off and on this farm since he was a kid. Now it is where they are raising their children, Carli and Cash.

Dairy farmers have watched a volatile industry over the past decade and for those producers that have remained through stormy weather, adapting to change is how they have remained competitive. For Matt Byerley and his family farm – adapting – is the name of the game. Matt has taken over his family’s dairy at age 30 and says that it’s his progressiveness and his father’s knowledge of the business that has aided the farm in changing with the tide.

Kenny and Dawn Jones live near Polk, Mo., in Polk County. Married nearly 30 years, Kenny grew up just down the road. He built their house in a hog pen, although you couldn’t tell it today.

Underneath bustling traffic on Interstate 540 sits a piece of Eden in rural West Fork, Ark.

The market hogs industry has changed tremendously since the days before. No more are the days of hand feeding, carrying water and digging wallows to help keep the hogs cool on hot summer days, stated Sam McKenzie.