Neighbors

The perfect name for Larry Thornton’s obsession is found at the top of his monthly column in Working Horse magazine, “The Working Lines.” Devoted to the research and documentation of equine pedigree lines in the world of quarter horses since his first column printed in 1984, Thornton is widely considered an expert in his field. 

Paul Crabtree does chores much like many other cattle producers in Southwest Missouri, he also farms, like many other producers, and he is very active in his community. Though many other farmers and ranchers do similar things, Paul does it all on a farm that has been in his family for 115 years.

You want to be a successful farmer?

Ask any livestock producer and most will tell you that they are familiar with Hereford cattle. These red and white faced bovine are a fairly common sight in the Ozarks. Another less known breed of Hereford comes from the swine family; the Hereford hog. Hereford hogs are an attractive red and white heritage breed originally developed in the Show-Me state. Aside from their color pattern, these hogs are also known for their gentle dispositions.

Less than a mile from David and Gayla Holcombe’s home near Jay, Okla. is the schoolhouse where David’s grandparents and mother taught. Following in their footsteps, David earned his degree in Agriculture Education, which he taught for 20 years. Although David no longer teaches vocational agriculture, he has dedicated his farm to “educational demonstration”. They have participated in field days and hosted tour groups to observe conservation practices. He also serves on the Oklahoma Board of Agriculture.

It keeps going.

Today, most everybody is concerned about his or her health and the health of their family. Marvin and Linda Jones, owners of AJ Grass Fed Farms in West Fork, Ark., are concerned about the way they eat.

Kerry Rose has a rare profession. He is a farmer, and he is proud of it. Though many people reading this article are farmers and ranchers, there are fewer every day. When not working on his farm, Kerry works with the Missouri Corn Growers Association (MCGA) to help make sure farmers and ranchers remember they are on the same team.

Bob Chapman has always been a dual career man. For 32 years his life revolved in area vocational schools in Eldon, Rolla and Waynesville where he was school director for 25 years. Four years ago, when he retired from the educational system, he found his opportunity to move to his farm in Dent County, which he had worked towards for many years. Today, in addition to the farm, he also works at the Leonard Wood Institute, a part of the Ft. Leonard Wood system that provides research and development funding to the army, defense contractors, the university and entrepreneurs.

Kenny Hinkle is not psychic, but he tries to be. While many people don’t know what they are going to have for dinner next weekend, Kenny is working hard to make sure that we can have high quality and reasonably priced beef on our tables – 5 years from now.