Neighbors

Rush hour traffic, city ordinances and people trying to arrive at the airport on time. Every day hustle and bustle may not concern most Arkansas farmers; however, it is a major concern for Ryan Anglin who owns and operates a 300-cow dairy and runs 150 pairs of beef cattle on 1,100 acres with his family outside of Bentonville. Ryan, who has been in the dairy business for 37 years, has learned how to adapt to the ever-changing Northwest Arkansas.

Reduce, reuse, recycle – the three R’s – is the motto for Larry and Linda Warner’s farming operation in Bucyrus, Mo.

Steve Stamate remembers when Everton, Mo., was a thriving little town in eastern Dade County.

According to an old 18th century saying, ‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.' Doug and Deanna Horinek of rural Dallas County, owners of D & D Quail Farm a few miles from Long Lane, Mo., know something about having a few birds on hand. They run 1,700 ringneck pheasants and over 2,000 quail, Georgia giants and northern bob whites, at any given moment.

White, black and red signs mark O’Neal Limousin Farm as it stretches along on both sides of Scenic Highway 23 through Branch, Ark. Just behind the home of Gary and Beth O’Neal, black Limousin cattle pepper the hillside grazing on grass made green by the unusual July rains. Their home overlooks a large pond and the pastures where they keep heifers and weaning calves. “I keep the first year heifers up here to give them a little extra care the first three or four months of their pregnancy," Gary said. “Spoiled is what they are,” laughed Beth. “Yes, they are spoiled,” Gary admitted, “but that’s okay.”

Dwight Carney has been around cattle all his life. After working for Walmart for a number of years and helping his father with his cattle, he decided to start building his own herd. Dwight and his wife Debbie now own 1,000 acres near Cane Hill, Ark., and have 150 cows as well as their home in Fayetteville on 90 acres. They have three children, a son and two daughters who still live in the area. “The farm in Fayetteville is just a play farm,” he said. “We raise cattle, mix our own feed and bale hay at (the Cane Hill) place.” Dwight used to raise Limousin. “But, we now raise Angus and cross them with black Limousin bulls,” Dwight said.

The red and white flowers of the crepe myrtles lining the road through Winningham Farms provide a hint of what you will find out in their pastures. For the past three years, Doyce and Peggy Winningham have been raising registered Polled Hereford cattle on their 500-acre farm located near Center Ridge, Ark., in Conway County. The Winninghams have found Hereford cattle to be just the right fit for their operation, and when it comes to farming you might say that the Winninghams have just about done it all.

For Dave and Pam White, the farm is their place to be in life, but they didn’t always know it. 

In today’s America, more and more children of farmers are taking jobs in the city and less and less are returning to the farm. Matt and Amanda Crutcher both grew up on family farms. Matt’s dad was an AI tech with a commercial herd of cattle and Matt grew up showing cattle at the fairs. Amanda was raised by her parents alongside cattle, horses, sheep and pigs. Matt went to college at Fort Scott where he judged livestock and claimed the National Championship title. Amanda went to college at Fort Scott where she claimed the heart of her soon to be husband, Matt.

Robin Childs may not have the most experience, or the most cattle, but he knows a few things that many people miss. “I am a firm believer in listening,” Robin said. When he started his cow/calf operation about six years ago, he listened to friends and older producers in the area, but he also did his own research. What he learned led him to purchase his first registered Gelbvieh cows at a seed stock sale. Robin wanted Gelbviehs because “they are good producers and good milkers.”