meet your neighbors Building on the Essentials

By Julie Turner-Crawford

Marilynn Teague and Jimmie Chastain ventured into registered Beefmasters six years ago

Nestled in Polk County, Mo., is a small, almost forgotten cemetery –“Pickel Cemetery.”

A small tributary near the cemetery, which dates back to the Civic War area, is dubbed Pickle Creek by the owners of the land in which it crosses. When they began looking for a catchy name for their budding registered cattle operation, they looked no further than their farm.

Pickle Creek Beefmasters began about six years ago near Dunnegan, Mo. Marilynn big butts,” Marilynn said of the Beefmaster breed.

The couple started their endeavor with Beefmaster bulls added to the commercial herd and eventually added a registered heifer. Since then, their registered herd has grown to about 50 primarily red Beefmasters, and the couple is actively involved in six state, regional and national Beefmaster organizations. Both have held or currently hold leadership positions in those organizations.

The six essential traits outlined by breed

Teague and Jimmie Chastain raised Angus and Charolais-influenced cattle for several years, but when Marilynn graduated nursing school, she wanted to reward herself by purchasing registered cattle. Jimmie’s family has been on the Chastain Ranch since 1939, and Pickle Creek Beefmasters is a part of the operation.

“We were at a sale in Springfield, Mo., and decided we liked founder Tom Lasater — weight, conformation, milk production, fertility, hardiness and disposition — drew the couple to Beefmasters. The breed was developed from Hereford, Shorthorn and Brahman cattle.

“We collected cattle from 10 states to start our breeding herd,” Jimmie said. “We aren’t buying $40,000 heifers, but we get some top-of-

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