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MCA honors Halfway, Mo., native with its Pioneer Award
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Wearing his signature cowboy sociation for two years, then the farm news hat, Morris Westfall can be found director for KWTO in Springfield, Mo. It was during his time at the radio stamost days on his rural Halfway, tion that Morris became a pioneer in the Mo., farm. The Polk County, Mo., native has been Missouri cattle industry. “It was Alan King’s (who is from Dade many things in his 80 years, but these days he considers himself a self-employed County, Mo.,) idea,” Morris recalled. livestock producer, having raised cattle, “Alan and I would show up for ag meetings, and we started getting acquainted. hogs and sheep most of his life. Morris’ father was a storeowner, not Jim Ross, who was the regional livestock a farmer. His family didn’t own much specialist for Extension at that time, and land, only about 20 acres, but Morris he was the secretary/treasurer of the Missouri Livestock Association. There was loved working with livestock. “When I graduated from high school, I also a Missouri Feeders Association, which had 30 old ewes,” Morris said. “I actually was all cattlemen, but the Livestock Asintended to raise registered Hampshire sociation was a combination of all livehogs. In school, I learned a lot about stock. I interviewed Jim and he started making the point we needed to spilt up nutrition and genetics, but the Livestock Association and have a actual care and day-to-day pork association and a cattlemen’s, operations I learned from an pulling in the feeder association.” older neighbor.” Alan suggested he and MorUpon graduating from the ris set up a table at the old University of Missouri-Columbia Union Stockyards in Springwith a degree in animal science, Halfway, Mo. field to sell memberships to Morris became a field representathe Livestock Association, tive for the Hampshire Hog AsOzarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
which became affiliated with the American National Cattlemen’s Association in 1964, which they did. In 1968, the Livestock Association became the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association. For his work in the cattle industry and his support of agriculture throughout his career, the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association recently presented Morris with its Pioneer Award, the highest honor given by the organization. “I was overwhelmed,” Morris said. “I just figured what little I had done was so long ago that no one remembered.” Morris said he didn’t know he had won the award prior to the convention, but he had been asked to do a video, which he assumed was to promote the association. The video depicts Morris riding his buckskin horse through his herd and sharing his thoughts on membership. “It took forever,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve got a good horse, but we had to do two or three poses before (the videographer) got it. Then we went to the barn and he interviewed me. It was time to MARCH 16, 2020
