Treasure Clark is carrying on the family tradition with Jersey cattle
Management strategies to improve overall milk quality
The Roth family sold their herd in 2017, but returned to the dairy industry in 2020
The Hills have been milking since 1978 at the family’s Century farm
Junior board formed: The Missouri Youth Show Pig Circuit (MYSPC) has selected its first-ever Junior Board. This group of outstanding young swine exhibitors will be responsible for assisting at sanctioned shows throughout the 2023 season, planning member activities and mentoring younger MYSPC members. Kaden Roberts of Niangua, Mo., has been tapped for a board position. Kaden has been a MYSPC member for three years.
Contest deadline looming: Missourians have until June 9 to enter photos into the 14th Annual Missouri Focus on Agriculture Contest. The contest is open to Missouri photographers of all ages. Participants may enter up to three photos in each of the five categories. The photo contest categories are: Beauty of the Farm, Faces of the Farmer, Around the Barnyard and Everyday Life. The 12 and under youth category, Kid’s Corner, is back again this year. Find a full description for each category at Agriculture.Mo.Gov/focus.
Howell County, Mo., native to serve internship: Jackson Bailey has been selected as an intern for the Missouri Soybean Association (MSA) and Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council (MSMC). Bailey is serving as the 2023 summer policy and producer outreach intern. Raised in Willow Springs, Mo., Bailey is a senior at the University of Missouri-Columbia, double-majoring in constitutional democracy and political science with a minor in history. He is also a current member of Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity and the Federalist Society.
Landownership bill stalls: Missouri lawmakers failed to pass legislation that would have either limited or outright banned foreign governments and companies from owning agricultural land in Missouri. The House passed a bill that would have limited the total number of acres that could be owned by a foreign entity to .5 percent, while the Senate sought a total ban on foreign ownership of Missouri farmland. The bill is expected to be a high priority next year.
Registration open: Registration is now open for the 2023 Agritourism Conference, sponsored by the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Missouri Grown program and Missouri Farm Bureau. The conferences is scheduled for July 16-18 in Excelsior Springs, Mo., and will include tour stops and informative workshop sessions. Find more details or to register, go mofb.org/event/23agconf. The registration fee is $12 per person, includes Sunday reception/dinner, Monday bus tour, lunch and Farm to Table dinner, and Tuesday program sessions and lunch. Lodging is not included in the registration fee.
The Ozarks Most Read Farm Newspaper
JUNE 5, 2023 | VOL. 25, NO. 14
3 Jerry Crownover –The high cost of farming
4 Julie Turner-Crawford –A salute to the dairy industry
7
8 13
7 Treasure Clark hopes to carry on her family’s dairy tradition
8 Tranquil Oaks Ranch is the only Grade A goat dairy in Missouri
10 History and nature in the Ozarks
12 Eye on Agribusiness spotlights Seneca Dairy Supply
13 The Roths return to the Ozarks and the diary industry
14 Town & Country features Katie Nixon
20 Larry Hill began his dairy operation in 1978
22 Youth in Agriculture spotlights Anna Sheets
23 Naming a beneficiary
24 Improving milk quality
25 Reducing disease in udders
26 Proper hoof care for dairy cattle
27 Crossing beef and dairy animals
OzarksFarm @OzarksFarmDo you have a rumor you would like to share with our readers? Mail them to: PO Box 1319, Lebanon, MO 65536; fax them to: 417-532-4721;or email them to: editor@ozarksfn.com
Reading a recent report on agricultural land prices, I continue to be amazed at the increases that are reported. While I realize that prices in my corner of the world don’t begin to approach those where the soil is deep, rich and productive for grain crops, I wonder where, and when, the limit will be reached.
In 1955, my parents purchased the farm on which I was raised for a little less than $50 per acre. I can still remember my father being worried he had paid too much for the 216 acres and struggling each year to make the payment. With hard work, milk cows and favorable hog prices, he had it paid off in five years.
Jerry Crownover farms in Lawrence County. He is a former professor of Agriculture Education at Missouri State University, and is an author and professional speaker. Jerry’s daily exploits on the farm are now viewable on YouTube at “lifeissimple678”.
About
To contact Jerry, go to ozarksfn.com and click on ‘Contact Us.’
In 1985, my new wife and I purchased our first farm (the same one we live on today) for a little less than $500 per acre. I can still remember worrying we had paid too much for the land and wondering if we could ever get it paid off. Each additional farm we were able to purchase over the next 20 years always cost quite a bit more than the previous one, but we kept buying. With each new purchase, I agonized I had overpaid, fretted I wouldn’t be able to make the payments, and brooded about land prices that just had to stop rising… someday. They haven’t.
Land prices were the topic of conversation at the feed store last week when one of my neighbors expressed disbelief about a recent local transaction. A small farm, with no improvements, less than average fencing, and typical pasture condition for this area, had sold for $6,000 per acre.
“How is that even halfway reasonable?” he asked.
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Red Angus Bulls & Heifers Easy Fleshing•Fescue Tolerant•Calving Ease 1764 Countryside Rd.•Harrison, AR 72601 870-688-1231•870-741-9795 watkinscattleco@windstream.net
It’s Dairy Month! Time to salute the dairy farmers of the Ozarks and their herds.
E. Huff - Ava, Missouri
The Business Breed 816-896-4600
CHAROLAIS•RED ANGUS•BLACKS Bruce & Janna Bradley Marshfield, MO • 417-848-3457 BRUCEMBRADLEY@HOTMAIL.COM
5/6/24
Journagan Ranch / Missouri State University Polled Herefords & F1 Replacements Marty Lueck, Manager 417-838-1482
Dunseth
Paul Dunseth 2386 E. 485th Rd.•Halfway, MO 65663 417-445-3814 or
There’s a lot of milk drank and cheese eaten at my house, so we are fans of the industry. Even my big ol’ dog is a cheese nut. We have to spell out “cheese” because Nell knows what the word means and will start spinning around like a top, hoping she will get a treat. Nell and Bill go through a lot of block cheese. When Bill comes in from the shop most afternoons, he will break out a block for a mid-afternoon snack. His buddy is right there beside him, waiting for a few slices of heaven. When she has to take a pill, I ask her, “Do you want some cheese, please?” The drooling starts, and the cheese and pill are gone. I have always had a love for the dairy industry. A part of me wants to be a full-time dairy farmer, and I’m a little jealous of those folks who are. I’m sure they will all say there’s nothing to be jealous of, but I am. I’m like most cattle breeds, but there’s just something about those dairy ladies that make me double-take.
Julie Turner-Crawford is a native of Dallas County, Mo., where she grew up on her family’s farm. She is a graduate of Missouri State University. To contact Julie, call 1-866532-1960 or by email at editor@ozarksfn.com.
On a recent farm visit, a couple of dairy heifers decided they liked me — a lot. One kept licking me, rubbing her head on me and chewing on my shirt; she wasn’t a baby calf either. She wasn’t the only heifer to want some attention, and I was covered in slobber. Just a
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• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 C heavy cream
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 C whole milk
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or more to taste)
Combine corn, heavy cream, sugar, butter, salt and pepper in a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter has melted, 3 to 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk and flour until smooth. Add milk mixture to the skillet and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and corn is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in Parmesan cheese until melted.
Continued from Previous Page
perk of working at Ozarks Farm & Neighbo r some days. The owners said they wanted docile and friendly animals, but some of their girls were almost too friendly. I will take that kind of friendly over an aggressive animal anytime.
I’m impressed by dairy goats. For small animals, dairy does put out a lot of milk. There is a growing demand for goat milk products in the Ozarks. Some people can digest goat milk but can’t tolerate cow milk. Goat milk is also versatile. It can also be used to raise orphaned animals, including calves and foals, or in soap, lotion or hair products.
Just like cattle dairies, goat dairy producers breed for the highest-quality animal possible, and I have met some exceptional dairy goat producers. One of the first stories I did when I came to OFN was about a registered LaMancha breeder. If you don’t know what a LaMancha looks like, a quick internet search will show you what sets this breed apart from others.
Not too long ago, a dairy farm near me sold out. It was hard to imagine driving by this farm and not seeing those cows anymore, but the fields and barns are empty. Decades of selective genetic development went into the herd, and they are now gone. I had a couple of heifers from there when I was a kid.
Dairy herd dispersal sales, unfortunately, are getting to be the norm.
According to the Feb. 27, 2023, edition Hoard’s Dairyman , 6.4 percent of all U.S.
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Another neighbor added fuel to the fire by informing everyone another old farm, about 8 miles from where we live, had recently been surveyed and divided into 5-acre plots. The owner was going to market them as building sites for “farmettes in your little slice of the countryside” for $12,000 per acre.
The old neighbor, who had been appalled
dairy farms holding permits to sell milk left the industry in 2022. Of states having more than 1,000 dairy farms, Missouri took the hardest hit with a loss of 13.8 percent.
There is some good news, however, when it comes to the nation’s dairy industry.
Dairy consumption is on the rise, with the growth being in American-type cheese, butter and yogurt. The Michigan Farm Bureau has reported the value of U.S. dairy exports jumped 25 percent to $9.5 billion in 2022. Not too shabby. Let’s all support our local dairy farmers during Dairy Month, and share the good news about the dairy industry in the Ozarks. Pick up your favorite dairy product at your local retailer. If you know someone selling dairy products off their farm, check them out and see if they have something you might like to try.
Share with your friends and neighbors that milk and dairy products are rich in calcium, vitamin D and phosphorus, which help with bone building, and the high potassium content of dairy foods can help lower blood pressure.
To all my friends in the dairy industry, Nell and Bill thank you for their afternoon snacks, and I thank you for being a dairy farmer.
by the $6,000 price, now seemed in danger of having a stroke.
“I tell you this,” he began, “if somebody comes along, out of the clear blue, and offers me $12,000 per acre for my farm, I’ll sell them every square inch so quickly, they won’t be able to write the check fast enough.”
Looking around the store at the rest of us, he added, “Wouldn’t you do the same?”
One of our shrewdest neighbors pondered the question, then replied, “If someone offered me $12,000, they might be willing to go $13,000.”
Not everyone starts out being a farm kid. Some start life in the concrete jungle, far from green pastures and the whirring of milking machines.
For McDonald County High School senior Treasure Clark, her start in life is a complete 180 degrees from the life she loves and hopes to continue on the family-owned dairy located in extreme western McDonald County, Mo.
“I grew up in Dallas (Texas) until I was 7 years old and then my Mom decided that it was better for us to come back to where she grew up,” Treasure said. “It was a little bit of a culture shock.”
The farm has been in the Hays family at the current location for more 50 years, and they are no strangers to farm life.
“I’d rather live here over anywhere else,” Treasure said. “I love the dairy and the sounds in the milk barn and the cows.”
Treasure admits she was a very shy child, and her mother, Crystal, thought getting her into showing dairy cows would be beneficial.
Crystal is no stranger to dairy or showing cows. Following her father’s, George L. Hays, footsteps, they have raised quality Jerseys for years, making Treasure and her younger siblings, Maylee and Kyson, the fourth
generation to work on the family dairy farm.
They milk mainly Jerseys with a couple of Holsteins thrown in. Treasure has shown Holsteins, but is partial to the Jersey breed.
“Jerseys can take the heat much better than the Holsteins, and they also give a lot more milk,” Treasure said. “I really like that they are more docile. Holsteins think they can be pushy because of their size, and I don’t really like that.”
For Treasure, the various experiences in 4 -H and FFA have solidified the importance of family farms and the impact that livestock production has on a global scale, whether it be poultry, beef cows, dairy cows, or goats.
She credits FFA with gaining respect for other areas of agriculture outside the dairy industry.
Treasure has served as the McDonald County FFA historian and reporter, but it is her concentrations in poultry, livestock and food science that make her an advocate for family farms and agriculture.
“I feel like because of the things I have learned, especially about poultry production and how much time and work goes into caring for thousands of chickens, I can now explain to people who aren’t from rural areas just how important family farms are in feeding people,” Treasure said.
The plight of family-owned
dairies gets little attention from those unfamiliar with the challenges and commitment involved in running a dairy.
“I remember when people would say that their family milked cows. Then it was the grand-parent’s milking cows and then people saying they remember their great-grandparents milking,” George said. “Today, the younger generation doesn’t even seem to care how the milk gets to the store. It is a shame.”
The family did have to say goodbye to several head in recent months, but the consolation was all George’s hard work to raise quality Jersey cows paid off. The cows were purchased by a young farmer starting his own Jersey herd.
“We are all involved in the dairy operation. Even my younger siblings work with calves, and I am sure that they will definitely help in the future in the dairy barn,” Treasure said. “If we ever had to stop, it would be very sad for all of us.”
The shy little girl from Texas has earned a name for herself in the dairy world.
In April, she won the Missouri FFA Dairy Production-Placement Award at
the Missouri FFA Convention. She has been invited by the Board of Directors for the American Jersey Cattle Association to attend the Eighth Annual Jersey Youth Academy in July.
She is also a member of the United States Holstein Association, the Missouri Jersey Cattle Association and the Missouri Holstein Association. She is a member of the National Honor Society at McDonald County High School.
“I most definitely plan to help with the dairy as long as I can,” Treasure said. “When I decide to go to college, I want to go into veterinary medicine.”
Her plans post high school currently revolve around helping with the dairy and expanding on the milk cows. The family also sells fresh milk and eggs on-site through their Milk House on State Line venture.
“I think a lot about how we would have turned out if Mom hadn’t moved us here from Dallas,” Treasure said. “I’m so glad she did. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
On a freezing February Sunday afternoon several years ago, Shelly Householder and her husband Bryan were on their way home from church when Shelly spied something along the road.
“It was a baby goat,” Shelly recalled. “We stopped, brought it home, and its little ears were folded over and frozen. We looked all over for an owner but never found one. My husband said, ‘Honey, we can keep that goat, but everything has to contribute to the table.’”
Shelly said she could never eat her orphaned goat, so she got a dairy goat.
“I had to prove to Bryan that the purchase price of the goat was going to save us the price of milk for our family,” Shelly said. “We went to pick up our first goat, and I thought, what if I don’t like the taste of it? I got a dirty pop bottle out of the car and milked right into the bottle to make sure I would like it.”
Shelly did like the milk, and her milking herd began to grow.
That was about 10 years ago, and today, Tranquil Oaks Ranch is the only certified Grade A goat dairy in the state of Missouri, offering pasteurized whole and low-fat goat’s milk in regular and chocolate, flavored cheeses and cheese curds, and vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream. “We taste-test everything,” Shelly said with a laugh.
Starting a goat dairy came with a few hurdles for Shelly.
“My husband said we couldn’t make it as a dairy, then one year he hollered I had too many goats, so I sold two-thirds of my herd,” she recalled. “The next year, he said, ‘I’ve been thinking about it, and we really need to do the dairy.’”
A barn was on the ranch, but it took a couple of years to get it ready for Grade A certification, including running water to the barn, pouring concrete, and enclosing portions for the milk parlor and processing area. Shelly also purchased equipment
to hold and process the milk, including a bulk tank and pasteurization equipment.
The county and state regularly inspect the facilities, and samples of milk are collected and tested monthly for bacteria and somatic cell counts, just as a dairy cow operation is inspected and tested. Tranquil Oaks Ranch holds four certifications: Grade A farm, Grade A
dairy, Grade A manufacturing and Grade B manufacturing. The processing area is inspected and certified by the state and local health departments as well.
Because of its Grade A status, Tranquil Oaks Ranch can sell dairy products at farmers markets and retail outlets. Products can be found at MaMa Jean’s in Springfield, Mo., and will soon be in Harter
House in Strafford, Mo. Shelly also has her “regulars” at the four farmers markets she participates in.
Nubians are the primary breed at the ranch. Shelly also has a few Alpines and a couple of Sables. The pendulous ears of the Nubians reminded her of her orphaned goat, but she found the breed offered the production qualities she wanted.
“I like the flavor of my milk, and the butterfat is higher [in the Nubians],” Shelly explained. “The only thing higher is a Nigerian Dwarf. The butterfat isn’t as high in the Alpines and Sables, but they give me greater volume.”
She does some crossbreeding, which helps her maintain the high butterfat and the quantity she desires.
Shelly averages about 10 does in milk year-round.
“Everyone in the whole world tells me that goats only cycle seasonally; that’s not true,” Shelly said. “They cycle every month but are more open [to breeding] in the cooler months. This year, I’m probably going to have to do some CIDRs. Last year, my rotational breeding didn’t work, and I had to be closed for two months, and I didn’t like that.”
In addition to natural cover breeding, Shelly has utilized AI in her herd.
At kidding, Shelly attends all births, cleans all goat kids, and feeds only pasteurized milk to the newborns to give them a healthy start and to prevent CAE. The herd also receives yearly vaccinations against the virus CDT.
Shelly monitors her herd closely for other health concerns, and worming is done as needed, following FAMACHA guidelines.
When she began her operation, the state milk board required all animals be tested for tuberculosis and brucellosis. Testing is not required of any offspring from those tested animals, but any new animals must be tested.
Shelly rotates bucks after three or four years to prevent inbreeding but sticks with the Nubian breed.
“I don’t want to lose that butterfat,” Shelly said. “The buck makes a lot of difference in your herd.”
Shelly retains the majority of her doelings for future breeding.
The herd currently is made up of 36 females. Buck kids typically go to the sale barn at about a month of age, but they now go to a young 4-H member starting a goat project at the Fisher Fanch.
Shelly and Tranquil Oaks Ranch follow a motto of happy and healthy animals.
“It’s all about the health of my animals,” she said.
Another way Shelly works to keep her animals healthy is through a specially formulated ration she developed with a nutritionist.
“I knew what I wanted in my feed, but he said I also needed this, this and this,” Shelly said. “It’s got alfalfa pellets, beet pulp, corn, lots of oats, sunflower seeds, and lots of vitamins and minerals. Because goats hate powdery feed, we had to be very careful about what we put in.
“I put in the sunflower seed because that raises the butterfat; the beet pulp raises the fluids they drink, making more milk. The more alfalfa they consume, the higher the quality and quantity of your milk. Corn helps generate their heat… I can go on and on.”
The care and the nutrition provided to the animals at Tranquil Oaks Ranch produces the high-quality milk Shelly uses for her dairy products, and she wants to utilize as many locally-produced items as possible to create her flavorful cheeses and cheese curds. She often shops with fellow vendors at farmers markets for the freshest ingredients.
“When cherry tomatoes are abundant, I buy a large quality, dehydrate them, and that’s what I put into my tomato-basil cheeses. It’s the same with my hot pepper cheeses,” Shelly explained.
Shelly has a few customers who prefer raw milk, and she obliges special requests.
“I have one customer who wants what we call SAS milk,” Shelly explained. “She wants Sable, Alpine or Saanen milk. The Nubian milk is too rich for her; she doesn’t like it. Either the Sable or the Sannen is too salty; one isn’t flavorful enough. When I give her a combination, however, she loves it. If I don’t make customers happy, I’m out of business.”
What started with a half-frozen kid goat found alongside a road has become much more for Shelly. She would like to expand and start her own storefront one day, but her goats will remain her joy even if that dream doesn’t come to fruition.
“This is my heart,” she said of her goat dairy. “I tried for years to convince my husband this is what I wanted to do, and now he’s sold all his cows and invested back into the dairy. He’s sold now.”
Nestled between the Missouri cities of Lake Ozark and Camdenton, is an enchanted lakeside oasis of exquisite beauty, and interesting historic relevance is Ha Ha Tonka State Park.
“Ha Ha Tonka” means big laugh, smiling waters, or more specifically, laughing spirit. Robert McClure Snyder, a businessman from Kansas City was taken with the land and surroundings upon his initial visit in 1903, and dubbed the area Ha Ha Tonka.
Ha Ha Tonka State Park is located down a windy, curvy, back-to-nature highway off of scenic Highway 54, with a visitors center strategically located near the entrance to the park. The visitors center
houses a wide array of locally authored books, area trail maps, informative trail updates, and several informative displays of local wildlife and botanical examples of what to look for when venturing into the waiting forest beyond. The park rangers working in the visitor’s center are integral sources of information. Several of the trails are closed in the spring and early summer for seasonal upkeep and construction, so visitors should check in at the visitors center to be sure which trails are closed and which trails provide the most scenic views and/or historic stories. According to Legends of America -Traveling Through American History, Destinations and Legends, the land originally belonged to the Osage, Cherokee, and very like-
ly other Native American Tribes. Early pioneers (Daniel Boone and his son, Nathan, are among those mentioned in the online article) traveled through this very slice of what later became the central-most portion of them state on their long voyage West.
In addition to scenery of the Ozarks are the ruins of a once stellar mansion atop a cliff bluff, scenically overlooking the Lake of the Ozarks.
Robert Snyder amassed a great deal of wealth from real estate, banking and other creative business ventures. He purchased the land that is now a state park, with the dream of building a European-style mansion scenically overlooking the vast expanse of turquoise blue lake below. The structure was erected using quarried limestone from the forested surroundings. One of the trails leads to the quarry where much of the stone was collected for the massive building undertaking.
Also located on the original property was a carriage house, just a short distance down the hill from the mansion. In addition, a high-rise water tower was built and still stands
Snyder was tragically killed in an automobile accident in Kansas City before
his beloved mansion saw fruition. His sons — Robert Jr., Leroy and Kenneth — continued to work on the behemoth project for the next several years.
Due to the Great Depression and several internal financial difficulties, the mansion was eventually leased to a Mrs. Ellis, who opened it up for guests to stay in a romantic hillside get-away in the form of a pricey, upper-class hotel.
In 1942, one of the many fireplaces sparked and violently set fire to the roof of the mansion, burning it from the inside out. Visitors can still see the black flame evidence on the outer walls. The carriage house was also burned. The water tower was said to be set aflame by vandals several years later.
The land and remains of each building now belong to the state of Missouri, and opened in 1978 as a state park for all to enjoy.
The numerous scenic overlooks offer breathtaking views. Some are built for the masses to safely enjoy, and others are naturally formed and restraint from danger is well-advised.
One such trail looks out over the serene lake, with its sheer turquoise water below. Another trail meanders through the forest with limestone peppered along the edges of
the trail. Still another trail leads to the waterfall for which the name Ha Ha Tonka was said to be inspired.
One of the must-see sites is an easy downhill walk from one of the many parking lots. The Natural Bridge formation a huge rock dwelling with an open walkway underneath, leading to yet another walking trail expanding further into the park.
Dogs are welcome at Ha Ha Tonka State Park. They must be on a leash and owners are expected to clean up after their furry friends.
There are no bike trails at the state park, all trails are intended for walking, hiking and running. The trails are very hilly so visitors are sure to get a great workout, depending on how strenuous they would like it to be. The trail to the mansion dwellings is paved. The other trails to the lake, natural bridge and natural springs are made of rock, gravel, dirt, and in places require great attention to avoid a nasty spill.
Dogwoods are peppered throughout the more wooded areas, beautifully highlighting Missouri’s official state tree. There is also an abundance of wildflowers along each walking trail. Bright yellows, purples, lavenders and the off-white of the Dogwood flowering trees offer a colorful escape straight to the core of nature’s most scenic surroundings.
The trails vary in distance and difficulty. The longest hike is 7 miles, but visitors can easily access a view of the castle by parking in the paved lot nearest the carriage house and walking less than a quarter of a mile to see both the carriage house and the castle. The park is open year-round.
STOCKTON - STOCKTON - Hwy B, 153 Ac. This beautiful 153 ac. Has it all! Bottom ground, scattered woods and upground w/nice highway frontage, some sites, cattle-tights fence, Cedar Creek flowing through entire property. Don’t miss! ..................................... $688,500
STOCKTON - STOCKTON - Hwy B, 250 Ac. Really nice, mostly open property for livestock & hay production, upland & bottom ground, pipe corrals, well, Cedar Creek flowing through entire property ...................... $1,125,000
EVERTON - 130 Ac. Dade 117. 1.4 miles of road frontage on three sides, open, fences, well, pond, pipe corals, great views........... $715,000
LOCKWOOD - LOCKWOOD - 160 Ac CR 41. Open and level pasture ground just north of Lockwood, fenced, rural water. $720,000
LOCKWOOD - LOCKWOOD - 138 Ac CR 72. Road frontage on 2 sides, mostly all tillable .............. $759,000
MILLER - MILLER - 120 Ac. Hwy 97, Nice open farm, tillable acres, nice livestock barns, home, great location .................................... $785,000
ALDRICH - ALDRICH - 237 Ac., Hwy 215, Really nice property overlooking Stockton Lake, mostly open, ponds, cattle tight fencing, road frontage on 3 sides ...................................... $832,000
EVERTON - 186 Ac. Dade 184. Fenced and crossfenced, well, several ponds, barn, shed, one mile of road frontage. Very Nice! .... $1,018,350
WENTWORTH - WENTWORTH - Law. 2145, 37 Ac., Located just off I-44, 2 - 50x600 tunnel barns, 2 - 42x300 ft. conventional turkey barns, 2 BR home, 60x100 red iron equipment barn ............... $1,200,000
Southwest of Mt. Vernon, great building sites. .......... $239,500
WILLARD - WILLARD - WFR 76, 18 Ac. Mostly open, Scattered trees, Live Water, Willard Schools, More land available. ........................... $249,900
AURORA - AURORA - Lawrence 1200 1+/- acre Quaint 3 BR/2 BA home located South of Mt. Vernon. Large 2-car garage, outbuilding, beautiful setting. Views overlooking Honey Creek. .......... $259,900
EVERTON - EVERTON - 45 Ac. Dade 177. Great panoramic views, mostly open, scattered trees, pond, road frontage on 2 sides................ $292,500
BOIS D’ARC - BOIS D’ARC - Farm Road 144, 37 Ac., Convenient to Springfield, beautiful rolling ground & mostly open property, great building sites ..... $325,000
EVERTON - EVERTON - 80 Ac. Dade 77, Mostly open, scattered walnuts, fenced, gently rolling. ........... $440,000
BOLIVAR - BOLIVAR - 325th Road, 202 Ac., This 202 +/- acre property is located north of Bolivar & adjacent to Pomme de Terre Lake, great hunting, livestock or recreation ground... $649,000
LAMAR - LAMAR - Hwy CC, 200 Ac. Really nice farm in Barton County, beautiful home built in 2019, mostly open, bottom ground, Horse Creek .... $1,295,000
BOLIVAR - BOLIVAR - Hwy 83, 385 Ac., Hunters Paradise, mostly wooded, hwy frontage, deer & turkey, beautiful building sites $1,540,000
MT. VERNON - MT. VERNON - 445 Ac., Law. 2170, Great cattle ranch w/mostly open & some tillable ground, new fences, red iron barn, 3 wells .. $2,500,000
EVERTON - EVERTON - 522 Ac., Dade 184, all contiguous w/road frontage throughout, great open pasture w/views all around, 14 ponds, 2 barns, pipe/corral, really nice $2,583,900
BOLIVAR - BOLIVAR - 380th Road, 900 Ac. Mostly open, deep soil, great grass, hay barns, corrals, ponds, majestic views ............... $4,250,000
GAINESVILLE - GAINESVILLE - 1,753 Ac. Hwy N, Great grass farm setup & ready to go, 750 Ac. open, 1,000 Ac. timber, 4 BR home, commodity barn, equipment & livestock barns, great water & fencing $4,999,000
Location: Neosho, Mo.
Owners: John and Kay King
History: In August 1977, John King bought a dairy supply company and started Seneca Dairy Supply.
“At that time, I was hauling milk and had the opportunity to buy it from another milk hauler,” John recalled. “I wanted to be in business for myself.”
John added when Seneca Dairy began, it had several competitors, but as the dairy industry dwindled in the area, so did the number of dairy supply companies.
“Very few people do what we do,” John said.
Products and services: Just as it has for 46 years, Seneca Dairy Supply makes monthly deliveries of dairy supplies, such as cleaning products and teat dips, to farms within a 100-mile radius of Neosho, Mo.
“We still offer those conventional milking supplies,” John said. “We sell and service all types of equipment. We’re still a Mueller dealer and take care of tanks, and we are a GEA dealer.”
Advances in dairy industry technology have changed much of the customer base, and what Seneca Dairy Supply offers. It is Lely dealer, which offers robotic miking systems.
“Robotic milking is the future. Robotics give opportunities for children to continue because they don’t have to go to the barn twice a day like Mom and Dad did,” John said. They also install Lely’s robotic feeding systems, like the Vector.
“It’s got a kitchen, and your fill that kitchen, and it feeds the cows on its own,” John said. “With the robotics, it’s not just milking the cows; we have so many management tools. Dairying is a business and needs managed for survival.”
John sees the dairy industry leaning more toward robotics, and his team area continues to train on new products, who intern help the dairy farmers learn their new systems.
“The future is in technology in all fields of agriculture,” he said.
The dairy industry may change, but the commitment to all dairy farmers has not changed in 46 years.
“We have a big double 30 in Wagoner, Okla., that we take care of, and a 32-cow rotary in Golden City, but we do whatever the dairyman needs, down to the one-cow bucket milkers,” John said. “We are a full supply and service business. We’ve always been concerned about cow care. The concept is the same for conventional, smaller milkers or the bigger milkers; pulsation, vacuum rates and that type of stuff is appropriate. No matter what system they’ve got, we want to make sure it’s functioning properly and will milk cows.”
By Julie Turner-Crawford
Switzerland native Emanuel Roth came to the U.S. in 2000 with his uncle, Ernst, to start a dairy farm. They started Lorreda Dairy near Grovespring, Mo., with a mostly Brown Swiss herd.
“We started on this place in an old, old barn. You could see the daylight through the ceilings, and we spent about seven hours a day in the barn,” Emanuel recalled. “Then, the cow numbers outgrew the barn and the land. We bought a second farm in 2005, then in 2010, we built a new barn, a feeding floor, and kept increasing the cow numbers.” In 2017, they decided it was time to stop.
didn’t know what to do with myself after we sold out. We rented the farm out for a couple of years, and then in 2020, we started milking again.”
The Roths now milk about 60 cows at their 230-acre Wright County farm, now called ELJJ Dairy.
“We can do it ourselves now, where we had to have full-time and part-time help before,” Emanuel said.
Registered Brown Swiss remain the foundation of ELJJ Dairy, and the Roths appreciate the gentle nature, the overall structure, and the high milk components the breed offers.
dairy in Wright County, Mo.
“We just couldn’t do it anymore,” Emanuel said. “We were close to running 200 cows, and so we sold out in November 2017; we sold all of the cows and the second farm.”
Following the sale, Emanuel, his wife Lesley, and their young sons, Jacob and Josiah, moved to Switzerland. However, Ozarks drew the family back after a year.
“I was working there, and I couldn’t ever get happy,” Emanuel said. “It was too crowded, and there were too many people. I really
“They also take the heat a lot better than a Holstein,” Emanuel said. “We had Brown Swiss overseas, so it’s what I’ve known.”
The Brown Swiss breed, in his experience, also offered superior longevity.
“We’ve got several cows that are 10 years old, and I think the oldest is about 14,” Emanuel said. “They just last longer and have better feet and legs.”
To restart their operation, the
— Continued on Page 18
www.greenswelding.com
660-476-5598
Family:
Husband, Ken Barber
Hometown: Wheatland, Mo.
In Town: Katie Nixon is the food system director of the West Central Missouri Community Action Agency.
“We look for opportunities to serve farmers and farm businesses and help develop the food value chain,” Katie explained. “That’s developing food systems that have value for the community and the environment because small to medium-sized farms tend to be a little more sustainable in their approach.”
In the Country: Katie and her husband, Ken Barber, have owned Green Gate Family Farm since 2010 and began their certified organic operation in 2013, where they raise produce, cut flowers, eggs and potted garden plants and herbs.
“I like to say we are like the old-fashioned truck farm,” she said.
Katie and Ken grow 300 items in their three high tunnels and greenhouse. “We grow about 30 identifiable produce items, but within those items, there are different varieties,” Katie said. “We grow 40 different kinds of tomatoes, 10 kinds of peppers, five kinds of egg plant, so we try to grow a variety.”
Green Gate Family Farm has both wholesale and retail customers. They also offer products online. “We serve schools, restaurants, Whole Foods, and we’re part of the Kansas City Food Hub, which is a farmer cooperative,” Katie explained.
Katie and Ken also have a Community Supported Agriculture program, which allows customers to “subscribe” to their harvest. “With our CSA, we try to grow a variety because we want our customers to have something new every week, not the same thing all the time,” she said. “We do a lot of heirloom tomatoes because they are popular and good money makers for our farm.”
Green Gate Family Farm produces items year-round. “We’re producing food for school and our customers all winter,” Katie said. “We have a winter CSA and a fall CSA, so we are constantly growing on our farm with season extension techniques.”
Mixed lettuce and salad mixed as among the most popular crops in the winter months. “We also do a lot of Asian greens, like bok choy, kale, chard and other things,” she said. “We will do a fall planting of storage crops. We’ll have sweet potatoes, beets, radishes, carrots, turnips, and garlic then we can pull from those in the winter for the CSAs and make sure there are lots of options.”
Future plans: Katie and Ken want to open their farm to other ventures, and pass along their knowledge to others.
“As we get older, we’re looking at what the farm can look like in 10 years and inviting others to be part of the farm,” she said. “We’re going to spend some time looking to transition the farm to a non-profit or agriculture experience or agritourism. We want people to learn and maybe teach the next generation; we just haven’t figured it out yet.”
Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 170.00-190.00.
Hair Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 145.00-225.00.
Hair Breeds - Choice 1-3 (per cwt): 150.00-190.00.
Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 65.00-75.00.
Hair Ewes - Good 2-3 (per cwt): 110.00.
Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 70.00-85.00.
Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3 (per unit): 90.00-110.00.
Hair Ewes - Cull and Utility 1-2 (per cwt): 77.50.
Hair Bucks - 1-2 (per cwt): 85.00.
Replacement Sheep/Lambs:
Hair Ewes - Small and Medium 1-2 (per unit): 115.00-200.00.
Families - Small and Medium 1-2 w/<20 lbs lamb (per unit): 180.00-360.00.
National Dairy Market 5/26/23
Cheese: Barrels closed at $1.4900 and 40# blocks at $1.4775. The weekly average for barrels is $1.5070 (+0.0490) and blocks, $1.5655 (+0.0555).
Fluid Milk/Cream: Milk production volumes are steady to higher across the country as mild weather conditions, suitable for cow comfort, linger. The Nass Milk Production report noted that April 2023 milk production in 24 major states totaled 18.4 billion pounds, 0.5 percent above a year ago. Bottling demand is steady in the eastern region, but Class I sales are starting to feel the impact of schools preparing to let out for the summer. Class I demand is mostly steady in western states. Balancing plant managers are anticipating heavier milk intakes during the Memorial Day holiday period, with the closing of some Class II and III plants. Meanwhile, cream is widely available due to heavy milk production volumes. Butter churning is active, while demand from ice cream manufacturers and Class II, in general, improves. This week, cream multiples for all Classes range 1.19-1.32 in the East; 1.17-1.29 in the Midwest; and 1.00-1.23 in the West.
Families - Small and Medium 1-2 w/20-40 lbs lamb (per unit): 270.00.
Feeder Goats:
Kids - Selection 1 (per cwt): 300.00-340.00.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 235.00-275.00.
Slaughter Goats:
Kids - Selection 1 (per cwt): 310.00-340.00.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 230.00-290.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 100.00-125.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per unit): 100.00-115.00.
Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 130.00-175.00.
Wethers - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 235.00.
Replacement Goats:
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per unit): 150.00-180.00.
Families - Selection 1-2 w/<20 lbs kid (per unit): 305.00.
Buffalo, Mo. • Buffalo Livestock Market Sheep/Goat 5/23/23
Receipts: 877
Feeder Sheep/Lambs: Lambs - Medium and Large 1-2 (per cwt): 155.00-167.00.
Hair Lambs - Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 150.00-176.00.
Slaughter Sheep/Lambs: Wooled & Shorn - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 140.00155.00.
SPOT PRICES OF CLASS II CREAM: $ PER POUND BUTTERFAT, F.O.B., producing plants, Midwestern U.S. - $3.0638 - $3.1618.
Wooled & Shorn - Choice and
Hair Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 162.00-189.00.
Hair Breeds - Choice 1-3 (per cwt): 142.00-149.00.
Ewes - Cull and Utility 1-2 (per cwt): 49.00.
Hair Ewes - Good 2-3 (per cwt): 100.00-115.00.
Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 70.00-80.00.
Hair Ewes - Cull and Utility 1-2 (per cwt): 40.00-57.00.
Bucks - 1-2 (per cwt): 88.00.
Hair Bucks - 1-2 (per cwt): 107.50.
Replacement Sheep/Lambs:
Hair Ewes - Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 152.00.
Feeder Goats:
Kids - Selection 1 (per cwt): 277.50.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 210.00-282.00.
Kids - Selection 3 (per cwt): 117.00-162.50.
Slaughter Goats:
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 200.00-271.00.
Kids - Selection 3 (per cwt): 187.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 90.00-152.00.
Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 100.00.
Wethers - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 200.00.
Wether Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 250.00.
Replacement Goats:
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 180.00.
Receipts: 1,587
Feeder Sheep/Lambs:
Hair Lambs - Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 130.00-310.00.
Slaughter Sheep/Lambs:
Wooled & Shorn - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 150.00175.00.
Wooled & Shorn - Good 1-2 (per cwt): 65.00.
Hair Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 150.00-205.00.
Hair Breeds - Choice 1-3 (per cwt): 142.50-170.00.
Hair Breeds - Good 1-2 (per cwt): 92.50-140.00.
Ewes - Good 2-3 (per cwt): 80.00.
Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 87.50.
Ewes - Cull and Utility 1-2 (per cwt): 70.00.
Hair Ewes - Good 2-3 (per cwt): 105.00-115.00.
Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 75.00-100.00.
Hair Ewes - Cull and Utility 1-2 (per cwt): 65.00-75.00.
Hair Bucks - 1-2 (per cwt): 95.00-117.50.
Replacement Sheep/Lambs:
Hair Ewes - Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 132.50.
Families - Small and Medium 1-2 w/<20 lbs lamb (per unit): 170.00-190.00.
Hair Bucks - Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 175.00.
Feeder Goats:
Kids - Selection 1 (per cwt): 295.00-350.00.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 190.00-295.00.
Kids - Selection 3 (per cwt): 120.00-195.00.
Wether Kids - Selection 3 (per cwt): 135.00.
Replacement Sheep/Lambs:
Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 152.00.
Goats: Selection 1 (per cwt): 277.50.
Selection 2 (per cwt): 210.00-282.00.
Selection 3 (per cwt): 117.00-162.50.
Goats: Selection 2 (per cwt): 200.00-271.00.
Selection 3 (per cwt): 187.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 90.00-152.00.
Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 100.00.
Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 200.00.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 250.00.
Replacement Goats:
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 180.00.
1,587
Sheep/Lambs:
Lambs - Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 130.00-310.00.
Sheep/Lambs:
Shorn - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 150.00-
Shorn - Good 1-2 (per cwt): 65.00.
Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3 (per cwt): 150.00-205.00.
Breeds - Choice 1-3 (per cwt): 142.50-170.00.
Breeds - Good 1-2 (per cwt): 92.50-140.00.
Good 2-3 (per cwt): 80.00.
Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 87.50.
and Utility 1-2 (per cwt): 70.00.
Good 2-3 (per cwt): 105.00-115.00.
Utility and Good 1-3 (per cwt): 75.00-100.00.
Cull and Utility 1-2 (per cwt): 65.00-75.00.
- 1-2 (per cwt): 95.00-117.50.
Replacement Sheep/Lambs:
Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 132.50.
Small and Medium 1-2 w/<20 lbs lamb (per unit):
170.00-190.00.
- Small and Medium 1-2 (per cwt): 175.00.
Goats:
Selection 1 (per cwt): 295.00-350.00.
Selection 2 (per cwt): 190.00-295.00.
Selection 3 (per cwt): 120.00-195.00.
Kids - Selection 3 (per cwt): 135.00.
Slaughter Goats: Kids - Selection 1 (per cwt): 285.00-287.50.
Kids - Selection 2 (per cwt): 215.00-275.00.
Kids - Selection 3 (per cwt): 145.00.
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 60.00-260.00.Bucks/
Billies - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 97.50-192.50.
Wethers - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 140.00-265.00.
Wether Kids - Selection 3 (per cwt): 125.00. Replacement Goats:
Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2 (per cwt): 140.00-240.00.
Families - Selection 1-2 w/<20 lbs kid (per unit): 150.00225.00.
National Direct Delivered Feeder Pig Report 5/26/23 Receipts This Week: 81,143
Early weaned pigs are steady, and feeder pigs are 2.00 per head higher. Demand is steady to weak for moderate offerings.
Volume By State Or Province Of Origin: Missouri 5.4%
Total Composite Weighted Average Receipts and Price (Formula and Cash):
All Early Weaned Pigs: 71,385 head, wtd. avg. 18.22.
All Feeder Pigs: 9,758 head, wtd. avg. 44.18.
Daily Direct Hog Report 5/26/23
Barrows and Gilts Purchased Swine (including Packer Sold)
National Head Count: 4,145
National Price Range: 73.00-87.00.
Western Cornbelt Wtd Avg Price: 75.64.
Western Cornbelt 5 Day Rolling Avg: 86.32.
Mo. Weekly Hay Summary 5/26/23
Many producers pull into the hay fields over the last week. Some because it is just that time others in an effort to prevent army worms from eating what grass is there. Thus far no one is bragging about yields and those type of reports aren’t expected due to late cold spells then lack of moisture which has resulted in not a lot of growth and early maturity for fes-
cue and orchard grass which makes up a lot of the hay fields around the state. Farmers desperately needing to rebuild supplies following last year’s disappointing harvest. Thus far new crop prices seem to be mostly steady with how last even though some input prices have fallen along with fuel cost the lack of supplies are holding prices steady. The supply of hay is light and demand is light to moderate. The Missouri Department of Agriculture has a hay directory visit http:// mda.mo.gov/abd/haydirectory/ for listings of hay http:// agebb.missouri.edu/haylst/
Alfalfa - Supreme (Ask/Per Ton): Medium Square 3x3: 250.00-300.00.
Alfalfa - Supreme (Ask/Per Bale): Small Square: 10.00-15.00.
Alfalfa - Premium (Ask/Per Ton): Medium Square 3x3: 180.00-250.00.
Alfalfa - Good (Ask/Per Ton): Large Round: 150.00-180.00.
Alfalfa - Good (Ask/Per Bale): Small Square: 5.00-9.00.
Alfalfa - Fair (Ask/Per Ton): Large Round: 125.00-150.00.
Alfalfa/Grass Mix - Good/Premium (Ask/Per Bale): Small Square: 5.00-9.00.
Mixed Grass - Good/Premium (Ask/Per Ton): Large Round: 125.00-175.00.
Mixed Grass - Fair/Good (Ask/Per Ton): Large Round: 100.00-150.00.
Mixed Grass - Fair/Good (Ask/Per Bale): Small Square: 5.00-8.00.
Mixed Grass - Fair (Ask/Per Bale): Large Round: 50.00100.00.
Straw: Wheat (Ask/Per Bale): Small Square: 4.00-7.00.
Continued from Page 13
family purchased a herd from Iowa. Emanuel said the cows adjusted well to the Ozarks, but there were some bumps in the road.
“They were kept in a tie-stall barn,” Emanuel explained. “I think they may have been let out in a paddock, but when they got here, it was the first time they ever saw pasture. They took off like they’ve always had it. The worst part was trying to get them into the parlor the first two days.”
With the new herd also came a few changes to the Roth farm. The double 12 herringbone parlor built in 2011 was changed to a double 6.
“Two people just couldn’t keep up with it,” Lesley, who grew up raising Longhorns, said of double 12.
“A lot of times, we both milk, but one person can do it by themselves now,” Emanuel said.
The couple also added a compost pack barn.
“You start with about a foot of sawdust, then you start tilling it twice a day,” Emanuel explained. “When it starts to get a little wet, you add more sawdust and till it in. Like the name says, it turns into compost.”
The compost is removed twice a year and used as fertilizer on the farm’s fields.
Cows roam the farm, with lactating cows grazing a mix of annual rye and orchardgrass.
Heifers and dry cows are mostly on fescue pastures.
In the winter months, cows receive a mixture of wheat, ryegrass, sorghum-sudangrass, and whatever pasture mix is available through baleage. The Roths also purchase alfalfa.
“We used to grow corn silage,” Emanuel said. “This year, I have started to grow some, so we will have to see how it goes. We graze during the day, and then I feed a TMR overnight. It’s challenging; sometimes, you don’t know what they get outside and what you should feed inside. We mainly offer feed because I like the production, and the components are a little better than what you have with straight grazing. I can’t stand to milk a cow that just milks 40 pounds. We’re at about 60 pounds daily; we were almost 65 pounds this spring. The rolling herd average right now is 19,200.”
Cow comfort and care are essential to the Roths because happy, healthy cows produce high-quality milk.
“Seems like a lot of people don’t really care about cow comfort, but I feel like production has more to do with comfort than the feed sometimes,” Emanuel said. “You talk to other producers in the winter, and it’s down to zero, they say, ‘Those cows sure do eat a lot.’ I can’t tell that much of a difference because they are inside the barn. These are bigger cows, so if you want them to produce and breed back, you have to feed them. You have to take good care of them.”
cell count by Central Equity Milk Cooperative, the cooperative that purchases the farm’s milk.
“I believe it was below 200,000 every month,” Emanuel said. “I believe that’s another plus of the breed. Brown Swiss are, in general, have the lowest somatic cell count in the dairy world.”
Retained dairy heifers are bred at about 14 months of age. The first group of retained heifers from their new herd are coming into the parlor this year.
“We like the genetics we have, so we don’t cull as hard as we should sometimes,” Emanuel said. “What we breed for is that production component and good feet. Eventually, we are going to have to cull a little harder. Until now, we had nothing to add, but now we have a little more choices. As long as an older cow is producing, she makes you more money than a heifer, so we don’t really have a reason to sell an older cow that is still producing.”
Lesley said their herd is very calm, and they want to keep those genetics. Any problematic cow in the milking parlor after the first lactation is culled.
“The kids can walk to them, and they aren’t kicky when we’re milking,” she said. “We don’t want to get hurt, and we don’t want the kids to get hurt.”
The mature cow herd and some heifers are bred through AI. Emanuel said they recently ran a bull that turned out to be unproductive, so they have introduced an Angus bull to breed all open females.
Most Brown Swiss bull calves and all calves produced from the Angus/Brown Swiss cross are sold as bottle calves.
For now, the Roths hope to keep their milking herd at about 60 but may expand.
“Once they figure out what they want to do, we will see,” Emanuel said, referring to 11-year-old Jacob and 7-year-old Josiah. The dairy industry may be a struggle, but for the Roth family, life is always better on the farm.
“I love dairying and that the cows have all of their own personalities,” Lesley said. “I like that our cows are laid back, and you can walk among them; they’re just big pets.”
“Out here, besides the milk inspector, no one tells you what to do; you are your own boss,” Emanuel added. “Plus, I like cows.”
Larry Hill grew up on the Laclede County, Mo., farm his grandparents, Thomas “Tuss” and Esther Hill, started in 1908.
The farm started with 80 acres, and over the years, Larry’s parents, Wallace and Freeda (Calton), added land to grow the operation.
“Every generation has added a parcel or two,” Larry said. “Back in the day, they did a little of this and a little of that here. Dad and Mom had hogs, beef, chickens and a small dairy. Big families back then had dairy cows they milked by hand, but Mom came from a working dairy in Morgan. When they got married, they remolded a barn and put in some stalls for a dairy.”
In the early 1970s, Wallace and Freeda sold their dairy cows and hogs, focusing instead on beef cattle and forages.
“We still always had a milk cow or two,” Larry added with a laugh.
Growing up, Larry said he liked to farm, but the dairy aspect did not appeal to him. He said it was too “slow.” His feelings about dairying, however, changed as he got a little older.
“I was in high school, had a car, and needed to buy gas,” Larry recalled. “I took a job milking for Hugh Corry. It was the first time I had ever been in a parlor. It was just a two-on-a-side walk-through, but it was a whole different thing from being in a stall. I thought, this really isn’t too bad.”
As he approached his senior year, Larry began exploring career options.
“At that time, in the late 1970s, if you were going to be a full-time farmer in this area, you were going to be a dairyman,” he said. “I thought about it, and I kind of liked milking in a parlor, so I started buying calves and raising heifers.”
In 1978, the year Larry graduated, the Hills built a barn. Wallace sold his beef cows and bought some dairy heifers to partner up with Larry, and Hill Dairy began.
Hill Dairy has about 130 cows, and Larry, his wife Maggie, and son Ryan all work on the farm.
Cows are primarily Holstein and Jersey. Holsteins are AI’ed to a Jersey, and Jerseys to a Holstein.
“The hybrid vigor on these cows makes them handy cows. It raises the butterfat, and you have nice, tight udders and great feet,” Maggie said.”
“We want to keep the Holstein/Jersey thing going,” Larry added. “We did throw in the Milking Shorthorn for a few years, but we found we got a big animal. We found we liked the smaller animals a little better. We don’t have the inputs, and they aren’t as crowded in the stalls.”
The herd average about 19,000 pounds,
freeze teats coming back and forth, so we thought this isn’t going to cut it, so the free stall barn was built. Mostly, they come and go when they want, but they want to be in the barn when it’s hot. It’s good to get them off of the concrete every day and lay down where they have plenty of room. When it rains, they think they will melt and come running in.”
The Hills feel giving the animals a choice of lounging in the barn or grazing pastures makes the animal more productive and happier.
be at the low end of the group. It’s also nice to take a break where we can take a break and let the bull take care of it.”
Replacement heifers are bred at around 15 months of age but may be bred a little younger if they are large enough.
“We have a couple of big girls, so if they have the hip and the pelvic room, she might go in with an earlier group,” Maggie said, adding the heifers are bred to a Jersey bull for calving ease.
Forages fed at Hill Dairy are primarily grown on the farm and are mixed with purchased commodities.
and the Jersey genetics helps boost the butterfat.
“We’re usually around 4 to 5 percent fat,” Larry said.
The Hill herd can have the comfort of a free stall barn, which was built in 1979, or graze the pastures of the farm.
Larry said cows are rarely confined to the barn.
“The only time would be in case of an ice storm, and they can’t get back. We used to really have winters,” he said.
“We have timber, but cows can
Only highly productive cows are bred to dairy bulls, with the remainder being bred to an Angus.
“We used to raise too many replacement heifers, and there’s no market for them to recoup the money we put into them,” Maggie said. “Ryan and Larry will breed for replacements about six months out of the year. The rest of the time, we run an Angus bull with the herd, and we sell those as babies.”
“We only need so many replacements, and not every replacement turns out to be a good animal,” Larry said. “Even when we AI, we keep some Angus semen because a cow might
“We feed a PMR (partial mixed ration) 365 days a year because we feed a little grain in the parlor just to get them in. Some people have gotten away from that, but we don’t like to drive them in,” Larry said. “For dairy cows, alfalfa is the number one thing, when whatever else you can throw in to stretch it. They don’t need straight alfalfa, but we raise and chop grasses to mix with it, and put it in silage bags to mix with it. We usually do some sorghum sudangrass to rotate the alfalfa out after a few years; it lasts a long time, but it gets to be unproductive. You can’t get the production without putting in some effort.”
Ryan is the fourth generation to be a part of the family operation, and his children – 17-year-old Allison, 15-year-old Landon and 8-year-old Raelyn – help out from time to time, but Larry has no plans for retirement.
“Hill men live until their 90s,” Maggie said. “Larry’s going to be around for at least 30 more years.”
For the Hills, there’s more to being a farmer than the land and the cattle; it’s about stewardship and being caretakers.
“We don’t own this land,” Maggie said. “We want to take good care of what God has given us; the animals, the equipment, and the land and do the best we can. Since we are followers of Jesus, it’s important that we glorify him in everything we do, in taking care of the animals and improving the land... He’s brought Ryan up the same way, and he’s following along.”
Age: 17
Hometown: Competition, Mo.
Parents: Wayne and Rachel Sheets
Siblings: Maggie Sheets
FFA Chapter: Conway FFA
Chapter advisors: Mary Anne Keck and Doug Glenn
Involvement in agriculture: Anna Sheets is involved in several facets of agriculture. She has grown up watching her father, Wayne, a first-generation farmer, learn the ins and outs of farming, and admiring him for his determination and hard work. Anna has been involved in FFA since her freshman year of high school. For her Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), she’s raising Angus-mix cattle. Anna is also a member of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association.
What is your favorite part of living on a farm? “Everything! I love the animals, but I like being outdoors too. I like working on machinery like tractors and trucks, and I like running the machinery too.” She also enjoys her FFA community. “We are like a family,” she said. “You learn new friendships. It’s nice being with people that have the same common interests,” she said.
What are your future plans? “I want to settle on my own farm and have livestock one day,” she said. Anna would like to have her own cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens. She aspires to be either a veterinarian tech or to do something in the medical field. She would also love the option to be a stay-at-home mom who also runs the farm.
What is the best advice about agriculture?
“Look ahead,” Anna’s dad tells her. “If you look ahead you can save money.” She said it’s also great advice when dealing with animals or any machinery. Looking ahead is good advice in many aspects of the farm life, and it’s a phrase that has stuck with Anna throughout her education.
Awards: Academic Leadership, Star Chapter Farmer, Star Greenhand, Proficiency, Chapter Scholarship
Abeneficiary is a person or entity who receives the benefits of a financial account, insurance policy, or estate plan in the event of the account owner’s death.
For example, if you have a life insurance policy, you would name a beneficiary to receive the proceeds of the policy if you were to pass away. Similarly, if you have a retirement account, you would name a beneficiary to receive the funds in the account after your death.
Beneficiaries can be individuals, such as family members or friends, or they can be entities, such as a charity or a trust. It’s important to ensure that your beneficiary designations are up to date and reflect your wishes to ensure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes in the event of your death.
Naming a beneficiary typically involves filling out a form provided by the organization or institution that holds your account or policy.
To name a beneficiary, you will need to provide the following information:
1. Full name of the beneficiary
2. Their relationship to you (spouse, child, etc.)
3. Their date of birth
4. Their Social Security number (or equivalent identification number, if applicable)
You may also need to specify the percentage of the account or policy that you want each beneficiary to receive, if you are naming more than one person.
Once you have completed the form, make sure to review it carefully and ensure that all the information is accurate. Sign and date the form, and submit it to the organization or institution that holds your account or policy. They will typically keep a copy of the form on file and use it to distribute the assets to your named beneficiaries in the event of your death.
It’s important to keep your beneficiary designations up to date, especially after major life events such as marriage, divorce, birth of a child, or death of a beneficiary.
To update your beneficiary designation, you may need to fill out a new form with the updated information and submit it to the organization or institution that holds your account or policy. You should also keep a copy of the updated form for your records.
It’s also important to ensure that your beneficiary designations are consistent with your overall estate planning goals. If you have a will or trust, you may want to coordinate your beneficiary designations with those documents to ensure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes.
Finally, it’s a good idea to review your beneficiary designations periodically to ensure that they still reflect your wishes and that all the information is up to date. This can help avoid any confusion or unintended consequences in the event of your death.
Many factors impact the composition and quality of milk a dairy cow produces. Genetics, environment, disease, stage of lactation, nutrition and age all influence milk quality. Producers have the ability to improve milk composition and component yields through the implementation of a few key management practices.
The Role of Nutrition: Nutrition plays a significant role in milk quality. “There are various feeding management practices that can enhance levels of milk fat and protein concentration in milk,” Michael Looper, Ph.D., Head of the Department of Animal Science at the University of Arkansas, stated. “Feeding strategies that optimize rumen function also maximize milk production and milk component percentages and yield.” According to Dr. Looper, nutrition and other dietary influences impact fat concentration and milk protein concentration. Adjustments in a dairy animal’s diet can change milk protein concentration by 0.60 percentage units. Fat concentration, which is the most sensitive to dietary changes, can fluctuate over a range of 3.0 percentage units.
Feed Intake: The type and amount of feed and forage dairy producers provide their herds can improve milk quality while also increasing quantity. When producers enhance rumen function in dairy cattle, they can simultaneously increase milk components. Since feed provides the nutrients for milk solids, typically the more a cow eats the more milk she produces. “A lot of times dairy cattle can eat 3.0 percent to 3.5 percent of their body weight, so dry matter intake is paramount to making sure they produce high yields of milk and with that comes high yields of fat and protein,” Looper explained. “A lot of times the composition percentages stay the same, but it is just that you get more yield.”
Livestock extension specialists point out the importance of timing when it comes to increasing feed intake. Maximizing feed intake during early lactation will help to minimize negative energy balances. And the more feed and forage consumed the better the
output. “As cows consume more energy than they use, body weight is regained, losses in body condition are minimized and cows produce milk of normal fat and protein content,” Dr. Looper stated. “Increasing feed intake, and the resulting overall increase in energy, can increase milk protein content by 0.2 percent to 0.3 percent.”
Environmental Impact: Milk quality can be directly impacted by a cow’s environment. During the summer months, the hot, humid weather in the Ozarks stresses cattle and reduces their appetite. Since milk quantity and quality are tied to an animal’s food intake, a suppressed appetite can impact both. “Anything we can do to make the diet more rich with nutrients during times of heat stress that should hopefully maintain milk yield and hopefully the overall quality of that milk will be better,” Looper stated. Dairy extension specialists advise producers to feed a nutrient dense diet as often as possible throughout the day to minimize the impact on production. “Anything we can do to make starch more readily available to that animal gives her more nutrients,” Looper said. “Cracking corn, rolling corn, or steam flaking corn are ways to break open that kernel and make those starches more readily available.” During the times when cattle are less likely to keep up with the desired feed intake requirements, it is even more important to offer the nutrient dense options many times throughout the course of the day.
Other Factors: The types and quantities of feed and forage (dry or wet) will vary depending on the particular operation, genetic makeup of the herd, time of year, and other environmental and management factors. Dairy producers wanting to make changes to maximize rumen function may want to work with a nutrition expert to develop a plan specific to their operation. Proper milking techniques, genetics and management practices that promote udder health and reduce disease all play a role in milk quality.
what
“We do just about everything, from vaccinating at birth, dipping navels, two rounds of colostrum and getting them into a clean hutch.”
Brad Groves Christian County, Mo.
“We offer good feed and we want to keep in dry bedding.”
Trent Miller Greene County, Mo.
“I vaccinate cows when they are dried off and a month later against scours, so it goes to the calf through antibodies and colostrum.”
Jodi Wright Lawrence County, Mo.
“Keeping dry bedding is probably the most important thing.”
Ryan Gettle Polk County, Mo.
By Cheryl Kepes
One of the biggest threats to udder health in dairy cattle is mastitis. The infection causes inflammation of the mammary glands.
In advanced cases, it is swollen, red and visible to the eye. The infection can cause the cow significant pain and can impact milk quality and production. “That whole lactation will a lot of times be impacted by that infection to the udder,” Michael Looper, Ph.D., Head of the Department of Animal Science at the University of Arkansas, said. “Cattle can lose a whole quarter of their udder and it may never be what it once was prior to the infection.”
Mastitis can be caused by many things including overmilking, too much pressure during milking, unsanitary conditions or improper milking protocols. There are management practices producers can implement to reduce the incidence of mastitis in their herds.
An important protocol to preserve udder health is following proper pre-milking procedures. Prior to washing and pre-dipping teats, milkers should strip the first couple streams of milk out of the quarters to clean out the teat canal. Stripping also eliminates microorganisms and helps producers to detect new cases of mastitis. Post-milking requires additional attention as well. “Make sure those teats are sealed with some sort of dip like iodine,” Looper said. “Because that teat canal is open for a period of time and if that animal goes out and she lays down you obviously have an entry port right there on her body and her udder is going to be on the ground and
bacteria can enter into the udder then you have mastitis and all kinds of issues there.” Sealants and udder dips are especially important in climates like the Ozarks. The hot, humid weather spurs cattle to congregate under shaded areas. “Cattle standing around shade typically defecate and urinate and then they don’t want to get out of the shade so they lay down in it and then you have a problem,” Looper added.
Problems with udder health arise if a cow is overmilked. According to Dr. Looper, the average time it takes for a cow to be fully milked is seven minutes. The level of pressure (psi) and pulsation during milking can also impact udder health. “The amount of psi that is coming out and pulling the milk out of the udder, if it is too strong that will obviously irritate the udder and that decreases udder health which will decrease milk quality,” Looper explained.
Another management strategy to keep cow’s udders in optimal condition is making sure everyone working on the dairy operation knows the proper milking protocols and routines. Personal hygiene, such as clean hands, go a long way in protecting dairy cattle from udder infections.
Milkers should be wearing latex gloves because hands are a common source of bacteria. The gloves should be kept clean by periodically submerging them in a bucket of sanitizer. This is critically important after milking a mastitic cow. Mastitic cows should be milked last, and the milking machinery disinfected.
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Proper hoof care helps to prevent lameness in dairy cattle and ultimately positively impacts a producer’s bottom line. Cattle suffering from feet problems are less productive in the milk barn compared to their sure-footed counterparts. In the case of a dairy cow’s hoof health, being pro-active pays off far more than being reactive. “Like anything, prevention is always better than a cure,” Dr. Scott Poock, DVM, University of Missouri Extension Veterinarian, said.
Livestock extension specialists recommend dairy producers create a hoof trimming schedule for their herds in order to reap the maximum benefits of proper hoof care. “The advantage to foot trimming comes when you are doing maintenance trimming,” Poock explained. Following a trimming schedule reduces the number of trimmings needed due to lameness. Historically, most dairy producers operated with the management practice of all cows getting a hoof trim at dry-off. But that protocol is changing to a twice a year maintenance trimming schedule. “Today what we find with the really progressive herds is they will do a maintenance trim at mid-lactation and at dry off,” Poock said. “If you have a maintenance schedule you have to trim a lot fewer lame cows.”
During the scheduled hoof trimming sessions, most cattle typically receive some level of maintenance trimming, not just the cattle with obvious feet problems. There are times outside of the scheduled trimming timeframes in which cattle may
need their feet trimmed. The pain associated with some diseases, such as digital dermatitis (hairy heel warts), can be eased with hoof trimming. Corrective foot trimming can be employed when an animal displays signs of lameness.
Regardless of whether it is a maintenance or corrective trim needed, extension specialists recommend producers hire an experienced hoof trimmer to perform the work. Confer with the hoof trimmer to determine the criteria used to determine if and how much to trim the hooves. Over-trimming of a hoof can cause structural stability issues which can lead to pain and lameness.
Due to the advancements in genetics and data, producers can now make breeding selections and decisions with hoof shape and foot quality as key factors. “The great thing about doing genomics and genetic testing is we now have information to look at and say which cows are going to be the healthiest, which cows are going to have less lameness, which cows are going to have less mastitis, which cows are more likely to get pregnant,” Poock stated. “So, the dairy industry is using that data now. At the University of Missouri Foremost Dairy, we use that information when we are picking up bulls and deciding which bulls to use. We are breeding for a healthier cow.”
When looking at the reasons why a cow will leave a dairy the three most common causes are reproduction, mastitis and lameness. Producers who incorporate genetic influence, management strategies and prevention measures will be ahead of the game of maintaining a healthy herd.
Dairy producers can add value to their herd and more efficiently manage their herd inventory by breeding some of their females to a beef bull. Through the years dairy producers have worked on perfecting the art of producing replacements.
The result in many cases is a surplus of heifers. Therefore, an option for dairy producers is to breed the females they do not want replacements out of to a beef bull. “The primary reason dairymen are using beef bulls is not necessarily to produce a beef animal, but to control inventory numbers,” Dr. Scott Poock, DVM, University of Missouri Extension Veterinarian, explained.
Dairy producers utilizing beef genetics in their herds choose to create replacements from their elite cows and then breed their bottom end cows to a beef bull. This reduces the number of replacements produced and can lower overall replacement costs.
“If I look at costs on a dairy, the biggest expense is always feed, next is labor and replacement costs. So, if I can produce just the replacements I need, I can save on replacement costs,” Poock said. “I have the ones I want and not the extra costs of raising all of them.”
The replacements that are not going to stay in the dairy herd have more value if they are half beef compared to a straight dairy bull or heifer. Dairy producers can add even more value by selecting the right type of beef bull.
“What we know is that you just don’t want to use any beef bull,” Poock explained. “The beef industry, the feedlot and the packer want a specific type of animal. The industry has responded and
there are several companies that are producing bulls specifically for this market.”
The ideal beef bull to use in a dairy herd is one that is homozygous black, homozygous polled and possesses good calving ease. Additionally, attention to carcass traits is important. The bull should have good growth numbers but not too high in order to keep the offspring from having too long of a carcass.
Dairy cattle, for the most part, marble well so that is not as much of a factor. However, the size and shape of the beef bull’s ribeye is a significant factor to consider. Dairy cattle have more of an oblong shaped ribeye compared to a rounded ribeye in beef cattle. “The processing plants can quickly tell a dairy versus a beef because of the shape of the ribeye. So, when picking these bulls, the ribeye area is a big concern,” Poock added.
The majority of females produced as a result of a dairy cow and beef bull cross do not become replacement females in beef producers’ herds. Though the dairy and beef cross females have the potential to be good momma cows, the downside is they produce a lot of milk.
“They are going to produce so much milk that maybe they don’t get pregnant again,” Poock said.
There are some of the dairy and beef cross heifers that make it into beef herds. But most go to the feedlot, bringing dairy producers more revenue than a straight dairy animal.
The two main reasons dairy producers choose to infuse beef into part of their herd are inventory management and added revenue.
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June 2023
1-3 Lawrence County Youth Fair – Lawrence County Fairgrounds, Freistatt, Mo. –417-466-3102
1-3 Vernon County Youth Fair Rodeo – Vernon County Fairgrounds, Nevada, Mo. – www.facebook.com/VernonCountyYouthFair
3 Douglas County Demolition Derby – 6 p.m. – Ava, Mo. –douglascountyfairboard@gmail.com
3 Feeder Calf Marketing Field Day – 10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Bradley Bull Development Farm, 972 Rolling Meadows Lane, Marshfield, Mo. – 417-848-3457
5-6 4-H FFA Youth Show and Sale – Heart of the Ozarks Fairgrounds, West Plains, Mo. – 417-256-2391
5 Cool Season and Warm Season Forage Options for Pastures – 6:30-8:30 p.m. – Webster County MU Extension Office, Marshfield, Mo. – to register call 417-849-2044 or visit go.ozarksfn.com/8sc
6-10 Heart of the Ozarks Fair – Heart of the Ozarks Fairgrounds, West Plains, Mo. – 417-256-2198 or www.heartoftheozarksfair.net
6-8 Newton County Grazing School – Neosho, Mo. – to register 417-451-1007 ext. 3 or tracy.white@swcd.mo.gov
6 Soil Health Improvement in the Garden – 6-7 p.m. – 801 N. Cedar Street, Rolla, Mo. – to register call 573-458-6260 or go.ozarksfn.com/xf7
7-10 Tri-County Fair – Mountain Grove, Mo. – mgtricountyfair@gmail.com or go.ozarksfn.com/d0w
7 Urban and Small-Scale Soil Health Webinar – 7:30-9 p.m. – Online via Zoom – register online at go.ozarksfn.com/8we
8 Cool Season and Warm Season Forage Options for Pastures – 6:30-8:30 p.m. – Lebanon, Mo. – to register call 417-532-7126 or visit go.ozarksfn.com/u44
10 19th Annual Brianna Walker Memorial Rodeo – Bruner, Mo. –www.facebook.com/BriannaWalkerMemorial/
13-15 Camden County Grazing School – Laclede Electric Cooperative, Camdenton, Mo. – 573-346-5125 or Dennis.Bruns@swcd.mo.gov
14-8/2 Free Healthy Living Workshop – Wednesdays, 1-3:30 p.m. (no class 7/5) –Online via Zoom – to register call 573-540-1100
14-8/2 Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Pain – 9:30 a.m.-noon – Online via Zoom – for more information or to register contact Debbie at bennettdl@missouri.edu or Sara at sbridgwater@missouri.edu or Denise at sullivand@missouri.edu
14-17 Pulaski County Regional Fair Carnival – Fairgrounds, Saint Robert, Mo. –www.pulaskicountyregionalfair.com
14 Record Keeping – 10-11 a.m. – Online via Zoom – register at go.ozarksfn.com/xf8
14-8/4 Stay Strong, Stay Healthy – 9:30-10:30 a.m. – Christian County Library, Nixa Community Branch, 208 N. McCroskey Street, Nixa, Mo. – space is limited – to register call the Nixa Community Branch Library 417-724-6100
15-17 Polk County Junior Livestock Show and Fair – Polk County Fairgrounds, Bolivar, Mo. – 417-326-4916
17 6th Annual Butterfly Festival – 10 a.m.-4 p.m. – Jefferson Farm & Garden, 4800 E. New Haven Road, Columbia, Mo. –www.facebook.com/jeffersonfarmandgarden
17 Pulaski County MU Extension 9th Annual Golf Tournament – Oak Hills Country Club, 13351 Canuck Lane, Dixon, Mo. – to register call 573-774-4766 or email pulaskico@missouri.edu
20 “Morning in the Garden” Gardening Series “Vertical Gardening” –Free class – 10 a.m. – Forsyth, Mo. – 417-546-4431 or taneyco@missouri.edu
20-22 Christian County Grazing School – Ozark, Mo. – to register 417-581-2719 ext. 3 or John.Stratman@swcd.mo.gov
21 Create Your Own Garden Structures – 10 a.m. – free to attend, no registration required – Kimberling Area Library Community Room, Kimberling City, Mo. – for more information visit mgozarks.com
21 Mental Health First Aid for Adults – 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. – Online via Zoom –for questions TrussellJL@missouri.edu – register by June 15th – register online at go.ozarksfn.com/d4b
22-24 Cedar County Youth Fair – Stockton, Mo. – go.ozarksfn.com/1e8
22-24 Dallas County Fair – Dallas County Fairgrounds, Buffalo, Mo. – 417-345-2958
24 Barry County Fair – Butterfield, Mo. – barrycountymofair.com
24 Taney County Fair Demolition Derby – Taney County Fairgrounds, Forsyth, Mo. – 417-988-4029 or www.facebook.com/TaneyCountyFair
27 Attracting and Maintaining Butterflies In Your Garden – 10:30 a.m. –Taneyhills Community Library, Branson, Mo. – free class and open to everyone – for more information visit mgozarks.com
30-7/2 Dade County Youth Fair – Fair Building beside the American Legion Hall, Lockwood, Mo. – for more information visit www.dadecofair.weebly.com
July 2023
4-8 Webster County Fair & Rodeo – Webster County Fairgrounds, Marshfield, Mo. – 417-880-2870 or webstercountyfair.com
5-8 56th Annual Newton County Fair – Newton County Fairgrounds, Neosho, Mo. – www.facebook.com/NewtonCountyFair
8-15 Bates County Fair – Fairgrounds, Butler, Mo. –www.facebook.com/BatesCountyFair/
8-15 Jasper County Youth Fair – Carthage Municipal Park, Carthage, Mo. –www.facebook.com/jaspercountyyouthfair
10-15 Laclede County Fair – Laclede County Fairgrounds, Lebanon, Mo. –417-532-7126
11-14 Land of Lakes Youth Fair – El Dorado Springs, Mo. – 417-876-8861
17 Ozark Empire Fair Hay Show – for more information contact Tim at Stone County Extension Center at 417-357-6812 or schnakenbergc@missouri.edu
18 Crop Scouting Event for 4-H and FFA Members and Volunteers – MU Bradford Research Farm, Columbia, Mo. – for more information visit mizzou.us/4Hcropscouting
18 “Morning in the Garden” Gardening Series “Vermicomposting” –Free class – 10 a.m. – Taney County MU Extension Gardeners Demonstration Garden, Forsyth, Mo. – for questions call 417-546-4431 or taneyco@missouri.edu
19 Making a Xeriscape Garden – 10 a.m. – free to attend, no registration required – Kimberling Area Library Community Room, Kimberling City, Mo. – for more information visit mgozarks.com
20-22 McDonald County Fair – McDonald County Fairgrounds, Anderson, Mo. –www.facebook.com/mcmofair
22 Field Day Event – 9 a.m.-3 p.m. – Wall Street Cattle Sale Facility, 14900 Highway KK, Lebanon, Mo. – 417-288-4444
25-29 Texas County Junior Livestock Fair – Texas County Fairgrounds, Houston, Mo. – 417-260-0471 or www.texascountyfairboard.weebly.com
25 The Ozarks: Perfect Place for Berries – 10:30 a.m. – Taneyhills Community Library, Branson, Mo. – free class and open to everyone – for more information visit mgozarks.com
27-8/5 87th Annual Ozark Empire Fair 2023 Summer’s Biggest Party Bursting at the Seams – Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, 3001 N. Grant Avenue, Springfield, Mo. – 417-833-2660
August 2023
3-5 Phelps County Fair – Phelps County Fairgrounds, Rolla, Mo. – 573-364-6364 or www.phelpscountyfair.com
6/3
Sherry Gibson Estate Auction – Osceola, Mo. • Crawford Auction Service, 417998-6629, crawfordauctionservice.com • See Our Ad on Page 31
6/5 St. Clair County Land Auction – Lowry City, Mo. • Wheeler Auctions & Real Estate
6/7 Duane Lunsford Real Estate Auction –Warsaw, Mo. • Crawford Auction Service, 417-998-6629, crawfordauctionservice. com
• See Our Ad on Page 31
6/10 Bob Higgins Estate Auction – Butler, Mo.
• Wade Auction Service
6/10 Calvin and Maurine Lanz Auction –Lamar, Mo. • Town & Country Auctions
6/10 Delores Burton Public Auction – Osceola, Mo. • Bruce Auction Company
6/10 Sherry Gibson Real Estate Auction –
Osceola, Mo. • Crawford Auction Service, 417-998-6629, crawfordauctionservice. com
• See Our Ad on Page 31
6/10 Winger Estate Public Auction –Humansville, Mo. • Bruce & Le’AN Auction & Appraisal
6/17 David Taylor Real Estate and Personal Property Auction – Nevada, Mo. • Curtis and Sons Auction Service
6/17 Frank Smith Estate Firearms Auction –Montrose, Mo. • Wade Auction Service
6/17 Ormsbee Family Estate Auction
– Hermitage, Mo. • Crawford Auction Service, 417-998-6629, crawfordauctionservice.com • See Our Ad on Page 31
6/21 Jim & Carol Parsons Estate Auction –Clinton, Mo. • Crawford Auction Service, 417-998-6629, crawfordauctionservice. com • See Our Ad on Page 31
6/24 Bob Bunch Estate Auction – Galmey, Mo.
• Crawford Auction Service, 417-9986629, crawfordauctionservice.com • See Our Ad on Page 31
6/24 Richard Bacon Estate Auction – Warsaw, Mo.
• Johnson Auction Service
7/4 4th of July Machinery Consignment
Auction – Cross Timbers, Mo. • Crawford Auction Service, 417-998-6629, crawfordauctionservice.com • See Our Ad on Page 31
6/3 Gun Auction – Doolittle, Mo. • J&J Sales
6/3 Paul & Valerie Carroll Estate Auction –Long Lane, Mo. • Nance Auction Service
6/3 Turner Estate Auction – Lebanon, Mo. • J.D. Lewis Auction Company
6/10 Claude & Jean Hickey Real Estate & Estate Auction – Richland, Mo. • Glenworth Auction & Realty, 417-7674345, glenworth.com • See Our Ad on Page 30
6/3 John Pippin Real Estate & Estate Auction
– Spring eld, Mo. • Glenworth Auction & Realty, 417-767-4345, glenworth.com • See Our Ad on Page 30
6/9 Absolute Real Estate Auction – Fair Grove, Mo. • Stevens Auction Service
6/10 Estate of Helen Corlett Auction – Willard, Mo. • Melton Auction & Realty Company
6/10 David Pulliam Estate Auction – Lampe, Mo. • Stump ’s Realty & Auction Service
6/10 Waller Estate Auction – Powersite, Mo. • Mt. Country Auctions
6/17 Estate of Frank & Ruth Hudson Auction
– Crane, Mo. • Melton Auction & Realty Company
6/17 Farm Auction – Spring eld, Mo. • Lee & Meyer Auction Service
6/22 Lawrence County Real Estate Auction –Miller, Mo. • Wheeler Auctions & Real Estate
— ZONE D AUCTIONS —
6/10 Janice & Bill Redburn Public Auction –Dora, Mo. • Reid Auction
6/10 Living Estate Auction – Gainesville, Mo.
• Chadwell Auctions
6/17 Antique Tractors & Collectibles Auction
– Niangua, Mo. • Glenworth Auction & Realty, 417-767-4345, glenworth.com •
See Our Ad on Page 30
— AUCTIONS —
6/8 Dan Wiedenfeld Estate Online Auction
– bidding closes June 8th at 10 a.m. –bigiron.com
• Big Iron Auctions
6/10 Withouse Estate Auction – Bland, Mo.
• Price Auction & Personal Property Appraisal
6/13 Kevan Kaiser Retirement Online Auction
– bidding closes June 13th at 10 a.m. –bigiron.com • Big Iron Auctions
6/13 Jared Beal Retirement Online Auction
– bidding closes June 13th at 11 a.m. –bigiron.com
• Big Iron Auctions
6/14 Online Equipment Auction – bidding closes June 14th at 10 a.m. – bigiron.com
• Big Iron Auctions
6/16 Zimmerman Estate Online Auction
– bidding closes June 16th at 10 a.m. –bigiron.com
• Big Iron Auctions
6/17 Absolute Personal Property Auction –Wellsville, Mo. • Wheeler Auctions & Real Estate
6/21 Online Equipment Auction – bidding closes June 21st at 10 a.m. – bigiron.com
• Big Iron Auctions
6/24 Sellmeyer Farms Huge Farm Liquidation Auction – Afton, Okla. • B A Rigby & Associates
6/26 Audrain County Real Estate Auction –Laddonia, Mo. • Wheeler Auctions & Real Estate
7/29 Annual July Consignment Auction –Paris, Mo. • Wheeler Auctions & Real Estate
— ANGUS —
Bradley Cattle - Marshfield, MO417-848-3457brucembradley@hotmail.com
Double H Ranch - Ava, MO -
816-896-4600
Mead Farms - Barnett, MO -
573-216-0210 - 573-280-6855
Menzies Cattle CompanyMarshfield, MO - 417-425-5659
- jmenzies79@gmail.com
Pitts Angus Farms - Hermitage, MO417-399-3131www.pittsangusfarms.com
— BALANCERS —
B/F Cattle Company - Butler, MO -
660-492-2808
Hilltop Farms - Asbury, MO -
417-842-3225 - 417-529-0081 - 417-529-7556
— BRANGUS —
Horsehead Ranch - Talala, Okla. - 918-695-2357 -
www.HorseheadRanch.net
— CHAROLAIS —
Bradley Cattle - Marshfield, MO417-848-3457 -
brucembradley@hotmail.com
Mead Farms - Barnett, MO -
573-216-0210 - 573-280-6855
— GELBVIEH —
Hilltop Farms - Asbury, MO417-842-3225 - 417-529-0081 - 417-529-7556
— HEREFORDS —
Jim D. Bellis - Aurora, MO417-678-5467 - 417-466-8679
Journagan Ranch - Mtn. Grove, MO - 417-838-1482
Mead Farms - Barnett, MO573-216-0210 - 573-280-6855
Menzies Cattle CompanyMarshfield, MO - 417-425-5659
- jmenzies79@gmail.com
— LIMOUSIN —
Glendenning J Bar J Ranch -
Lebanon, MO - 417-588-6121
- 417-664-0913 - 417-664-1186
- jack@jbarjlimousin.comwww.jbarjlimousin.com
Minor Limousin - Strafford, MO
417-576-6364 - 443-605-6127 -
www.minorlimousin.com
— RED ANGUS —
Bradley Cattle - Marshfield, MO417-848-3457brucembradley@hotmail.com
Dunseth Farm - Halfway, MO417-445-2256
Watkins Cattle CompanyHarrison, AR - 870-741-9795 –870-688-1232 –watkinscattleco@windstream.net
— SALERS —
Dunseth Farm - Halfway, MO417-445-2256
— ULTRABLACK —
Horsehead Ranch - Talala, Okla.
- 918-695-2357www.HorseheadRanch.net
Built in 1979, a beautiful 5 Bedroom, 3 Bath, 3,946 Sq Ft Brick Home Sitting On 3.01 Acres; 2 Car Garage, Brand New Septic, Large Living Room Area, Patio Sliding Door, Metal Roof, Newer Water Heater, Newer Dishwasher, Large Detached Garage & Workshop Building, Covered Patio, Metal Roof, Copper Water Pipes
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End & Coffee Tables • 3 Piece Oak Bedset • 5 Piece Oak Bedroom
Suit Dresser, King Bed • Matching Sofa w/Incliners • Leather Chair
• Dinette w/4 Roller Chairs • 4 Piece Oak Bedroom Set • 3 Piece
Sofa & Chairs • Cedar Chest • Sofa End Table • File Cabinet • Singer
Sewing Machine • Sewing Table • Seamstress Table • Antique Oil
Pump
• Walnut Jewelry Box • Exercise Bike • Treadmill • Whirlpool
Washer & Dryer, Newer
• Whirlpool Upright Freezer, Like New
KITCHEN: Baking Dishes • Pots & Pans • Tupperware • Kitchen Aid
Mixer • Pyrex Bowls • China Glass • 9 Piece Red Iron Pyrex Set
For More Upcoming Auctions, Visit glenworth.com
June is dairy month, a time to honor this long-held tradition in MFA’s trade territory and recognize the contributions of our hardworking dairy farmers.
Dairy farmers, stop by your MFA Agri Services Center or local affiliate and ask about MFA feeds with Shield Technology. Shield uses unique ingredients to boost rumen function and animal health. The results will speak for themselves.
See what MFA Shield Technology can do for your herd. Contact your MFA Agri Services or affiliate location for more information, or call (573) 876-5244.
Whole farm perspective. Whole farm value.
Ash Grove - 417-751-2433
MFA Agri Services
Aurora - 417-678-3244
Coop Assn. #86
Bolivar - 417-326-5231
Farmers Exchange
Buffalo - 417-345-2121
Farmers Exchange
Cassville - 417-847-3115
MFA Agri Services
Fair Grove - 417-759-2525
Farmers Exchange
Golden City - 417-537-4711
MFA Agri Services
Lamar - 417-682-5300
MFA Agri Services
Lebanon - 417-532-3174
MFA Farmers Produce EX #139
Lowry City - 417-644-2218
Farmers Exchange
Marshfield - 417-468-2115
MFA Agri Services
Mt. Vernon - 417-466-3752
MFA Agri Services
Ozark - 417-581-3523
MFA Agri Services
Stockton - 417-276-5111
Farmers Exchange
Urbana - 417-993-4622
Farmers Exchange
Weaubleau - 417-428-3336
Farmers Exchange