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4th Tuesday of 3rd Tuesday of Each Each Month Month, 6:30 p.m. 6:00 p.m. Next Sale Dates Next Sale Dates July 21st, Aug. 18th July 28th, Aug. 25th Watch All Auctions Online at www.cattleusa.com
Call Lyle or Leon or one of our fieldmen to find out what we can do for you: Bobby Cole 573/ 674-3131 John Sanwald 417/718-3317 • Danny Cross 417/ 576-5461
Lyle Caselman, Owner/Mgr. 417-345-7876, mobile: 417-533-2944 Leon Caselman, Owner/Sheep Sale Mgr. 417-345-4514, mobile: 417-588-6185 Howard Miller, Owner - 417-818-3914
Buffalo Livestock Market
Barn 417-345-8122
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20
An Unlikely Career By Katrina Hines
Jennifer Lutes found her “home” in agriculture Jennifer Lutes never intended to have a career in home,” Jennifer said. “I had taken many classes at that point and agriculture but the Beaufort, S.C., native now says done well in them, I hadn’t felt a sense of belonging.” She dove into animal production classes and began working on she cannot see herself doing anything else. Living in rural McDonald County, Mo., with her husband Jo- the student farm, giving her a chance to develop skills in all aspects seph, a family nurse practitioner in Newton County, and their two of farm operations. She completed both an associate’s of science in general agriculyoungest children, Autumn and Nathan, she loves the sense of community and the fact there are four seasons here, instead of the ture and an associate’s of arts in agricultural business. “The ag classes, teachers and students finally felt right,” Jennifer said. two in the deep south. Jennifer was raised in a military family. Her father was a Marine, her “I have always loved every type of animal but when I began working mother was Navy and Photo by Katrina Hine with different types of animals, the pieces finalher husband also was ly began to fit together.” a Marine. Their oldest At home, they began son Kyle now serves in raising horses, predomithe Marines. nantly Belgians and PerAlthough, she never cherons, with as many thought about farming as 16 at the zenith of or livestock growing their production until up, her mother remindthe market declined. ed her as a child she Always a horse lover, always wanted to buy Jennifer still has three a farm and raise horses. “pasture ornaments” Her unintentional whom she dotes on. journey into agriculHer studious passion ture began soon after to make connections they arrived in Missoubetween ideas and topri in 2004. ics, gaining knowledge Even though early jobs in what was once an were in the restaurant unfamiliar field of study field, working up from became something she food prep to manager, could immerse herself. she wanted a change After Crowder, she and began computer scilearned about the Unience classes at Missouri versity of Arkansas’ Southern State Univerpoultry science program sity. They had moved while on a field trip. She to a 38-acre spot with Jennifer Lutes is from a military family, but as a child she wanted a met with a recruiter and shade trees and sloping farm and horses. Today Jennifer has that farm, the horses, as well as found she qualified for meadows that flattened Katahdin sheep. Jennifer also has advanced degrees in agriculture enough scholarships to out into a pasture and and works for the University of Missouri Extension. cover the two years she coupled with a pond, it would need to complete was a perfect place to her bachelor’s. raise livestock. Their Although, it would mean that she would have to re-home first attempt began with a herd of small goats. Howevthe menagerie of fowl residing on their hobby farm. er, they soon noticed the animals were getting sick and Her journey into agricultural studies earned her a bachewithin a matter of hours they started to die. lor’s in Food and Life Science, majoring in poultry with a Unsure of the cause, they sold the few remaining goats. minor in agribusiness. But she did not stop there. Jennifer, not one to be bested by a challenge, decided “I believe that you should take opportunities when to check into classes that might educate her on caring for Exeter, Mo. they present themselves,” Jennifer said. small ruminants at Crowder College in Neosho. Again, her college performance and eagerness to “When I took my first ag class, I finally felt a sense of Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
JULY 20, 2020
