just a
thought
What’s On Your Mind, Ozarks?
Life Is Simple By Jerry Crownover
J
Cattle Sale Every Saturday! 12 Noon, Selling All Classes of Cattle
Special Stock Cow and Bull Sale
3rd Tuesday of Each Month, 6:30 p.m. Next Sale Dates August 18th
e f i L elpmiS si
udy knew she wasn’t my first love when she married me, but somehow she has tolerated my other proclivity for going on 38 years now. On a recent, quiet Sundayreafternoon, vonworC yI rrwas eJ yB a bit surprised when, out of the clear blue, she asked, “What was her name, again?” Dumbfounded, I asked, “Whose name?” Jerry Crownover farms “Your first love?” in Lawrence County. He “Oh,” I responded, thoughtfully. “It was Annabelle.” is a former professor of Agriculture Education at “Was she pretty?” Missouri State University, “Beautiful.” and is an author and “What color were her eyes?” professional speaker. Truthfully, I answered, “She had the biggest brown eyes To contact Jerry, go to you’ve ever looked into.” ozarksfn.com and click “And her hair?” on ‘Contact Us.’ Choosing my words carefully, at this point, I stated, “It was mainly red, but it had occasional streaks of black, so I guess you’d call her brindle-colored.” Since I had started my description, I figured I had just as well continue with the details. “She had two stub horns that she kept shiny to the point that they gleamed in the sunlight, a pearly white face and, in an oddity of nature, six teats that all produced milk the first time she calved.” I went on to explain that my dad had given me a bred gilt when I turned 7, but when she farrowed a couple of months later, I was devastated. As I did chores the next morning I discovered she had eaten all of her babies. Deciding that the swine business was not for me, I asked my father if I could trade the gilt for a good heifer. He agreed, Annabelle became mine, and so began my lifelong love of anything to do with cows and the cattle business. Annabelle was most likely a Hereford-Jersey cross, that had obviously been raised on a bottle before Dad purchased her with a group of calves. She was so gentle both my parents considered her a nuisance, always wanting to be petted and forever in the way when we needed to be
Sheep & Goat Sale
4th Tuesday of Each Month 6:00 p.m. Next Sale Dates August 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
PO Box 1319, Lebanon, MO 65536
Toll Free: 1-866-532-1960 417-532-1960 • Fax: 417-532-4721 E-mail: editor@ozarksfn.com
Eric Tietze
President/Publisher
Pete Boaz
Vice President
Administrative Amanda Newell, Marketing Manager Eric Tietze, Accounting Advertising Amanda Newell, Display & Production Sales Amanda Newell, Classified Sales Circulation Eric Tietze, Circulation Editorial Julie Turner-Crawford, Managing Editor Jerry Crownover, Columnist Frank Farmer, Editorial Page Editor Emeritus Production Amanda Newell, Production
Contributors Lane Albin, Jessica Allan, Brenda Brinkley, Brett Bryant, Jim Caniglia, Kathy Daily, Katrina Hine, Klaire Howerton, Ken Knies, Andrea McKinney, Megan Richner, Macie Thronhill and Laura L. Valenti
About the Cover
Jim Hertzog has been at the helm of Mo-Kan Livestock since the beginning. See more on page 7. Photo by Megan Richner Ozarks Farm & Neighbor accepts story suggestions from readers. Story information appears as gathered from interviewees. Ozarks Farm & Neighbor assumes no responsibility for the credibility of statements made by interviewees. © Copyright Ozarks Farm & Neighbor, Inc., 2020. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.
GATES, PANELS, & WORKING SYSTEMS IN STOCK
— Continued on Page 5
G OOSENECK TRAILERS L T •F •D T IVESTOCK RAILERS
LATBEDS
UMP RAILERS
FRYE FARMS • SENECA, MO • 417-438-0146 AUGUST 10, 2020
Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
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