meet your neighbors
Emphasizing Sustainability By Laura L. Valenti
Three generations work together to raise their herd in a sustainable, healthy manner
As the third generation in what looks to become a fourth-generation “That first year was hard, changing our practices,” Garrett admitted. “Now it is farming family in Camden County, Mo., Garrett Dyer is a busy man. working well. We use intensive grazing, moving cows every five to seven days, with Currently farming in cooperation with his parents, Michael and Renee Dyer, and two days on hay pastures.” his grandparents, Jim and Sherry Meissert, Garrett and his wife,Alyssa are also These practices also cut down on a number of troublesome weeds and other unworking on the next generation at Spencer Creek Farms, with daughters, Ava, age 4, wanted species they have to deal with like locusts and persimmon sprouts. and Sutton, age 1. In addition to their grazing practices, Garrett has found a charcoal-based supple“Sutton is already really into this and would much rather be outside with her dad ment that passes through the cow’s digestive system, absorbing excess nutrients while and the cows, than inside with me and Ava,” Sherry said with a laugh. doing so, which are then deposited on the soil where they do a slow release. Together, Garrett, his father and grandfather farm 200 acres that they own and “We are doing a test this year with two different groups of our cattle,” Garrett exrent another 140 on which they run a cow/calf operation of Angus-cross cattle. The plained. “We’ll be getting our soil tested later this year and see how it all works out. partnership started in 1989. We have tried different things over the years to see what works and what doesn’t. Since 2016, Garrett has also I got an old concrete mixer worked for ITW EAE, a capwhich we use to mix the charital equipment company that coal, a garlic salt and minerals Garrett Dryer works with his parsupplies machines for printin with the feed. We’ve found ents and grandparents to produce ing circuit boards for the comthe mineral supplement is as cattle in a healthy, sustainable puter industry. important as vaccinations in manner. In 2015, the family beganterms of the overall health of making significant changes to our cows. I’ve also been gettheir farming practices, lookting a brewers grain from one ing to emphasize re-generaof the local breweries a coutional, sustainable farming. ple of times a week and that “The idea is to find ways helps, too. to cut down on the input to “We use a 16 percent heavy make the operation less labor corn ration but this is not a intensive and more profitfeed lot environment. People able,” Garrett explained. “For want to know where their instance, we haven’t used food comes from these days fertilizer and haven’t brushand that’s important. We hogged in two years now. raise quality beef locally. Our “We’ve been doing mob motto is ‘Local Beef Raised grazing, which is when you Right.’” put 30 cows on a 2- to 3-acre Like so many others raising paddock for two days. It forcbeef in the Ozarks, Garrett es the cattle to be less selective recognizes the importance of in what they eat and mows the grass that he raises. Photo by Laura L. Valenti the field right down. We just “We have a lot of orchard got water installed in more of our paddocks and that really helps.” grass, Timothy, blue stem and Indian grass. The future plan is get more warm-seaBefore waterers were installed in all of the paddocks, they would haul water in to son grasses in here,” he said. “It takes different kinds of management practice to their cattle using a jon boat. get these grasses in there but it’s important. We only feed hay one to two months of “That is pretty labor intensive so when we got the waterers installed, the year, which we now buy. We do 1,000 bales in cooperation with our neighbors, that was a lot better,” Garrett explained. “Still, it is easier to haul water helping with the cutting and baling of that and that’s easier for all of us.” than to get shade to these cows. Getting enough shade in for your black Spencer Creek Farms offers customers farm-raised, grass-fed beef raised under cows is a real challenge.” their careful eye. Customers can choose from individual cuts, bundles or Garrett is glad to have his paddocks and patterns with cross-fencing larger quantities of drug- and hormone-free beef. The family also strives well-established at this point. to raise their cattle in the most humane and stress-free environment as “The cows are so used to it now,” Jim added. “You don’t even have to Camdenton, Mo. possible. worry about that back hot fence. The cows are only interested in going “It’s just lots of TLC; tender, loving care,” Garrett said with a smile. forward, not back.”
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Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
AUGUST 23, 2021
