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A Foundation for Success By Laura L. Valenti
Mark Beem and his family work to follow in the footsteps of his parents Photo by Laura L. Valenti
While Mark Beem is beginning a new chapter in his life as the retired superintendent of Skyline School in rural Hickory County, Mo., he knows staying busy is not likely to be a problem. When not in the classroom or administrative offices for the last three decades, Mark has been on the farm. “I live in Hickory County, south of Preston,” he said. “My wife Staci and I live on 135 acres there. We also have a farm near Wheatland of 1,000 acres where we have 250 cow/calf pairs. My parents, who are both gone now, Garland and Arvilla Beem, also had a farm outside of Wheatland. Today, Staci and I and my sister, Pat O’Neal, are partners on that farm of 1,200 acres, raising another 240 cow/calf pairs. Her son, Mark Beem, center, has had a career in education and coaching, but Austin O’Neal, manages it for us and that he’s also always been a cattleman. Also pictured are Mark’s sons Dax and Lawson. is a great asset; having a family member, someone you can trust taking care of that.” Cattle are a commercial mix of Angus, Red Angus cross and Charolais. physical education and health teacher and on the farm. It’s pretty neat to listen to their “We use Charolais bulls on the Red Angus a coach of all sports,” he said. “In a small conversations as they discuss the kinds of crossbred cows or horned Hereford bulls on district, you coach all the sports, from sixth- work they might choose that will still allow the black cows,” Mark explained. Adding grade to varsity basketball. That was my fa- them to continue in agriculture.” that they retail about 25 heifers a year as re- vorite, basketball. Farming and education go together well placements. Even in retirement, Mark and Staci will in the Beem family. Calves are sold at weaning, weighing continue their family love affair with bas“My mom was a school teacher and my dad about 500 to 600 pounds. ketball as oldest son Dax, who graduated always gave her credit for providing a steady “We’ve used all kinds of marketing strat- from Skyline this spring, is attending Wil- income for the family, which he said allowed egies over the years, including selling at liam Woods College this fall. Dax is plan- him to go sit at sale barns and buy a little land the sale barns, videos, selling right out of ning to study pharmacology while attend- here or there, to build up the inheritance we the pasture, selling direct to the feed lots. ing school on a basketball scholarship. have today. I tell my boys all the time, Pat and It all depends on what is bringing the best Lawson is a junior at Skyline and is still I owe our parents – your grandparents – such price at the time,” Mark said. working on what he would like to do in a debt, in that they worked hard and left us Mark also puts up 3.500 round bales of the future. this, and one day, a part of it will be yours, too. hay each year. The boys also share in the farmwork, just I would not want to be starting from the very “We have 265 acres of prairie beginning today in agriculture, to be trying as Mark did when he was a teen. on our family farm,” he add“I went to work in the hayfields when to buy land or livestock. I tell the boys, never ed. “And we are pretty proud I was about 13,” Mark said. “Both of forget that your grandparents did this, starting of that prairie grass because it our boys help on the farm during from scratch and slowly built it all with a lot makes great hay.” hay season and throughout the of hard work and good financial management. Preston, Mo. Mark started his career in edyear, patching fence and check- That really is something special, something ucation more than 30 years ago, ing on cows. Like me, they are we really need to appreciate.” with the last 14 bring at Skyline. Mark knows, too that he is fortunate to have both thinking about a career “I started at Humansville as a in which they can also work sons who plan to continue in that tradition. SEPTEMBER 21, 2020
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