Age: 60-plus
Location: Seymour, Missouri
History of your farm, in a nutshell: My husband and I have been grass farmers for decades, grazing cattle (dairy and beef), sheep, goats, hogs, poultry, horses and even some emu. We started using management-intensive grazing practices on our irrigated pastureland while living in Colorado.
In 1993, we moved our grazing operation to northern Missouri, raising sheep, goats and custom grazing beef cattle. It was there that we also started a grass-based, seasonal cow dairy.
We became charter members of the Green Hills Farm Project grazing group, which was a wonderful opportunity to interact with and learn from fellow graziers.
It was through that group that we learned about and became members of the Missouri Forage and Grassland Council. With our farm not far from the Forage Systems Research Center in Linneus, Missouri, we were also fortunate to be able to participate in the grazing schools and other events they put on.
We now have grass farms in south-central Missouri, where we mainly graze cow/calf, hair sheep, and large black hogs. Our livestock operation led us into the fencing business, first with Green Hills Grazing Systems and then PowerFlex Fence.
“If I wasn’t a forage grower, I would be …” it’s hard for me to imagine doing anything else.
How long have you been a member of MFGC? I have been a member of the Missouri Forage and Grasslands Council since 1994 and became a council member this year.
Why did you join? It is an organization devoted to serving and educating people within our agricultural industry. I believe strongly that support and education is a key to success.
A little known fact about MFGC is … the combined knowledge and personal experience within the membership is remarkable.
My favorite representative or employee of MFGC is ... I find Joetta Roberts to be a real treasure when it comes to service and commitment.
What MFGC does best is … promote and educate.
I feel valued as a member when … I’m contributing what I consider to be a worthwhile idea or service.
An influential or interesting person I’ve met through MFGC is … there is no way to single out one person. It would be hard for me to think of one who isn’t influential or interesting in some way. … Fred Martz has certainly impacted our industry during his many years of service.
The forage industry’s greatest opportunity is … improving land, animal health and profitability by producing livestock using grazing management practices.
I hope my farming legacy is … my husband and I have never been afraid to try new ideas, and we are happy to share our experiences, whether it’s success or failure.
My advice to all forage growers is … everything is not always going to work for everybody. Try to be open-minded and flexible. FG
