Author Archives: Cheryl Kepes
Triple the Rewards
Brad Rader says multiple operations bring multiple benefits Brad Rader remembers vividly the day he became a farmer. “It all started with half a cow,” Brad recalled. He was 3…
Small Acreage, Big Rewards
Ven and Amanda Dhandapani draw on their diverse agriculture roots to start their own family farm When you are the daughter of a cowboy raised on the King Ranch, the…
From Corporate America to Farm Life
Skip Tinney finds a new passion for agriculture in his retirement For more than 30 years, Skip Tinney’s life evolved around his family and a demanding job with a major…
Taking a Natural Approach
Bill and Stacey Shields have found their calling at Sunny Spring Farms On a summer morning that feels fresh and bright after a night of much needed rain, Bill Shields…
Golden Grove Farm
Owners: Nelson and Kelley Nichols Location: Fair Grove, Mo. History: Nelson and Kelley Nichols developed their dream of an ornamental sunflower farm in the midst of a difficult time. Kelley’s…
Family Finds ‘Greener’ Pastures in the Ozarks
Pasture Nectar Farm supplies 95 families in the Ozarks with raw milk The milk parlor at Pasture Nectar Farm stays impeccably clean. As Eric Vimont and his son, Jake, milk…
Accepting the Challenge
Trainers from around the country flock to the Ozarks to see if they can tame a stubborn Missouri Mule Seven equine trainers from across the country traveled to Springfield, Mo.,…
Joe Keltner: A Lifetime in Agriculture
Suburban America has surrounded Joe Keltner’s family farm in southwest Missouri. “They built there and then they built back over here and then built on this side,” Joe Keltner said…
A Diamond in the Rough
Thanks to changes in operations, the future of the Santa Fe Ranch is secure When Florida jeweler and businessman, Mike Thibault, arrived at Santa Fe Ranch in Miller, Mo., he…
Sweet on Gypsy Vanner Horses
Carol and David Dunbar began their Chocolate Horse Farm with imported horses It was spring in the rolling countryside of Yeovil, England, when Carol and David Dunbar discovered their new…