Author Archives: Laura L. Valenti
Kelsi Kinney
Age: 18 Hometown: Macks Creek, Mo. Parents: Chris and Stacey Kinney Siblings: Older brother Brodi FFA Chapter: Macks Creek FFA Advisor: Debbie Wommack What’s your involvement in agriculture? “I’ve grown…
Lance Vestal
Hometown: Conway, Mo. Family: Wife Stacie, and daughters, Cassie (17) and Gracie (14) In Town: Lance Vestal, a 1993 Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State) animal science graduate, has been…
Darrel McCann
Hometown: Stoutland, Mo. Family: Wife, Kelly, and two grown sons In Town: For 34 years, Darrel McCann has been the county executive director of the USDA’s Farm Service Agency for…
150 Years of History in One Place
The Stagecoach Museum has served as a field hospital during the Civil War and a hotel/restaurant More than 150 years ago, William Walton McDonald built two 16-foot by 16-foot log…
Angelica Kostik
Age: 17 Parents: Mother, Kristin Kostik, and father, the late Dennis Kostik Siblings: Brad and Sterling Hometown: Greenfield, Mo. 4-H Club: Busy Bee 4-H Leader: Michelle Kleeman What is your…
A Czar of Missouri History
Ozarks native shares a unique look at Missouri through lectures and writings With 19 books to his credit, Ross Malone is one of Missouri’s finest historians. Not just a writer,…
Going to Gelbvieh
Cable Ridge Farms is making the transition to registered cattle Nestled in the rolling hills of western Camden County, between Edwards and Climax Springs, Mo., Ken and Sheila Hicks are…
A Happy Menagerie
The Tilden family continues to grow their Wright County, Mo., farming operation When Isaac and Aundria Tilden and family outgrew their 10-acre hobby farm a few years ago, they were…
Castlewood Studios
Owners: David and Teresa Towe Location: Lebanon, Mo. History: While David and Teresa Towe were both working full-time jobs, they began a small business in video production, creating marketing videos for other…
Kristin Penn
Age: 15 Parents: Rick and Lindsey Penn Siblings: Derrick, Kylon, Grant and Adrian Hometown: Southwest City, Mo. FFA Chapter: McDonald County FFA FFA Advisors: Rob Hall, Emily Hutton and Shawn McAllister…