Meeting Customer Demand

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Each farm or ranch has its own specific charm, but Sawoaks outside of Tahlequah, Okla., is like a manicured park with rolling hills, heavy metal fences and dotted with clumps of beautiful red oak trees. The difference is these hills are home to 152 registered Angus with 40 bulls being sold per year. Al Williams started in the late ‘80s with 110 acres that has gradually grown to 575 acres with a beautiful home sitting on the crest of a hill and overlooking picturesque land. The ranch didn’t look like this in the beginning, however. The land had been full of rock, brush, dead trees and other debris, and Al began clearing by using a brush hog. Patience and persistence have paid off in a big way.

A Balancing Act

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Wayne and Annie Anstine of Mulberry, Ark., have spent their lives trying to find a balance between their economic needs and farming. In 1981, the couple purchased an unused army barracks from Fort Chaffee for $800 but paid $1,200 to have the building moved to their new 160 acres in Mulberry. The home has undergone numerous additions growing into a beautiful, rustic style home and the homestead for two children and eight grandchildren.

Genetics for the Future

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At the ripe old age of 9, Scott Bass already had the heart of a cattleman. He mowed yards and earned enough money to buy his first two calves from his grandpa for $100 each. Scott said, “The best thing you can do is teach a kid the value of a dollar.”

Show-Winning Combination

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For most people the annual Route 66 Days in Strafford, Mo., conjures thoughts of antique cars and fried food. But for 17-year-old Shelby Burns, the festival reminds her of the genesis of her cattle business. Shelby remembers laying eyes on a Dexter calf named Danny Boy at the festival. “I just fell head over heels for him,” said Shelby. There was no turning back. Shelby, then 12-years-old, convinced her mother to buy a Dexter heifer named Rosie. Thus, Wild Rose Ranch in Strafford, Mo., bloomed.

Trusted Tractors

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After 27 years, Sharps Antique Tractor Works, Inc., has built an honest and dependable business manufacturing and selling thousands of John Deere 2-Cylinder parts.

The DNA of Good Hay

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Roots run deep at Styles Ranch in Coal Hill, Ark. Jamey Styles’ father was an Ag teacher at Hartman and Coal Hill, who had started out teaching Vocational Agriculture to the newly-returned veterans of World War II in the late 1940s. He was an innovative farmer and owned both the first automated square baler and the first round baler in the county. The family raised cattle, horses and hay in the fertile river bottoms of Johnson County.

90 Years and We Still Got Milk

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For 82-year-old Harley Swan, Jr. (2nd generation), herding and milking the Holstein and Brown Swiss cows on the Swan Brothers Dairy Farm in Claremore, Okla., is not just a job. It is his benefaction towards the 90-year legacy left by his dad Harley Swan, Sr. Twice a week and during vacations, Harley Jr., herded the cattle to the milking station for its daily 300 gallon production of wholesome goodness, Grade A raw milk.

The Building of Beefmaster

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In 2006 James and Elaine Couch sold their home and bought 211 acres in Colcord, Okla. The couple’s goal was to raise free-range cows, chickens and hogs as well as the meat goat herd they brought with them, with the intent of making naturally raised food affordable for everybody. They currently have a commercial cattle herd of 28 momma cows, 20 yearlings and 20 calves and are steadily improving the quality of the herd with Beefmaster genetics.

Not Conventional Anymore

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Jerry and Barb White of Purdy, Mo., have converged the conventional with the uncommon, in both breed and technology. Though a full-time insurance business owner, Jerry has always taken time to maintain a herd of commercial Angus cattle. Three years ago, Jerry became intrigued with a little known breed, Wagyu, and decided to try something new.

Mixing Markets Wisely

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Nestled in the Southwestern corner of Texas County lives a family of more than one generation that is much like all the rest of us in some aspects, but is also different in some very important ways. Bob and Sherry Reed and their daughters along with Bob’s father, Lyle Reed, all work together with many other people to make a living from the land.

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