Wright County, MO

Yep, and they are very nice to work with. We used to buy all our feed from them before we moved. Now its too far to go to get feed twice a month. The only thing I don't like of theirs is their alfalfa pellets. My goats refuse to eat them.

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Emily Dixon
Ozark Jewels
Nubians & Lamanchas
www.ozarkjewels.net

"Remember, no man is a failure, who has friends" -Clarence

I know the area, I went to UW-River Falls for a few years. We've been making calls down to the MO area and it's very obvious that we are from the north. People always comment on the way we talk. I'm glad to hear people on the whole are accepting of Northerners. With the way I talk there is no hideing it. From all of the transplants that I have talked to I haven't come accross a single one that has regreted the move. I guess that says alot.

Heather

In Wright county people seem to be getting around $2,000 per acre for the nice, larger property with good grass and water. It is hard to say on the smaller, because most of those have homes, and it depends on the quality of the house. I see some houses on 10 ac or less near Mtn. Grove selling under 100k. They usually need work, but are in nice enough shape to live in. Small acreage can be hard to find. The least expensive area in Wright Co. will be Hartville.

As far as hog markets go, the Kelly's also run a livestock market. We don't currently sell hogs, but we have been getting quite a few calls from people looking for a market, however, I don't know of one close. The goat market is growing here though. I wouldn't think you would have too much trouble selling a few hogs privately here.

If you can give me a better idea on exactly what type of property you are looking for (size, percent open, has a home?, active or nonactive dairy?)and a more specific location, I can give you some prices. The ag market is still strong here, we have not had the bubble other parts of the country had. However, the prices have been rising.

Kim

Luckysranch - At this time we are exploring what options are out there for areas that may be suitable for a commercial grazing dairy farm. The area there looks interesting, but we are open to different options. Will send an e-mail with the parameters. Let us know if you receive it. Thanks.

Is the ground too rocky to dig a hole and plant a 6 or 8 inch diameter wood post for corner or gate posts?
Do they have good Farm Supply Store(Like FleetFarm)?
On Average, how many times a year do you have to plow snow?
Are there weekly or monthly dairy cattle sales in the area?
Do livestock truckers have on-farm pickup service, or does everyone haul them to town in there own trucks?
In the unfortunate event that a cow dies, are there mink farms or rendering plants that will come to farm and pick up a dead animal..If so how much do they charge?
Does the electric service go out when storms or heavy winds roll thru? Is it a must to have your own electric generator if you are milking cows by machine?

TIA

prices in the area have skyrocketed compared to several years ago...lots of dairies, a nice hatchery in lebanon.

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We dig holes for corner posts with shovel, pick, spud bar and post-hole-digger. It isn't fun in some places, others its not bad at all.

There are several good farm supply stores, MFA being the biggest one probably. Hirsch's in West Plains is a good one too.

Plow snow?? Whats that?? We are lucky to get more than a few inches and it rarely stays longer than a day or so. The biggest snow I can remember since we moved here in 2000 was the day we got 16" and it did stay for a week. That was very unusual. The children get really excited if we get enough snow that they can sled!

There are weekly cattle sales in Mountain Grove. Dairy sales on Wednesday. I think there are weekly sales at most salebarns.

There are a few guys in the area you can hire to haul your cows....most people haul them themselves.

I'm not sure about the dead cow buyers.....I know there was such a service in Indiana, but thankful to say we have not had to find out since moving.

Our electric goes out rarely, but it does happen. With the prospect of handmilking 60+ cows looming before them if the electric did go out....I would vote for having a generator!! That said, I milked for several long-time dairymen in the area on a regular basis who did not have a generator and I never did have to milk by hand!!

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Emily Dixon
Ozark Jewels
Nubians & Lamanchas
www.ozarkjewels.net

"Remember, no man is a failure, who has friends" -Clarence

Heather, I highly recommend mid-state Illinois. Wonderful farmland; and that is a good thing because if grass based livestock doesn't work out, you have land that grows something aside from rocks.

A Plan B if you will

Land is very reasonably priced; and the yeilds are comperable to what we get out of an acre up here.

The Mississippi corridor is still a major trade-route; trucking and rail makes just about every market easy access.

As far as communities; locating yourselves near one of the many college towns will ensure good grade/high schools, (I don't remember if you have children) and will also ensure decent healthcare and other services.

We have family farms near Galesburg, Illinois. Primo farmland sells for between 2-3,000 per acre. I would be happy to show you around if you find the area interesting!

Good luck, wherever you decide to go!

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My best,

Melissa

I presently live in Central Illinois in Champaign. I also own 12 acres in Southern Missouri.Illinois Land is wonderful of course for all sorts of crops and gardening is a dream but it would be a shame to use it for cattle in my opinion. You can buy it for 2-3K/acre if your lucky but you will need to buy a really big piece of ground to get that price.

But the real issue may be that Heather and her family are trying to escape the harsh winters of Wisconsin and though central Illinois is maybe a bit warmer and less snowy than Wisconsin, it is certainly no tropical paradise. Granted Missouri gets cold and wet and gloomy in winter but rarely does it snow enough to require a snow shovel or even boots. We get the occasional ice storm and 3 christmas back it snowed on christmas eve day to beat the band and the snow lasted for a week but that is very very rare. I can only remember one other winter where we had snow worth mentioning and nothing to compare with central illinois or wisconsin. Summers are about the same in both places, but Missouri wins hands down when it comes to an early early spring and late falls are spectacular. I came to Illinois from New England 36 years ago and I still find the flat flat featureless prairie a bit disconcerting.
Missouri is more like New England, hilly and rolling and plenty of trees to rest the eye. All depends on what you are looking for in a homestead, but as soon as I retire in 1.5 years, Im moving to the Missouri place. I can always visit Illinois when I get the hankering for flat ground and deep snow.

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FolioMark

Mus uni non fidit antro. ~ A mouse does not rely on just one hole.----Plautus

Thanks for all the responses! There are advantages to living in Northern WI, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to make a good living as a family sized dairy farm. A large part of that is due to high winter operating and feed costs.
The region just below the snowbelt offers more grazing days per year, less energy costs from snowplowing and heating water, tractors, houses, etc. WI , MN, and IL all have hard winters, and many dairy farms have gone total confinement dairying to remain viable.

Another question - How about meat locker/butcher shops? Do they just cut&wrap or do they accept a hog or steer on the hoof and do it all? Are there good ones that deal with families on 1 or two animals?

I noticed Emily mentioned she milks for commercial dairy farms occasionally.
Is this common? If so, what is the going rate paid for relief milkers?

Also, what do Y'all do for FUN (family ) down there?

There's a really nice meat processor right in Norwood (I can't believe I forgot the name of it!) that takes stock on the hoof. We've had everything from cattle to lamb to pigs done there. Oh... it's Forest, that's the name, but possibly not how it's spelled .

We preferred Douglas (Booger) county to Wright county, but our farm that we sold 2 years ago laid partially in each county, equal distances to Hartville, Mtn Grove or Ava.

Ava has a superb bulk food/natural store, and no one has mentioned Heath and Son for feed, we bought all our feed from them.

It's a wonderful area for hiking, wandering the back roads, trail rides, creek floats, fishing, etc.

Land prices are really starting to jump these last couple of years. I think if you go a bit further north to Texas county, it's still cheaper than Wright county.

CJ
Have you "Tinkled" today?

Yes, there is a very nice meat locker in Norwood, Forrests. They take beef on the hoof but they also have a guy who comes out to the farm, kills your beef/buffalo/goat/sheep/hog, skins, guts, halves and takes it in this way. You can specify that you want all the bones for dogs and you can pick them up when you pick up the meat. We prefer this as we get *everything* for the dogs, and the steer doesn't stress *at all* before he dies. One minute he is happily standing in the pasture, the next he is dead. And the guy *never* has to use more than one shot. There are other meat lockers around, we just always use Forrests.

Relief milking for dairies is very common in this area for dairies that can afford it. I have milked for probably ten in this area over the past 4 years and that doesn't include my neighbors who sold out this year(they are in their upper 70's). Pay differs depending on who your milking for. Most places milking took around three hours(sometimes a little under), and pay was $20 a milking. I usually milked 3-4 milkings a week and then if the boss was out of town every milking and all the feeding till he got back. Feeding calves, hay, dry cows, steers, was extra on payday. The largest dairy I worked at took 4 hours to milk and paid $6.50 an hour. They were very nice about bonuses. Some dairymen were a bit stingy, but not most. My last boss was my vets husband and he was very nice to work for, easy to please and generous with the checkbook when the work warrented it. I mean to say, he didn't pay grudgingly. I gave up my relief milking jobs when we started milking goats full-time at home. Though goats are much easier and less messy, I miss the cow dairies sometimes.
FUN?? Whats that?? Naw, just kiddin. We have some nice theatres not too far away, some good resturaunts, skating rink, bowling alley(never been there), all local. Further away you have bigger attractions in Branson and Springfield. Silver Dollar City is always a winner *if* you can afford it.

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Emily Dixon
Ozark Jewels
Nubians & Lamanchas
www.ozarkjewels.net

"Remember, no man is a failure, who has friends" -Clarence

The ONLY thing I'd be careful of in moving to the Wright County/ Texas County area of Missouri is being careful of who would provide electricity to your homestead. I have some dear friends who live in Texas County but right smack on the Wright County line..their electricity is provided by some local co-op, and I've NEVER seen such high rates for electricity in my entire life.

I live in NE Central Missouri right now, but plan on buying a small place as close to Mountain Grove as I can get sometime in the next year..hoping that land prices don't go sky high before I can get there. From everything that I've seen of that area, the positives FAR outweigh any negatives which exist...the only huge one being that local electric co-op out of Mountain Grove.

Ooooo, can't wait to meet ya!!

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Emily Dixon
Ozark Jewels
Nubians & Lamanchas
www.ozarkjewels.net

"Remember, no man is a failure, who has friends" -Clarence

LoL, Rea, not sure what you meant about white mans country down around here. reason i think its funny is because you could have left out "white" and been so correct! This is "good ole boys country" here in the ozarks--men dont care much for a assertive woman! as my friends husband said when she found out he'd eaten the entire treat she'd bought "I'M THE MAN!!

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We Weep at the though of Life.