BOWLING GREEN, Mo. — For Brock and Michele Meyer, building a farm that can support another generation means making sure each part of the operation supports the others. Their Angus genetics must produce functional cattle. Their crops must supply feed. Their finished cattle must meet contract requirements on schedule.
The couple owns and operates Meyer Cattle, a registered Angus seedstock business near Bowling Green in Pike County. They also participate in a commercial cattle operation with Brock’s family. Together, those enterprises give the Meyers a way to evaluate breeding decisions from the cow herd through finishing while working toward their broader goal of preserving a family farming legacy.
In a profile published by Missouri Farmers Care, the Meyers described how cattle selection, retained ownership, crop production and their children’s experiences fit into that effort.
The registered herd’s breeding program starts with physical traits. The Meyers select cattle with the feet, bone structure and muscle needed to perform in a working herd. They also use expected progeny differences, or EPDs, to guide genetic improvement and measure the performance potential behind the cattle’s appearance.
Their goal is to combine the physical qualities they want with data that supports those selections. The commercial operation provides an opportunity to see how those decisions work beyond the registered herd.
The family retains ownership of all its commercial calves through its backgrounding and feedlot programs. Rather than selling those calves at an earlier stage, the Meyers market the finished cattle through contracts that take them directly to slaughter.
Brock handles development of those contracts. His planning accounts for cattle coming from both spring and fall calving seasons. He also uses EPD information to help determine when cattle should be ready for delivery and where the operation may qualify for premiums.
That approach ties breeding decisions to the timing and value of the finished cattle. It also requires the family to coordinate cattle availability, growth and feeding with its marketing commitments.
The Meyers use bulls from their sale program in the commercial cow herd before offering them to customers. Michele said that practice allows the family to evaluate the calves those bulls produce and follow the results through the finishing process.
It gives prospective buyers a look at the offspring of the genetics being offered. Michele also said using the bulls before the sale helps maintain the appearance the family wants when presenting them to customers.
The farm’s annual spring cattle sale is held on the first Friday in April. After the sale, the family turns its attention to planting corn and soybeans in its Pike County fields.
Corn grown on the farm goes into the family’s feedlot. That connection allows the Meyers to use their crop production within the cattle enterprise and capture additional value from the acres they farm.
It also makes the performance of one part of the business important to the next. A productive crop supplies feed. Cattle must use that feed efficiently to gain weight. Those gains must keep the animals on schedule for contracted delivery dates.
Managing those demands requires Brock and Michele to divide responsibilities while keeping their goals aligned.
Michele produces the cattle sale catalog. Brock concentrates on preparing the cattle. Both bring their own strengths to the operation, but Michele said a shared direction is essential when family members work together.
When the workload becomes stressful or circumstances change, the couple reminds each other that they are working toward the same goals. That understanding helps connect their individual responsibilities to the needs of the entire farm.
Their approach to raising their children follows a similar pattern.
Although showing cattle can help people become familiar with the Meyer name, Michele said business promotion is not the family’s primary reason for participating. The Meyers view livestock shows as a way to raise their children and give them experiences that extend beyond caring for and exhibiting an animal.
Junior breed association activities offer leadership development and competitions outside the show ring. Those opportunities can help young people prepare for future careers while developing skills they can use in other parts of their lives.
The Meyers said those competitions have contributed to the personal and professional development of their daughter, Lexi.
Their son, Jax, was described in the profile as a 7-year-old preparing to enter first grade and eager to begin showing cattle himself. His participation will bring another member of the family into the livestock activities that Brock and Michele consider part of their children’s upbringing.
For Michele, the connection between those experiences and the farm’s future is central to succession planning. Expanding the operation is about preparing something the next generation can carry forward.
That requires looking beyond the performance of a single animal, field or enterprise. The family needs enough crop production to feed its cattle, cattle that turn feed into weight efficiently and a production schedule that meets its contracts.
The Meyers see those responsibilities as connected pieces of a farm built around a family legacy. Their succession strategy depends on keeping the entire operation moving toward that goal.
The family belongs to the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, one of the organizations participating in Missouri Farmers Care.
Pike County also holds Missouri Farmers Care’s Agri-Ready County Designation. The voluntary program recognizes counties that commit to supporting agricultural stewardship, business growth and the economic interests of agriculture.
The designation gives participating counties a way to promote their support for farming and related businesses while encouraging agribusiness investment.
According to the 2021 Missouri Economic Contribution of Agriculture and Forestry Study, agriculture, food, feed and forestry contributed $131.8 million in value added to Pike County’s economy. Those sectors supported 2,400 jobs and contributed $149.5 million to household incomes.
Missouri Farmers Care is a coalition of more than 40 agricultural organizations. Its members coordinate communication, education and advocacy efforts intended to support Missouri agriculture and rural communities.