In #Agri-Ready Designated Dent County near Salem, Jarrod Simpson is responsible for 700 beef cows and their calves all day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. Being a beef producer is all he can remember ever wanting to do. Jarrod is #POWERING Beef as a steward of his land and an advocate for his industry.

Jarrod is the third generation of his family to produce beef in Dent County. His goal is to pass his commercial angus operation on to his children. Jarrod’s cows calve in the fall and he weans the calves in June. He pre-conditions his calves for 45 days to ensure they are best prepared for success when they are sold to backgrounders, who will graze the calves until they are ready to enter the feedlot.

“I found out in my first two years of farming that it was more of a challenge than I expected, and I had a lot of room to learn and grow. My dad has been my mentor my entire life. I’m grateful that he let me try out a lot of things that he would not have done,” Jarrod said.

Stewarding his Land

When Jarrod took over the operation, he made several land stewardship changes across the farm. He has utilized USDA NRCS programs to install miles of water lines and add fencing to create multiple rotational grazing paddocks in his pastures. He moves his cattle from paddock to paddock depending on the season, terrain, and forage available in each paddock. Jarrod’s land management strategy is designed to protect the needs and productive ability of his Dent County acres. This management helps his operation to be more sustainable as it faces challenges.

Jarrod encounters hurdles common to many beef producers across Missouri. While he would like to sustainably utilize more acres with his cattle, land availability, hills, and hollers in Dent County must be considered. While Jarrod is hopeful about potential good prices for his calves this year, he is mindful that his input costs have already risen faster than beef prices. Jarrod has chosen to utilize Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) policies this year to give some security to the price he will be receiving for his calves.

Advocating for his Industry

Jarrod has learned about different management strategies while meeting with other producers during his time on the Missouri Beef Industry Council. An industry colleague encouraged Jarrod to advocate for the beef industry as an elected member of the Missouri Beef Industry Council. For seven years, he has enjoyed traveling around the state representing the industry he loves. “Hearing the different ways people approach the challenges of the beef industry helps me on my farm,” Jarrod said.

“Jarrod has been a strong voice on our board representing cattle producers. He is dedicated to raising a beef product that is high quality, safe, and sustainable while looking for new ways to share these practices with our consumers. We are proud to have him on our team,” said Sydney Thummel, Executive Director of the Missouri Beef Industry Council.

The Next Generation

Jarrod and his wife, Krystal, are raising the next generation of Dent County beef producers: Chase (12), Trey (10), Rhett (7), and Hadlynn (5). As members of the Missouri Farm Bureau, the Simpsons have served on the State Young Farmer and Ranchers Committee. Jarrod is active in the Dent-Phelps Cattlemen’s group which is an affiliate of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association.

The Missouri Beef Industry Council, Missouri Farm Bureau, and Missouri Cattlemen’s Association are partners of Missouri Farmers Care.