Here are just some of the stories about the hard working Missourians who spend their lives growing the safe, nutritious food our families rely on.

“We’re doing everything that we possibly can to make sure that you’re getting a safe, wholesome product for your family because not only are you buying those products, I’m buying those too for my family.”

Shannon Squibb
Dairy Farmer

Name: Shannon Squibb
Location: Clever, Missouri
Years farming: Having grown up on a farm, I’ve been farming for as long as I can remember – about 37 years.
My family: My husband is Rick, and my sons are Ryan and Clayton.
How I came to be a farmer: I have had family that has farmed in the area for generations. I was raised on the farm where we now raise our family. I’ve always enjoyed being around cattle and met my husband while we were both showing cattle as kids.
The best thing about being a farmer: I love being able to raise my children on the same farm where I was raised. I get to be around animals every day and spend a lot of time outdoors. We get to be our own boss, even though that isn’t always a great thing.
My personal philosophy on farming: Do your best and protect the land for the generations to come. We are doing our part in providing a safe, wholesome food to help feed the world.

Dairy Production in Missouri and the U.S.

• More than 1,000 new dairy products are introduced every year.
• More than 10 pounds of milk go into one pound of cheese.
• One cow produces about 350,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.
• Super Bowl Sunday rates as the number 1 day for pizza consumption. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is second, using huge amounts of cheese.
• It takes 12 pounds of whole milk to make one gallon of ice cream.

“With technology and engineering, we have more capacity today to harvest a crop in a more timely fashion, and do it in a more efficient use per acre.”

Rob Korff
Corn Farmer

Name: Rob Korff
Location: Norborne, Missouri
Years farming: I’ve been farming now for more than 20 years
My family: My family is my wife Gay Lynn, our son Logan is eleven, and our daughter Jenna is seven.
How I came to be a farmer: My family farmed and it is all I ever wanted to do, and now I farm with my father today.
The best thing about being a farmer: There are many positive things about being a self-employed person like a farmer, but the best thing is doing something different each day. We get to be equipment operators, mechanics, welders, engineers, crop scouts, agronomists, marketers, accountants, conservationists, problem solvers, decision makers and use many other skill sets every day.
My personal philosophy on farming: Producing crops or livestock is very challenging and very rewarding at the same time. There are many factors that control your profitability and often times your ability to succeed is out of your control. Adverse weather, insects and diseases, government policies, global markets and demand for the product can all impact your bottom line in a negative manner. For the most part, we are self-employed, which means you have to be driven because where there is opportunity to be successful, there is also the opportunity to fail. You do all you can do, try to make the best decisions with what you know at that time, use the tools out there to minimize and limit your risks – and then pray that God will bless you and have it all work out.

• Missouri ranks 10th in the nation in the production of field corn, our nation’s top crop.
• In 2008, Missouri farmers harvested over 2.6 million acres of corn, producing 382 million bushels and contributing more than $1.5 billion to this state’s economy.
• Nationwide, farmers brought in the second largest crop in 2008 with 12.1 billion bushels.
• Corn is a component in thousands of products, and can be used to make livestock feed, food, clothing and blankets, carpets, plastics and pharmaceuticals.
• The United States is a major player in the world corn trade market, with approximately 20 percent of the corn crop exported to other countries.
• Corn is a component thousands of products, and can be used to make livestock feed, food, clothing and blankets, carpets, plastics and pharmaceuticals.
• A bushel of corn is about 56 pounds, and you can process that bushel into nearly three gallons of ethanol and 17 pounds of a high-protein livestock feed.