Greg and Margie Dodson of Pineville raise beef cattle on their 240-acre farm located off Elk Ridge Road.
They have between 60 and 80 cattle that are Angus, Angus-Limousin cross and Charolais. They have been farming for more than 30 years.
Margie said they added on to their farm over the years. They started with 10 acres, then added 13, then added 60. Then they added the Tyson hog farm.
"We were fortunate to have the gentleman who had giant hog houses, and we were able to purchase that as well. And we lease some land as well," Margie said. They do not run the hog houses.
Greg said his grandfather and uncle were farmers. They lived on Jesse James Road. When his grandfather retired, his uncle took over the farm.
"They told me all the good stuff. They didn't tell me the bad stuff," he said.
Margie said there were some farmers in her family, but they were more on the hobby side. She grew up in Shannon County in Eminence and lived on a farm where cattle were raised.
"I always found it rewarding, but I was young. I learned real quick there was more to it than going out and feeding them, from a kid's perspective," she said.
"One of our old-timer friends says, 'Farming ain't easy,'" Margie continued. "You've got to wake up all hours of the night."
When calves are born, they do not come at convenient times, Greg said.
"Mother nature usually takes care of all of it, but sometimes she needs a hand," Margie said.
Greg said one of the things he enjoys about farming is "Quality time. You can do some thinking. Kind of like sitting in a tree stand. You can do your best thinking in a tractor."
Margie agreed, "You can get in the cab of a tractor and the only thing you have to worry about is what's in front of you. You have your quiet time in the tractor."
Farming has its difficulties, such as "breaking ice in the winter, losing calves, having to get out in the morning when it's freezing cold or in the evening, building fences," Greg said.
"There's always work to be done. Something's always waiting," Margie added.
Both Greg and Margie also have other jobs. Greg runs a house painting business, and Margie is a business development analyst working with Walmart.
The couple has a number of friends that farm.
"You always have something to talk about," Margie said. "The good and the bad, our favorite colors and breeds, how many do you have, are you having problems with pinkeye, what the market's doing."
"A lot of our friends have started farming after watching us and started talking about what they were going to do after they retire. When you're young is a good time to invest in land and have it paid off when you retire," Greg said.
They said the market is tough right now. Filet mignon is $29.50 per pound at the store, but when they go to sell a cow, it will not bring a dollar per pound.
"Even a young cow is under $1.40, $1.20 a pound," Margie said.
"You've just got to enjoy the ups and downs -- that's the way it is," Greg said.
"You enjoy it because there is reward when there's a new calf, there is reward when it's peaceful ... you've just got to look for the rewards. They're there," Margie said.