Steele & King Farms, Butler
“We milk our show cows and show our milk cows.”
That’s the motto of Steele & King Farms, Inc., Butler, whose owners have been selected for a 1995 Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors Distinguished Dairy Cattle Breeder Award.
Steele & King Farms started as a partnership between brothers-in-law Ed Steele and Jerry King in 1957. Jerry’s son Rick King and is widely known by its S&K prefix at home, at sales, and in the show ring.
The Bates County dairy consists of a milking herd of 200 registered Holsteins, split into two groups, that has developed cow families and several excellent cows over the years. Replacement heifers are selected from the herd and bulls are often sold to other dairy producers throughout the Midwest.
A total mixed ration of com silage, whole cottonseed, soy hulls, and other feedstuffs is fed the S&K milking herd. Current rolling herd average is 18,738 pounds of milk annually.
In May the herd was moved into a new milk parlor and free-stall bam. The parlor is a 10-on-a side unit with new Universal equipment, and the bam is 90 by 140 feet with 120 stalls.
The herd is classified regularly and health checks and foot trimming is carried out on a regular basis. All artificial insemination is done by Jerry or Rick and the breeding decisions are made by Rick, the junior partner.
Besides cows, and farming nearly 1,000 acres, the partners keep busy with dairy-related activities. Jerry serves on the corporate board of Mid-America Dairymen, the MU Agricultural Alumni Board, and served two terms as a director of the National Holstein Association. And, he also represents Mid-America Dairymen on the World Dairy Expo board.
Ed and Jerry have both served as president of the Missouri Holstein Association and Rick has served as district president and is on several state committees. Ed has served as Bates County Fair president for a number of years and has been president of the Missouri DHIA and the Butler Chamber of Commerce. Rick is now serving as a director of the Select Sires board and is a past member of the Missouri DHIA board.
Jerry and Rick are both graduates of the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. Rick also holds a masters degree in dairy nutrition. All received the American Farmer degree during their FFA years.
Ed’s wife, Sue Ann Steele, is secretary of the Missouri Holstein Association while Jerry’s wife, Jeanette, is a former high school home economics teacher. She currently serves as a member of the Butler R-V School Board of Education. The wives also take care of the bookkeeping and calf registrations plus other jobs called for in the operation of the dairy.
S&K supports the Southern National Holstein Show and exhibits at the Missouri State Fair where the farm was honored in 1993 as the Outstanding Family of the Fair and the show was dedicated in honor of Steele & King Farms.
All take part in the activities of the First Christian Church in Butler.