Huyards Named 2024 Farm Family

Thane and Ashley Huyard of Timbo operate a farm encompassing hundreds of acres and hold down jobs outside of the farm along with a home-based business, all while doting on two young children. They are this year’s Stone County Farm Family of the Year.

Over the past eight years that make up their joint farming history, they have grown from their initial 40 acres to an operation covering 540 acres where they produce cattle and hay.

They started in 2016 with 40 acres of rented pasture and six bred heifers that were gifted to them as a wedding present. They still rent 40, but have since purchased acreage on the west end of Happy Hollow Road, and on Branscum Loop. The Happy Hollow Road farm had been dormant and was grown up, so the Huyards have completed a lot of clean-up and restoration work involving seeding, spraying and fertilizing. They improved the forage quality and extended the grazing season on 100 acres by “notilling” varieties of rye grasses. They added some cross fencing, and upgraded ponds with culvert crossings for easier vehicle access.

They plan to expand the crossfencing and further build their rotational grazing practice. They currently have five sections, but will eventually have smaller areas to increase efficiency in use of pasture. They have tested soil across the farm and have plans in place that focus on soil health and quality.

They plan to develop a natural spring to supply fresh water to cattle, and they want to build a hay barn, equipment shed and new corrals.

The Diamond H runs about 100 head of commercial cattle and 20 head of registered stock. The Huyards wean and background commercial calves for 120 days on average before marketing them in Joplin, Mo. They retain replacement heifers and breed them to Angus bulls in order to market them as “heavy breds” at 2 years old. Registered bulls are grown to 18 months and sold off the farm.

“Our herd genetics are extremely important to us and will continue to be a major focus moving forward,” they wrote in the Farm Family Report Book. “We put a strong focus on shrinking our calving interval to make our spring and fall calf crops as uniform, and therefore as marketable, as possible.”

There are 120 acres of hay fields between the two farms and they produce about 900 round bales.

The Huyards both come from farming backgrounds, and their parents are involved in the Diamond H operation, whether it’s helping care for 2-year-old Avril and 8-month old Sage, harvesting hay or working cattle.

“It’s a village effort,” Ashley said.

Her parents, Kin and Lilly Roberts, live nearby. Thane’s parents, Keith and Vicki Huyard, have moved from Mountain View to the farm and plan to build a home there.

See the full story in a special section published July 3.