Artist Lee Copen takes her studio outdoors STORY AND PHOTOS by Jim McCarty On a beautiful summer day, Lee Copen sets up her easel and watercolor paints next to the iconic Alley Spring Mill. She ignores the obvious red mill — one of the most photographed and painted...
Author John Stanard shares childhood memories of his youth at Wappapello Lake STORY AND PHOTOS by Jim McCarty If you are a child today, chances are you were robbed of an outdoors education. The culprit is the TV set and any kind of device with a screen designed to...
B4 Outdoors uses hunting, fishing and fellowship to give back to those who serve others Story and Photos by Sara Schafer The sun pierces the rolling timber of northeast Missouri, as Matthew Burke and Kevin Rhodes sit shoulder to shoulder inside a turkey blind. The...
A cliffside climbing course in Missouri state parks STORY AND PHOTOS by Ricki Spargo Tucked deep in the St. Francois Mountains, Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park is best known for its rushing water and smooth pink rhyolite. On hot summer days, it’s packed with Missourians...
At Countryside Farm & Market, passion takes root in every plant STORY AND PHOTOS by Sara Schafer Step inside the door at Countryside Farm & Market and you’re greeted by a sea of green — and then the color hits. Thousands of hanging baskets sway gently in the...
Ozarks man completes 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail STORY by Paul Newton The Ozarkian was never afraid of a good walk in the woods. Dave McVicker spent his youth in south-central Missouri exploring everything nature had to offer all around him. “Growing up here in the...
Cold weather angling offers solitude and success by Jim McCarty Those anglers who hang up their poles in the fall are missing out on a key truth about fishing: It’s a year-round activity. From catch-and-release trout to ice fishing on farm ponds, the fish continue to...
Slides, hayrides and apple cider doughnuts — this farm packs autumn joy into every acre by Sara Schafer | sschafer@ruralmissouri.coop | photos by Sara Schafer and Ricki Spargo Rows of bright orange pumpkins stretch across the field, while children wave from their...
Adventure awaits in the Mark Twain National Forest by Jim McCarty | jmccarty@ruralmissouri.coop These days it can be hard to get away from it all. Cell phones seem to intrude on whatever peace and quiet you find. Nature hides behind paved streets. Even the night sky...
See the Ozark Trail through its biggest fan and caretaker by Sara Schafer | sschafer@ruralmissouri.coop | photos by Sara Schafer and Mike Sutherland You don’t just walk the Ozark Trail — you wander into another world. Moss cushions your steps on rocks as sunlight...