An expert in your corner
I never know what I’m going to find when my brother shoots me a text. Recently it was a photo of a spittoon at the Bates County Courthouse. It made me chuckle for a lot of reasons. I knew right away he was in the middle of a trial back in God’s country. Some of the...
A lady on the line
Kimberly Bradshaw makes history as State Tech’s first woman lineworker Kimberly Bradshaw had no idea she was breaking new ground the day she toured State Technical College of Missouri. “I came here and I toured after I got accepted,” she says. “The guide at the end...
The Ozarks Storyteller
Author Mark Meadows shares his memories of the Missouri Hills Anyone can write a memoir, Mark Meadows believes. “But it might not be very interesting,” he says with a laugh. Mark worried about that very thing when he put together the 82 stories that make up his book...
More than a game
Warrensburg business crafts high-quality board games Sawdust and low-pitched hums from the machinery begin to fill the air of Nathan Epp’s 1,200-square-foot wood shop. He’s busy cutting boards, sanding pieces of wood and engraving personalized messages. He’s building...
Riding for others
Northwest Missouri UTV ride benefits veterans The row of utility task vehicles (UTVs) slowly snaking through Cameron seems endless. The hundreds of riders have the same destination: Cameron Veterans Home. Once there, they kick off this patriotic day visiting with the...
Leading the Way
Co-ops purpose-built to serve members, communities No matter where they’re located or what challenges they face, electric cooperatives need only look to the principles that created them in order to build a better future for their members and communities. That was the...
On Display and Off The Menu
by Rob Myers | info@ruralmissouri.coopphotos by Zach Smith | zsmith@ruralmissouri.coop Planting a mailbox garden can be a fun way to add some color to the front of your property. The challenge can be selecting plants that provide low-maintenance flowering from...
A Matter of Taste
by Chase Smoak Your guide to growing delicious homegrown tomatoes Many gardeners claim if you want great flavor, you’ll need to plant heirloom varieties. People selected these landrace tomato plants long ago for traits such as shape, size and taste, so the claim has a...
Best of Rural Missouri 2023
Contest reveals Rural Missouri readers’ favorites For more than two decades, the readers of Rural Missouri have never been shy about sharing their favorite places in the Show-Me State. This 20th edition of the contest received thousands of responses from across the...
The seasons of soy
It’s easy to enjoy soy every day Mention soy to your average consumer and they likely think of edamame and soy sauce. But soy is so amazingly prevalent in our everyday lives we often take for granted what a perfect food ingredient it can be. Soy is easily found in...