Communities of Southeast Missouri

__Bollinger County__

__A great place to ... paint a pretty picture__

Dodi Conrad places the finishing touches on her painting of the Marble Hill Bible Chapel from the front yard of her Marble Hill home. (Glenn Landberg)

Dodi Conrad always loved art, especially painting. For the first part of her life she put her creativity to work as a cosmetologist, and when she reached middle age, she began taking professional art classes. Now, she teaches art classes for beginners, completes work on commission and has a gallery in her Marble Hill home. She's also become known for her artistic calendars and the cover artwork for local writer Stan Crader's books.

"I think I'm inspired whenever I see beauty," says Conrad. "When I see light hitting an object, that inspires me. Seeing how the light affects a tree, the side of a house, a vase of flowers -- the way the light hits creates beauty. I feel like it's a gift from God. You just can't explain those things."

Conrad is mainly an oil painter and loves doing her work plein air, or outdoors. Her favorite things to paint are landscapes, churches and other scenes around Bollinger County. She's also a member of the Cat Ranch Art Guild in Marble Hill.

"It's a good place to live," says Conrad, a lifelong resident of Marble Hill. "The people are friendly and it's a slower paced, simple life. Everybody knows you and you know them, and you take care of each other. That's a good thing."

~By Robyn Gautschy

__Cape Girardeau County__

__A great place to ... sip a cup of joe__

Robbie Britt, owner of Dynamite Coffee in downtown Cape Girardeau stands with his wife Katie outside their shop. (Glenn Landberg)

When it comes to a great cup of coffee, Robbie and Katie Britt say it's all in the details. And they would know: They lived in the Pacific Northwest for three years so Robbie could learn more about coffee and bring that knowledge back to Cape Girardeau.

"Anything and everything you could think of that affects quality and taste does just that," says Robbie. "Simply caring about those details and paying attention to them will exponentially make a cup of coffee better."

The Britts started their business, Dynamite Coffee, from a trailer in front of West Park Mall, then partnered with Cape Riverfront Market for two seasons, building a loyal customer base along the way. Last year, they opened a permanent location on Independence Street in downtown Cape Girardeau, where they roast their own coffee and serve up a rotating menu of coffee specialties.

"We have a limited menu with limited options. It can sound intimidating, but that it is only so we can focus on sourcing high-quality ingredients while keeping overall quality and consistency high," Robbie explains. "We specialize in roasting coffee, espresso beverages and tasty seasonal drinks."

Robbie and Katie say the best things about working in Cape are interacting with customers and getting to know other small-business owners. And while they admit they don't have much spare time, they agree their favorite way to spend it is with their kids.

"We usually wind up going downtown to the river or a park," says Robbie.

~By Robyn Gautschy

__Perry County__

__A great place to ... saddle up__

Rick and Claire Schemel, left, and Krystal Evans stand with Belgian draft horse Annie Rose at The Hope Center in Perryville, Missouri. Evans is a certified riding instructor at The Hope Center. (Laura Simon)

A love of horses is what brought Rick and Claire Schemel and Krystal Evans together in Perryville, Missouri.

The Schemels once ran a horse-breeding farm in Brewer, Missouri, with room for 52 horses. In 2003, deciding it was time for a change, they sold their Brewer farm, found land in Perryville and built the barn they had always wanted: A heated building with 12 stalls, each with its own water system, hay drop, salt lick, outside run and rubber mats on the floor, plus a horse shower at the rear of the barn.

After Rick broke a 6-year-old Arabian horse into his saddle in one day, the couple switched from showing Tennessee Walking horses to raising black Arabians. Fewer than 2 percent of Arabian horses are black, and Schemel Stables was the place to find one. The Schemels sold their horses internationally, including to the Royal Guard of Qatar.

But after reaching a certain age, the couple decided it was time for another change.

"It's time to give back. We've had a wonderful life," says Rick. Hoping to share their enjoyment of horses, the Schemels moved into the not-for-profit business of therapy horses. The Hope Center was born with the help of Evans, a certified riding instructor.

"It's really turning into a community operation," says Rick.

The center provides therapeutic horse riding and activities for people of all ages and abilities, starting at age 5. Rick says they would love to work more with Wounded Warriors and Horses for Heroes, and they also offer introductory lessons for senior citizens.

"Sharing the enjoyment ... It's just good," he says. "It's nice."

~By Laura Simon

__Scott County__

__A great place to ... get down on the farm__

Sheila and Donnie Beggs, owners of Beggs Family Farm in Sikeston, Missouri. (Laura Simon)

Beggs Family Farm may be a seasonal business, but it's a year-round operation for its owners, Donnie and Sheila Beggs.

The farm attracts some 24,000 to 26,000 visitors each fall, including families and school field trips. They come to pick out pumpkins, travel the corn maze, take hay wagon rides, see farm animals and see spooky sights at Halloween time. By the time the season wraps up in early November, Donnie and Sheila are already planning for the next fall.

"It's family time, and time with kids making memories," says Sheila. "The rewarding part is the compliments from people in the community being appreciative that there's something like this in our area to do. You don't have to drive to St. Louis or Memphis to spend a day with your kids and enjoy the day."

The farm is also full of memories for the Beggs family, which has been farming in Scott County since 1895. The Beggs still operate a traditional farm -- including their traditional watermelons -- and all three of their children have been active in the family businesses. If her children have learned nothing else, says Sheila, they at least know the value of hard work, responsibility and running a family business.

"We like it here and we feel comfortable here," she says. "Our son will graduate from college this year with a degree in media production, and he still wants to come back and live in the country."

~By Robyn Gautschy

__Ste. Genevieve County__

__A great place to ... 'say cheese'__

Veronica and Steve Baetje stand among the Saanen goats they raise at their Bloomsdale, Missouri farm, Baetje Farms LLC. (Laura Simon)

A hidden gem lies through the woods and across a creek in Ste. Genevieve County. At Baetje Farms LLC, a large red barn with white trim sits just beyond the creek, and goats clamber about in the field. Steve and Veronica Baetje are hard at work making artisan goat cheese.

"We just feel blessed and thank God for allowing us to do this," says Veronica. She and Steve have been married for more than 20 years and became licensed by the Missouri Milk Board in 2007, though they began their craft years before that.

Their Bloomsdale, Missouri, farm and creamery includes 80 Saanen goats, which the couple and their staff raise, care for and milk twice a day to create their award-winning cheeses. From the Miette, Coeur du Clos and marinated feta to their flagship Bloomsdale cheese, one can taste the passion behind each bite. The Baetjes also create sweet, savory and seasonal Coeur de la Creme, each one hand-formed into the shape of a heart.

Young goats frolick to the edge of the pasture as the Baetjes walk alongside them. Visitors can feel the love and appreciation they share. One of the goats nudges Steve's hand for a head rub, and he happily obliges.

~By Laura Simon

__Stoddard County__

__A great place to ... be inspired__

Coty, left, and Clinton Walker pose for a photo after their concert at the Hemman Winery in Brazeau, Missouri. (Glenn Landberg)

Identical twin brothers Clinton and Coty Walker joke that they've already shared a womb and a bedroom, so sharing a career feels natural.

The duo have been singing and playing music in church since they were toddlers, followed by school band and choir participation as they got older. They began writing their own gospel and country music, and their first single, "The Life," got more than 10,000 YouTube views in its first 10 days online. They gained national attention on NBC's "The Voice" this spring and have also opened a recording studio, Walker Brothers Top Shelf Audio.

Though the Walkers do business all over the country, they try not to travel so far away that they can't make it back for church on Sunday mornings in Bernie, Missouri.

"Country music is very accepting of who we are as Christians," says Coty. "Everything we have is because of God. Our talents and gifts are all because of him."

Many of the brothers' original songs are about their lives and growing up in Southeast Missouri. They still live in Bernie, both for their family and the musical inspiration.

"Our family is a big deal," says Clinton. "Home for us is wherever our family is."

Coty and Clinton describe themselves as "typical country boy nerds," and say their favorite activities are hunting, fishing, floating on the Current River and watching Cardinals baseball.

"We love to hear other people sing," adds Clinton, referring to the their recording studio. "The feeling of helping others create what they've dreamed of offers just as much fulfillment as doing our own work."

~By Robyn Gautschy