A Lifetime in Livestock: Jackson farmer recognized for more than 50 years in agriculture

Butch Meier, a beef producer from Jackson, Mo., was named the 2019 Missouri Cattleman of the Year by the Missouri Cattlemen's Association.

(Courtesy of Mill Creek Communications Services/Jason Jenkins)

It all started with a gift from his mom and dad when he was eight years old. It was simple — a registered Angus heifer for a young man completing a 4-H project.

With a budding interest in agriculture and already surrounded by the family livestock business, that young man pursued his curiosity in farming though additional projects. The first Angus 4-H project in 1956 soon grew into a lifetime of raising cattle on his family’s farm, increasing the farm’s cattle production and, eventually, passing the interest on to future generations.

Butch Meier stands with family after being named the 2019 Missouri Cattleman of the Year by the Missouri Cattlemen's Association.

Submitted photo.

While Butch Meier says it was too many years ago to remember the cow’s name, the gift had a strong impact on his lifetime as a cattleman.

He now manages Butch’s Angus, a sixth-generation Angus farm that he shares with his wife Eileen, two sons Greg and Brian, and five grandchildren. Located close to the southern city limit of Jackson, the 450-acre farm contains nearly 200 Angus heifers and bulls, and has been in his family since the mid-1800s. The entire property spans some 800 acres when including rented land, Meier says, and has been involved in annual livestock sales for more than 20 years.

Surrounded by his love of livestock, Meier’s work has been so closely integrated into his life that his accomplishments have become intertwined with major life events, as well.

Meier grew up in Jackson, and after graduating from Jackson High School in 1966, he attended the University of Missouri to study agriculture. His college career took him to the University of Georgia, where he spent a year coaching their livestock agricultural team.

After graduating with a degree in agriculture in 1970, he returned to his parent’s Jackson farm to become more involved in the family business, where he says he helped expand the livestock operation. Meier married his wife Eileen in 1974, who now shares the property and care of cattle.

Meier says they bought Angus bull PS Power Play together from Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences in 1978. The bull soon became a national champion and a source of income for the family as the prized Angus was used in breeding. It’s something he describes as one of his biggest accomplishments as a farmer, and definitely a fond memory of something the family achieved. Later, the couple had two sons, whose own families soon became involved in the agricultural business, as well.

While Meier says there’s a lot of uncertainty recently around the current farming industry and land prices, he’s stayed dedicated to the agricultural career he’s been involved in since he was given that Angus in 1956.

He says the rewarding aspect of seeing the results of agricultural accomplishments is what has kept him involved in the livestock industry for so long.

“We just love what we’re doing, and it’s very much the satisfaction of what you’ve accomplished,” Meier says.

His hard work has paid off: in January 2020, Meier was recognized as the 2019 Cattleman of the Year for his nearly 50 years of hard work in agriculture. The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association awarded him this title at their January 2020 meeting in Columbia, Missouri, following Meier’s decades of service to the organization.

Meier was actually a founding member of the Southeast Missouri chapter of the organization in 1978 and has served as a member of the state board, as well one year as the president in 2017. As he’s spent much of his agricultural career involved in the organization, he says receiving this award was especially meaningful.

“It’s quite an honor to be picked by your peers for such an accomplishment,” Meier says. “I was just amazed — I couldn’t get over it.” He says that while receiving the award was definitely unexpected, the biggest surprise of the night was his sons and grandchildren attending the ceremony, as well. Through his love of livestock, he’s passed on the family business to future generations.

“I think one of the biggest satisfactions I’ve had is seeing my two sons and all my grandsons being involved in the livestock industry,” Meier says. “They’ve all been involved in 4-H and FFA, and it’s been very rewarding to see them in progress with years to go.”

Through the lifetime he’s spent on the Meier farm, he says the biggest lesson he has learned is the value of hard work. If he could travel back in time to give advice to his younger self, he says that is exactly what he’d highlight the most.

“Dedicate yourself to what you do, and when you make accomplishments, give back some of your time and effort from your accomplishments into that industry that’s helped you so much,” Meier says. “Enjoy what you’re doing. If you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, you don’t need to be in that type of business.”