The 2025 Ozark County farm family of the year is the Potters of Wasola

Editor’s note: The Potters will be recognized on the Main stage at Hootin an Hollarin just before the 2 p.m. parade Saturday, Sept. 20. 

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Drake and Kara Potter, the 2025 Ozark County Farm Family, live in Wasola with their children, 7-year-old Letti and 6-year-old Rocky. 

 The Potters own 308 acres in Ozark County. “Starting from nothing, we have worked hard to build our farm over the last several years,” Kara said. “We have black Angus beef cattle and specialize in finished beef sold directly to the consumer. Our calves are born and raised on our farm. Once the calves are weaned, we finish them out on grass, grain and hay. Our clients love our locally-raised beef.”

In addition to managing their large farm, Drake works as a journeyman lineman through IBEW Local 53. Kara left a career in cosmetology to be home with their children and to keep the daily operations running with the farm and home. Kara also runs a dog kennel raising AKC registered golden retriever puppies and miniature poodle puppies. In addition to those responsibilities, she is a full time homeschooling mom to Letti and Rocky. 

The Potters say they love living on the farm, and the kids enjoy helping with the daily chores. Whether it’s tending to the chickens, puppies, cows or riding the tractor in hay season, they’re happy to carry on the farming tradition. 

“We are thankful to call Ozark County home, and raise our children here,” Kara said. 

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Farm Family Day is a partnership with Missouri Farm Bureau and other key industry organizations. For 65 years Farm Family Day at the Missouri State Fair has been recognizing Missouri’s Farm Families, and the role they play in our state’s economy and vitality. Nominated families from each county are selected to represent their county for this honor, based on their farming operation, their activity in their community, their participation in or with 4-H and on upholding the qualities that honor farming’s roots. The Missouri Farm Bureau, along with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the Missouri State Fair and State Fair Commissioners, MU Extension and Engagement and the University of Missouri College of Agriculture Food and Natural Resources, partner annually to put on this traditional event. The families honored represent all the varied farming operations that make up our state, everything from row crops and cattle, pork and chicken operations to organic farms, nut and fruit orchard operations, agritourism and even intercity urban gardening operations — the Farm Families represent a slice of rural life in our state. For a number of years MU Extension and Farm Bureau have worked together to handle the details of the event. Members of MU Extension County Councils from all 114 counties, along with their counterparts in all the Farm Bureau Offices in each county, nominate and vote on that year’s honor family. The event itself falls on the first Monday of the fair. On that day, approximately 500 family members that comprise those honor families from each county come together to be honored at a BBQ awards dinner and day at the fair.