Bureau, 4-H, FFA (county
level), and has participated in Mississippi State
Extension services trials
and research. Janet is a
board member of the Farm
Bureau, a member of the
Republican Women’s
Association, and a teacher
and finance committee
member of Seminary
Baptist Church.
Three years ago Parker
started a buying station
in Seminary where local
farmers can bring their
cattle to be sorted by sex
and quality, then weighed,
and priced. This operation
has grown from 50 head per week to around
400 per week. It’s been a successful alternative to purchasing from a stockyard.
He says, “We get healthier cattle, and the
farmers come away with a check without
having to pay a commission or extra shrink
fee.” In January 2019 he built another
buying station in Lumberton in Pearl River
County and sales are booming. It’s an enter-
prise that will likely expand in the future.
He adds, “Stockyard quality has declined
pretty dramatically over the last few years,
so farm fresh yearlings are healthier and
start growing faster than stockyard cattle.”
Needing more room (a yearling grow
yard) to stockpile cattle for short periods of
time until they were ready to sell or ship,
Parker recently purchased a defunct dairy
in Edwards, Mississippi that was next to
land he rented and planted rye grass on. “I
currently put up about 15,000 tons of corn
silage annually, purchased from a local farm
that supplies the feed to the grow yard. This
helps reduce my cost of gain per pound, and
I’m able to turn over my cattle inventory
faster. So I now have the capacity to feed
2,500 head of cattle under roof, which has
reduced the cost of gain.”
Parker has taken timber by-products from
paper mills to spread on the land to improve
soil quality and has spread chicken litter and
cow manure to create lush pastures and help
prevent erosion. He’s also fenced off creeks
to keep the cattle from accessing natural
water sources.
An interesting sideline of Parker’s is the
contracting out of yearling cattle to the
National Cutting Horse Association and
several other cutting groups in Mississippi
and Louisiana. He says, “It gives the cows
some low stress exercise and provides addi-
tional income and cash flow. Being smart
animals, however, it only takes them one
time to figure out the game.”
A common challenge Parker faces on a
regular basis is farm labor, which, according
to him, is becoming increasingly difficult.
“We’re just grateful we have such a dedi-
cated group of employees working with us
now. Surrounding yourself with good and
able people guarantees that good things will
happen. I see that first-hand every single day
and emphasize the importance of it to my
sons.”
As with every agricultural undertaking,
the weather and the market are two very
unpredictable factors. “Both,” Parker says,
“are so volatile and variable. My cattle are
marketed by for ward contract, hedged in the
futures markets, and sold on a weekly cash
basis to feedlots in some of the plains states.
Getting the best possible price for the cattle
is one of the biggest challenges. There are
certainly never any guarantees in this type
of work. All you can do is your best and hope
for a positive outcome.”
But the rewards of owning a successful
stocker cattle operation are consistent and
tangible. Parker says, “Getting to do what
you enjoy is such a gift and not all that
common these days. It really doesn’t seem
like work when you’re so invested in produc-
ing a good product, the best you’re able to
create. I’m always looking for new oppor-
tunities and better ways of providing high
quality beef for consumers while improving
the efficiency of my farms.”
During those few
relatively slow periods of
time in the Parker family
schedule, they like to
hunt deer, turkeys, and
alligators. They also enjoy
fishing and cooking. “We’re
big beef eaters here, of
course, so there’s a lot of
steak and brisket at our
house.” They also enjoy
taking the occasional trip
out West to enjoy the big
mountain country and visit
New Mexico where Parker
Cattle LLC grazes some
of its herds. “It’s beautiful
out there and something
a little different from the equally beautiful
rolling hill topography of the pine belt,” he
adds.
Looking back at his forty years in the
cattle business, Parker says, “Circumstances,
conditions, and events are always chang-
ing, so you’ve got to be flexible and change
with them. Time never stands still, espe-
cially where technology is concerned. I tell
my boys to get up early and go to work on
time every day, and the good Lord will bless
their efforts. That routine involves patience,
gratitude, and persistence.” He adds, “It’s so
rewarding to see our sons taking ownership
of the family business. It’s not just a job for
them, but a way of life that they earn and
appreciate.”
Parker was nominated for Mississippi
Farmer of the Year by Ellen Russell, Exten-
sion Agent/County Director of Mississippi
State University Extension Services. She
comments, “Mr. Parker is a premier cattle-
man who has selflessly contributed his time
and expertise to the community through
many different agricultural avenues. He
has wonderful farms that use cutting edge
technology and is always looking for ways
to improve his operation.”
Ted Parker and nominator Ellen Russell.
Parker and Judge David Wildy discuss the day-to-day operations of the cattle operation.
