When Leonard and Eunice Beatty purchased 80 acres of land in Eastern Jackson County in 1945, they had no idea it would become a family legacy extending five generations. They started raising hogs and chickens on the land, and today their granddaughter Renee and her husband Kevin run Beatty-Cindrich-Barber Ranch and are making it a place the community can enjoy.
Kevin and Renee Cindrich have added cows, goats, buffalo and horses to the ranch as well as a donkey and a pony. Additionally, Kevin has constructed and maintained various buildings and structures on the property including a grain bin gazebo and a goat tower.
“I’m a creative person, so I like improving and making the facility and things more enjoyable for the animals, which in turn makes it more enjoyable for me and everyone who comes out there,” Kevin says.
There is also a 100-year-old barn on the property that Renee’s grandparents bought and assembled, and Kevin has kept it maintained. Overall, Renee said her grandparents would be amazed to see the ranch today.
The plan is for Lucas and Kelsey Barber, Kevin and Renee’s daughter and son-in-law, to take over operations of the ranch in the future. Thinking even further down the line, the family already sees the Barber’s baby daughter as a fifth-generation ranch manager after her parents retire from the role. In true grandpa fashion, Kevin says he already has a concept for the playground he would like to build his young granddaughter, and it involves a playhouse coming out of an old truck.
Renee’s childhood memories on the ranch include spending every other Sunday there as well as a few weeks in the summer. She has memories of activities like helping bale hay, her grandpa giving her a calf, getting baby chicks each year for Easter, and more.
“It’s always fun on the farm,” Renee says. “We always have a ball.”
Ranching is truly Kevin’s passion as he owns a roofing and gutter company as his “day job” but still works at the ranch about 30 hours a week. While they do not live on the ranch, he is out there every day.
“The farm is my getaway and my happy place,” Kevin says. “But if I can’t share it with someone, it’s not as fun.”
Families and groups are welcome to contact Kevin through his Facebook page and set up a time to go to the ranch and visit. He says if he does not make the ranch interactive, all people will see is the work required to maintain such a ranch. While it is work, it is so much more to him. Kevin said he loves seeing the smiles on children’s faces as they develop a love and respect for animals.
He says most people do not realize they can pet a cow or feed a buffalo, and it is fun to see them interact with the animals for the first time. Kelsey echoed this idea saying the farm becomes special because while many people have cats or dogs, they don’t often get to experience cattle and other farm animals. She said although they are large and strong animals that can potentially be dangerous, they are also gentle enough to pet and interact with.
Kevin said when he was growing up, his grandparents lived in Arkansas and raised cows, which gave him a love for cattle. Currently, they have 139 head of cows. They also direct-sell the steers for beef, an option many are considering given the current meat shortage at grocery stores, and he welcomes people to contact him for more information on buying beef.
The addition of the three buffalo to the ranch was rather recent, and he got them from a regional auction.
“They are just a beautiful, majestic animal,” Kevin says.
Kevin and Renee both admit that many of the animals on the farm are not hurting for attention. Kevin says some of his cows are spoiled, but it might not end with just the cows.
“The goats and donkey like getting fed,” Renee says. “They are spoiled rotten!”