Raising Kids and Cattle

Growing up in a strong rural community, agriculture became a huge aspect of the Tarr brothers’ lives – it also taught them how to work together, which is crucial with their current cattle business model.

The Tarr family of Fox Creek Cattle Farm near Newton has quite the line-up. Family patriarch, Kendall, and his wife Zana still live on the farm and their four sons remain an integral part of the operation. With their own growing families, they have figured out how to make multiple responsibilities work well for everyone involved.

It takes the entire family to keep the operation going and off the farm all four of Kendall and Zana’s sons remain involved in agriculture.

The oldest son, Brad, who also works for the soil conservation service, handles the bulk of their row crop farming. Brad and his wife, Amy, are the parents of two sons, Mitchell and Nicholas.

Stan lives near Leroy and is as a regional sales manager for Wyffels Hybrids. Stan and his wife, Jennifer are parents of two children, Emerson and Jasper. Stan and Jennifer are also active with Wilson Farms, her parents’ 1,000-acre row crop operation. Stan has primary responsibility for paper work, record-keeping and promotion of the Fox Creek cow herd and also serves as the farm spokesman.

Kendall and Zana’s two youngest sons are both high school agriculture teachers at Newton High School. Travis, and his wife, Amy, have three children, Marshall, Myer, and Marley. Brock, the youngest Tarr son, is married to Amanda, and the couple has two children, Turner and Riley.