Flyin’ F’s Meat Market & Ferguson Feedyards LLC make news in September 2025 edition of The Ozark Farm & Neighbor. The article discusses some of the ins & outs of the feedyard & tells more about Flyin’ F’s Meat Market. It also leave an idea of the behind the scenes motivations & numbers that go on the farm.
https://ozarksfn.com/2025/09/23/riley-ferguson-is-striving-for-sustainability-and-profitability/
“Legacy is one of the most important things in every aspect of my life”
WINDSOR, MO. – Riley Ferguson, 25, of Windsor, Mo., is a sixth-generation cattle producer. He may only be a quarter of a century age-wise, but Ferguson has years of experience in the cattle industry under his belt. At just 16, he was entrusted with leadership of his family’s cattle business when his father, Robert, passed away.
This was an enormous weight to be placed on the shoulders of a teenage boy. While any other individual would have crumbled under the burden, Ferguson looked at the situation as a challenge to overcome.
Ferguson, with the assistance of his mother (and accountant), Melissa, 60, was able to bolster the size and scope of the original operation, which can be traced back to 1871.
“Building upon an almost 150-year legacy is enough fuel for me to strive for sustainability and profitability,” Ferguson said. “Legacy is one of the most important things in every aspect of my life.”
Today, the farm, which is just over 150 years old, has been turned into a multi-operation enterprise consisting of Ferguson Feedyards LLC, Ferguson Farms Beef LLC, Flyin’ F’s Meat Market, and a robust commercial cowherd.
Ferguson Farms raises and markets calves through their local sale barn; Ferguson Feedyards LLC raises and finishes cattle; and Ferguson Farms Beef LLC sells direct-to-consumer beef online and at its retail location called Flyin’ F’s Meat Market, located in Windsor, also offering pork, honey, milk, cheese, butter, and eggs.
“We outsource almost 100% of our genetic improvements other than our bulls,” Ferguson said. “We cull cows and replace them with proven cows that fit our program.”
This impartiality has allowed Ferguson’s operation to expand to 100-120 pairs on the cow-calf operation, and the feedyard, at any given time, consists of 700 head.
All cattle graze on fescue and are rotated to warm-season grasses depending on the season. Ferguson credits rotational grazing with dramatically improving soil and forage growth. In recent years, the operation has seized hay production entirely – all hay from their land is either grazed or stockpiled for the winter.
“We test most everything we feed,” Ferguson said. “In our feedyard, we have several rations that contain a combination of some of the following feedstuffs: corn, soyhulls, corn silage, sorghum sudan, and more.”
Ferguson stated that all his operations comply with common health standards.
“We use Merck protocols for our feedyard and a similar standard practice for our commercial herds.”
Ferguson Farms utilizes Performance Beef Software to feed and track the health of its animals.
“If I can achieve success in these categories while using my grazing program correctly,” he said, “we are on the right path.”
This path, however diligently it has been forged, has been littered with obstacles (a statement most individuals working in agriculture can attest to). Ferguson feels as though his young age has been the source of most of his struggles in the business.
“The cattle industry demands reputation, and you have to earn your spot. It is not given to you,” he said.
The risks are high regarding money, especially when that money is connected to livestock. Ferguson said connecting with business partners who are willing to work with a young producer is difficult, adding that he doesn’t blame his older associates for any apprehension about working with a man less than half their age.
“This is a high stakes, low margin business,” he said. “No room for mess-ups from someone who might not know what they’re doing.”
However, maintaining healthy relationships with other cattle producers is important to Ferguson; he’s a member of ICOM (Independent Cattlemen of Missouri) and R-Calf, a legal action fund to support ranchers and cattlemen in the United States.
Ferguson has found that using livestock risk protection (LRP) as a marketing strategy can help secure a spot in the cattle market, adding that it ensures profitability, as well as maintaining a presence online.
Despite the adversity many farmers face today, Ferguson remains optimistic about the future of his operation. He manages to keep up with the ever-changing industry, implementing the latest technology in his work.
“Beef consumption is up and the national herd size is down,” Ferguson said. “Supply and demand tells me this cattle cycle is not going to end for a few more years. COVID proved people want to know where their food came from.”
Behind every optimistic farmer is a partner that keeps him on track, and this is no different for Ferguson. His wife, Ashley, 23, has provided an all-hands-on-deck approach to her husband’s operation; with her limitless support, Ferguson said, his operation has been able to thrive.
“Marrying her is the lynchpin to my success,” he said.
“I’ve learned in the cattle industry that most of the time, you have to pave your own way,” he said. “I can count on one hand individuals that have the willingness to try something new.”
