The Huth Way

July 27, 2026

Written By Adam Buckallew

For more than 70 years, the Huth family has grown a respected Angus operation by investing in hard work, one another and the next generation.

Across the Huth family’s farm just south of Boonville, Mo., corn tells the story of one of the wettest springs Steve Huth can remember in nearly five decades of farming. Some cornfields are nearly tasseling; others are barely knee-high. One creek-bottom field flooded eight times before it was finally abandoned for the year.

Between the barrage of spring storms, the Huths hustled to hit narrow planting windows while trucking grain to sell, spraying fields, fixing fences and working cattle. No matter the weather, the work doesn’t stop.

Ask Steve how it all gets done, and he’s quick to point out it’s a team effort.

He farms alongside his brother, Jeff; his son, Trever; Jeff’s son, Chris; and farmhand, Ty Stinson. Together, they manage the family’s diversified crop and cattle operation, with each person taking on responsibilities that keep the business running.

Just as important, Steve says, are the people behind the scenes. His wife, Diana, and Jeff’s wife, Mary, have provided crucial support, allowing the family to build the operation over the years.

“If it wasn’t for the solid backing of our wives, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” he says.

Getting Started

Steve credits his parents, Kenneth and Helen, for giving him and his brother, Jeff, their start. Everything traces back to 1954, when Kenneth purchased the original home farm. Steve and Jeff worked on their parents’ farm until an opportunity to purchase a promising neighboring property became available. Kenneth and Helen remortgaged their farm to help their boys buy the land.

“They put us in a position to grow and gave a lot,” Steve recalls. “We put our fair share of sweat equity into it, too.”

The operation is built around both cattle and crops. About 2,000 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat support a large Angus cow herd. Corn and wheat become silage for the herd, while soybeans serve as a cash crop. Depending on the season, total cattle numbers can reach 2,700 head between the home farm and a south ranch near Bunceton, Mo.

The Huths have maintained a closed herd of primarily purebred Angus cattle for the past 35 years, carefully selecting genetics for performance, feedlot efficiency and docility. Those traits have helped build the herd’s reputation among buyers, who know what to expect when Huth cattle come to market in central and north central Missouri. Calves are typically retained until 9 to 11 months of age before being sold as feeder cattle or breeding stock. Bulls are sold to buyers in Missouri and across the Midwest.

Keeping Things Running

Keeping an operation of this size running requires more than good genetics. For more than 70 years, the trucks and farm equipment on the Huths’ farm have been powered by MFA Oil fuel.

As the operation has grown, so have its fuel and lubrication needs. Today, the farm relies on bulk fuel, bulk lubricants and dependable deliveries from MFA Oil to keep equipment running year-round, especially during winter when as many as a dozen machines may be operating daily to feed cattle.

Steve says a disciplined maintenance routine, coupled with quality lubricants from MFA Oil, has their tractors and trucks routinely exceeding 10,000 hours of service without any engine issues.

Steve has served as an MFA Oil delegate for close to 25 years, a role his father also held. He says he values the service, the agricultural understanding and the farmer-owned structure.

“MFA Oil is just a top-notch company and one I’m proud to be part of,” he says. “I like dealing with people who understand agriculture.”

The Next Generation

Just as Kenneth and Helen helped Steve and Jeff launch their farming careers, the brothers are working to position their sons for success.

“If you want to pass this thing on, you have to help your kids achieve those goals,” Steve says.

The family farm now operates as an LLC, with Chris already a part owner and the opportunity for Trever to buy in when he is ready.

While Chris and Trever contribute to the family farm, they are also building their own niches in the cattle market. Chris is focused on show cattle, managing his own herd on a leased pasture. Trever has his own cattle comingled with the family herd and has built a direct-to-consumer beef business selling quarters, halves and whole-cow meats.

Doing Things Right

Huth Farms has grown far beyond what Kenneth and Helen could have imagined in 1954. Yet Steve hopes that’s not what people think of first when they think of his family.

“We are not showy people,” he said. “We believe in hard work and doing things right.”

For the Huth family, that’s always been enough.