The goat was unforgettable.

Just a little kid, he weighed less than a pound. The farmer who raised him was delighted to talk to a News-Press reporter about the adorable little creature.

Other story assignments provided some exciting experiences, but the ones that linger most are ordinary people.

The Harms family at Weatherby shared about the ups and downs of life on a century farm. Neighbors gathered to put up hay for a National Guard soldier doing a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Philip Schwarz was a farm kid who made a mark in his high school not for sports or good grades, but his character.

The field day at Hundley-Whaley Farm in Albany, Mo., always served as a sort of benchmark. It was the first ag event I covered at the News-Press. As the years went by, I looked forward to returning and catching up with farmers and Extension staff, marking the end of another growing season.

That’s one of the things I enjoy most about this land, how the changing seasons give rhythm to the passage of time, recalling seasons past and signaling another change ahead.

I love how in the summer, the hills roll over each other with ten thousand shades of green. In the fall, the whole town’s schedule revolves around Friday night football games and marching band performances at halftime. We trade tips for cooking chili and fighting colds in the winter, then throw open the doors and plant tomatoes in the spring.

These common experiences draw us together and make us stronger.

It tickles me how excited St. Joe got about the opening of Target, Olive Garden and Jimmy Johns. In the darkest days of the recession this winter, I talked to far too many workers who lost their jobs. But I always discovered a dose of hope as the newly unemployed talked about finding another job or going back to school or making a fresh start.

Ten years I have been an agriculture and business reporter with the News-Press. It’s like having a front row seat to the defining moments of the region’s history. Please note that front row seats at planning and zoning meetings are not always as exciting as you might think.

That’s why a good goat story can really make your day.

I’ve worked at newspapers since I graduated from college. And now, it is time for new adventures.

Next week I’ll be striking out on a new career. Though changing jobs, I’m staying in this part of the country. This is where you can find a good tenderloin, start each conversation with a weather report and encounter neighborliness even far from home.

Thanks for reading, neighbors.

Business editor Susan Mires wrote

a weekly column. She can be reached

at susanmires@gmail.com.