I’ve had jobs working for other people, but being involved in agriculture is more than a job. This ranch is a way of life and the best place to raise a family.

Our greatest challenge is the weather – with marketing a close second. We depend on the right weather for grass we need to graze our cows, and we need to make good decisions when we buy and sell calves.

I studied farm and ranch business in college and one course I had was in business diversification. We were already diversified with our performance horse and guided hunting businesses, but we have used some ideas I picked up at school.

We’re a small family now, but where will we be in 20 years? We talk about our goals and how we can grow the business so we have a place for our kids if they want to continue.

When we approach them with a new idea, they don’t sit there scratching their heads. They are totally focused on agriculture so they’re up to speed on new trends. Nothing seems to surprise them.