Marty and Tina

How we got started in agriculture

Ranching is in our genes. It runs many generations deep on both sides of our family. When we got married, we worked a lot of ranch jobs before we were able to come back to Tina’s parents’ place and start running cows. We started out with a small herd and our operation has grown from there.

Success in our operation

Success means many things in our operation. It’s tough to continue this lifestyle. We endure so much from weather to bad markets. We’ve faced blizzards, we’ve faced drought. Success is getting by another year but it’s also keeping the ranch going for our kids so we can hand it down to them.

Why we work with Farm Credit

As our operation grew, we knew we needed a line of credit. We were already doing business with Farm Credit, so it was easy to continue working with them. There was no need to switch to a different lender. They are the kind of people we like to do business with. They treat us right and their expertise is always beneficial.

Involving the next generation

We include our kids every single day on the ranch. They help us with all our cattle work. They’re involved in major decision making of when we sell and how we sell. We think it’s very vital to keep them involved because we are a dying breed. If we don’t keep them involved and pass it on to them, ranching as a lifestyle will no longer exist.

What we enjoy most about ranching

Every season brings something different. In the fall we’re getting ready to wean and bring the cows home. Springtime brings its challenges, but you get through calving season and then it’s on to branding. All your neighbors and friends come together, and everyone has a good time branding, eating and sharing stories. We don’t work on a calendar year but we’re always working as a family.