With Risk Comes Reward

Today’s world is so different from the past. We don’t live in a time where a person can go buy a piece of land and some cows and be able to make all the ends meet. Getting started in ranching is hard, especially when you basically start from scratch. I technically am the 5th generation on our family’s ranch, but it has not been an easy road and just given to me. We are blessed to be able to have some family land to get us our start, but we have had to work tails off. It’s a risky business. We deal with fluctuating market prices, weather, managing livestock, expensive equipment costs, and so much more. However, the reward for those risks is indescribable. Some people probably think we are crazy. Getting started in this industry sometimes means accumulating a lot of debt. Purchasing real estate is a huge expense, but a long term investment, and those investments come and go so quickly. A person may not be ready for that risk or one might think that next year would be a better time, but when a huge opportunity falls into one’s lap, there’s no choice but to take it and make it work.

The agriculture industry is also a competitive one. It’s difficult for young people with less cash flow to compete with the more established farmers and ranchers. Max and I personally have dealt with this and greatly appreciate the people willing to take a few less dollars in order to help young people get their start. We have been blessed to cross paths with people with that kind of integrity, whether it was purchasing our land or cows. Competitive and cutthroat as our industry can be, there are also the most kindhearted, generous, and humble people that surround us. We can only hope to be able to repay those favors to other young farmers/ranchers working to get their start in the future.

We put in long hours with little vacation. We work town jobs to make ends meet. We have goals to someday own our land and ranch outright and be ranching full time. We will have a legacy to pass on to our children. We understand the sacrifices we are making, and every single one of them is so worth it. One day at a time; one payment at a time. We will reach our goal someday, but for now we will just enjoy the ride!