As I sit down to write this article it is the time on the ranch when we are able to look back on
the year and reflect on how everything is rolling along. There are so many positive aspects to
being a rancher but that is not to say it does not come without its challenges!
Some days it makes us question our sanity but yet we choose it over and over again, I guess
some might question ours!
Perhaps it is in overcoming challenges that allows us to live with a sense of fulfillment and that fulfillment keeps us going. As stewards of the land and its animals it comes with a heavy
responsibility that every single rancher I know takes pretty seriously upon their shoulders. It
requires a unique mindset that always sees the good in a situation. With rising costs,
fluctuating markets and always at the mercy of a relentless mother nature, it most definitely
requires a love of the lifestyle. There are no clocks to punch out and no days off so it really is
best if you like how you spend them, I have developed the deepest of respect for ranchers. There passion to care for the grasslands, water sources , and not just their own animals but all of gods creatures that thrive because of their stewardship It is not only honourable but it is necessary in providing sustainable food.
Land that could not otherwise be farmed, still able to provide sustenance because of the
willingness of a rough riding cowboy ( or cowgirl). When I met my husband we each had our rodeo lifestyles in common. Him a saddle bronc rider and me a rodeo trick rider. I did not grow up on a ranch although my dad had some cows when I was little. My dad got out of the cattle business to pursue a career in the fireworks and pyrotechnics business but that love of animals he introduced me to never left me. I followed in my dads footsteps into the world of pyrotechnics at live events and in the film industry and continued with my trick riding, so when I moved to the ranch the learning curve was steep. I knew all about fireworks shows, bullet hits and blowing houses up on movies and suicide drags off the back of a fast running horse but really not too much about ranching.
I made a promise to myself when Dustin and I got married that I would learn all the facets of
ranching and be proficient at most of the jobs. ( I would say all the jobs but in reality me
servicing or fixing the tractor or any piece of machinery for that matter is just not happening -
I'm really best at causing them to break down.......)
13 years later I am most definitely still a work in progress, I have to write notes in my phone on how to properly fix fence, I may or may not have dented a thing or two with the tractor ( we wont drag all that back up and get into details but the good news is Dustin was gone rodeoing and I was very pregnant at the time so I didn’t get much of a scolding as long as the cows got fed!)
Anyways all this to say I still marvel at all the things a rancher must be capable of! I swear
there isn’t a thing in the world my husband couldn’t figure out how to do and no matter what he gets the job done - just like every other incredible rancher out there . Its not just the
cowboying and fencing, but the book work, the mechanics, the vet work, dang near needing to be a mathematician to figure out the grazing rotations based on grass lengths, not to mention calculating feed supplies for the year. I’m hear to say there is more then I ever imagined to this ranching gig and there has been more then one occasion when throwing in the towel crossed my mind. The -30 days when nothing goes right, or in this country down here the wind can take it out of you pretty fast when a job is proving long and difficult.....but .......my dad always said I was double bred stubborn and I guess that is proving valuable.
In all seriousness though, It is my hope that in an ever-changing world that in sharing these
stories they wont just be told, but they will truly be heard. Heard by people that may not yet
had the opportunity to know and understand the benefits that the ranching community brings to the table - quite literally, through their hard work, grit and determination. Thank you for letting me share a little of that with all of you.
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