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Are Ranchers a dying breed?

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Your timing was good today Saddletramp.

As I was feeding calves this AM, I was listening to the Spirit Of The West radio show by Hugh McClennon(sp). He is a Canadian host that we pick up on the Belle Fourche radio station. He hosts a weekly cowboy radio show for those that haven't heard of him. Anyway he was promoting a new disc he has for sale, and he actully read the poem you posted today off of it.

Don't know whether he wrote it or not, but I bet you could go to his website and look or buy the CD to find out. Heck send him an e-mail and ask him. He answered an e-mail of mine once, so I bet he would do it. Maybe he would even use you on his show. I'd send a reference for you if you'd like. :wink:
 
Here you go Saddletramp. It's the first disc on the page that has the one you want. You probably have a good enough internet connection to listen to this weeks show and hear it. Mine isn't.

http://www.hugh-mclennan.com/merchandise.htm
 
I left the ranch seven years ago this coming may. Growing up in the country was great especially with a great family and neibors like jinglebob. Went to school for two years to learn how to fix new cars then spent two years at a dealership. Now im working in the oil feilds for a service company.

When i left the ranch and ag industry there were a lot of reasons. With five kids in the family and 18 years between me (the oldest) and the youngest the family ranch was a bit cramped. Working for another rancher is fine if you can get paid for it but trying to get ahead is another thing entirly. To many in the ag industry think that is fine to work the hired man to death and pay him enough that he qualifies for food stamps. Working with family and taking over a ranch over time is also fine but you have to be able to actually take over and run things. As new ideas and methods come along you have to be able to try the ones that mite work instead of having your decisions automaticaly over ridden by the older generation.

Is my current job easier than job easier than ranching? No.
Do i get more time off? No.
Would i like to go back to the country? Yes, But if i do i want to do it on my own terms.
 
I don't know if we are a dying breed so much as the business is just changing. For the better in some ways and for worse in others. I believe the quality of cattle we produce improves more every year. In most cases that is producers are striving for quality. Others are still stuck in the "oh well as long as she throws a calf" mindframe. They could care less as long as they make a few easy bucks!
The other changing factor is that ranches are in some cases getting larger as the small guy can't make it. And then in other parts of the country you have the "wanna be" that has a city job makes a tremendous income and does the cattle thing and or horses goats whatever on the side. Everyone and their dog wants to be a cowboy now, it's "glamorous" ....?
Next you have the current hunting craze where everyone and their dogs wanna buy land in the country at 10 times times it's worth just so they can have a playground to take their buddies to on weekends.
I find this to be the most disturbing. indeed...
Time will come when an honest hard working man cannot make it , ever.
I was not born into an inheritance of land or cattle whatsoever. My granfathers ranch Ted Turner now owns in Barber County Kansas. It's not cattle land anymore, it's a rich mans playground.
Everything I have I have worked for and earned myself with sweat and hard work.
And God willing I will be able to work another 15 years or so and be able to leave my son with something to be proud of. Something most people cannot comprehend the real worth of. A legacy to live on. Not just something to play with in their spare time
reese
 
Ranchers, cattlemen, cattlekids, farmers... all of them are a dying breed. I myself am 17 years old. I grew up in a fairly good size city in Omaha, NE. I absolutly despise the city life because since I was born I've spent my weekend, holidays, and every spare minute at my grandparents or reading up on farming and ranching furthering my knowledge and my vision of making it in the future business of cattle raising and some simple farming. I know I will live with little of nothing. I know I will live through hard times. I know my possible family will have issues and may not survive. But these are all reasons that do not weigh up to the joy that I get from the time I spend with the cattle, or working on the farm. We have enough cattle to keep grandpa busy right now, but I realize that when I come back there will not be enough for both of us to make a living. I will have to make money somewhere else until grandpa's retirement. None of the 4 children that my grandparents had were able to stay on the farm because there was no money there for them. The place will need revamped and cleaned up and I will have to work harder and more efficiently than my grandpa does now but I am not scared and I WILL NOT BE DETERRED. I am going to college, going to Kansas State University. I will be leaving my current school early with all graduation requirements filled to move to my grandparents to get a Kansas diploma so I can get in-state tuition. Farming doesn't pay well enough for expensive college loans so in-state is a must financially. I do not know for sure what the future will bring to me. I hope that I have aquired enough experience in the past 17 years and read enough material and aquired enough knowledge that I could survive now. I have a complete understanding of many aspects. I trade cattle on a regular basis. I run the marketing, genetics, long range goals, and most of the cattle business now as the "Cow Boss" the only thing I do not have a strong hand in is the money available and day to day operations. I have earned the respect of my grandpa and father and they include me in every aspect of our operation. Grandpa calls me every day just to ask simple question as to what cow needs to go where and what bull I think needs bred to which cows. I understand that my age is a great deterant as of this point and that I am lacking of the respect from most cattlemen and women due to that fact. I see that greatly in my converstations and welcomes on different forums and meetings with ranchers and customers of my order buying business.

That's enough for now. Thanks for reading.

Jake
 
Jake, I wish you all the best and all possible success. It is people with a tough attitude like yours that will continue to feed the world. You will need to be tough, but it sounds like you can do it.

John.
 
Maple Leaf Angus said:
Jake, I wish you all the best and all possible success. It is people with a tough attitude like yours that will continue to feed the world. You will need to be tough, but it sounds like you can do it.

John.

Thank you Sir.
 
Jake,
You will make it big time because you have the right attitude and you have no preconcieved ideas about the glamour and the glory of ranching or farming. anyone with the guts to do it can, I think you will. You just have to find a way. Is that not what all of us do, make do with what we have? Leads me to one of my favorite quotes, "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are" Teddy Roosevelt. I think the modern version is "Cowboy UP". Get the college, I quit after a year because I thought I knew more than those stupid professors about cows, ten years later I went back, more humble and more open to learn, didn't stop that time till I had a Masters in ruminant nutrition. Nobody can take that from me. Along the way, I was honored with Graduate student of the year, university wide, against mathemeticians, anyone. I did this as a single parent of two kids. It is all attitude, you can and you will. :wink: If you ever need some help, you are sure to get it from me or anyone else on Ranchers. :lol:
 
Jake,

The post on cows you made reminded me of how I started, buying Broken Mouth Bred cows, giving them good feed and mineral, I usually came out well,

You are on the right track, don't assume people look down on you because of your age. In ranching, people earn respect by thier abilities, regardless of age, as long as they are humble and respectfull,

Might start calling you "Grasshopper", LOL, you are to young to remember that TV Program,

Feel free to PM any of us whenever you have a question, Good Luck!!!!!!!!


PPRM
 
PPRM said:
Jake,

The post on cows you made reminded me of how I started, buying Broken Mouth Bred cows, giving them good feed and mineral, I usually came out well,

You are on the right track, don't assume people look down on you because of your age. In ranching, people earn respect by thier abilities, regardless of age, as long as they are humble and respectfull,

Might start calling you "Grasshopper", LOL, you are to young to remember that TV Program,

Feel free to PM any of us whenever you have a question, Good Luck!!!!!!!!


PPRM

I'm not too young... lol, reruns are great things. It takes time for a lot of people to build respect for me but I was raised right and there are few people who don't recieve my complete and total respect. I'm very thankful for the reception I"ve gotten on the boards from so many of you. Thanks ya'll.
 
Jake- Once before when we talked, you were looking for purebred stock- Are you still? If so, I see the Edwards Angus Ranch dispersion sale is back on the calendar again for Dec. 19-20th......They canceled in Nov.--It will be on Superior...Think they are selling about 1200 head.....

I've had little contact with their cattle and don't know much about them, so can't help you much there...
 
Oldtimer said:
Jake- Once before when we talked, you were looking for purebred stock- Are you still? If so, I see the Edwards Angus Ranch dispersion sale is back on the calendar again for Dec. 19-20th......They canceled in Nov.--It will be on Superior...Think they are selling about 1200 head.....

I've had little contact with their cattle and don't know much about them, so can't help you much there...

We've got one Reg. cow and that's about all we need for now is just something to produce bulls. She's got one more calf and she' headed to town. She slipped on the ice in a fight and gimps around now so I don't know what she'll be worth. I'll probably just talk to Lee Holtmeir or Tim Ohlde for another one and get a little bit younger model. I'm trying to work and selling picking through our cows for culls right now and then going to buy back some or just flat out buy those BM or SS cows. Who knows what's going to come with it. The investor (dad) always talks big and keeps the wallet shut so who knows what's going to happen. I made them enough money on the last set of cattle that I should be able to get a transaction done on something here.
 
Jake said:
Oldtimer said:
Jake- Once before when we talked, you were looking for purebred stock- Are you still? If so, I see the Edwards Angus Ranch dispersion sale is back on the calendar again for Dec. 19-20th......They canceled in Nov.--It will be on Superior...Think they are selling about 1200 head.....

I've had little contact with their cattle and don't know much about them, so can't help you much there...

We've got one Reg. cow and that's about all we need for now is just something to produce bulls. She's got one more calf and she' headed to town. She slipped on the ice in a fight and gimps around now so I don't know what she'll be worth. I'll probably just talk to Lee Holtmeir or Tim Ohlde for another one and get a little bit younger model. I'm trying to work and selling picking through our cows for culls right now and then going to buy back some or just flat out buy those BM or SS cows. Who knows what's going to come with it. The investor (dad) always talks big and keeps the wallet shut so who knows what's going to happen. I made them enough money on the last set of cattle that I should be able to get a transaction done on something here.

The Ohlde bred stuff has been selling like hotcakes around here the last couple years--mostly I think as a way to counteract the over framey cow the angus was becoming- many were starting to look more like a holstein than angus...Funny a few years ago and you never heard of those bloodlines and now there are 20+ Ohlde bred AI sires listed by the big semen providers...
 
I know a lot of the big Angus guys don't like them but I really like looking at those cows. and i don't need a calf that weans 700# that means that cow is going to me eating $$$ out of my back pocket. They always look good, are easy calving. And everything else taht I like for the most part so I'll keep with them.
 
Jake-

In every sale there are "hidden gems" that must be sought out and determined as to whether they would be beneficial to your herd and your needs. The Ohlde program has some very valuable breeding and genetics and with diligent investigation those gems can be found. 8) As oldtimer mentioned, Edwards Ranch has re-scheduled their Dispersal sale for Dec. 19-20! :shock: There, my young friend, is where opportunities of a lifetime may be found! All Dispersal Sales have the Phenotype and Genotype combinations which have allowed the Ranch Owners to achieve the successes they have become - and NOW - - everyone has the opportunity to benefit from the thousands of hours of diligent thought and effort which they have expended! A breeder may make quantum leaps forward in his breeding program and circumvent YEARS of struggle and effort with some intelligent selection of breeding stock! :wink: What an opportunity for a beginning Breeder! Jake, my advice to you is to get their catalog and pour over it carefully, go to Edward's Sale - 'take the Bull by the horns' (strictly a figure of speech, you understand!) and begin your Angus career the correct way! Think, compare, match pedigrees, ask questions, project into the future, twist your 'bankers' arm and explain a few Beef Improvement and Performance facts of life and projections into the future to him and dream about what might be! :shock: :lol: Don't place yourself in the position of saying, ". . If ONLY I had known then what I know now!" The point is - you DO know now!

DOC HARRIS
 
I'd like to throw in on this topic and just say that I don't give a dern about stats or trends. In my area, there are alot of small family farms. Out of 20 or so that I can think of quick, there are many with children, but only 3 with the youngest generation trying to takeover and make a go of it. And those 3 include myself. I'm a rancher and cattleman, have been all my life, that'll never change. I've also worked in the oilpatch since I finished school to pay for my addictive cow habit. But everything I've ever done has always been for the sole purpose of keeping the ranch, and improving it for my kids.

Yeah, it's a business. Yeah, it's gotta be profitable. I'm nobody's fool, and I'm not gonna stretch myself or the wife with off-farm jobs to the point where we're not doing a good job of raising our kids. They come first, and the wife now does her book-keeping from home, b/c we agreed long before we started havin 'em that we weren't gonna have 'em raised by someone else. The day is comin' in the near future (2 years) when I'll be able to stay home and ranch full-time. It's taken alot of change to turn our place around, but we did it. People criticized, scoffed and joked, but when they realized that our beef was going to restaurants and hotel chains while theirs was sellin' for pennies at the local salebarn with the border closed, they started lookin'.

You have to make a profit these days, that's a given. Our society won't change overnight to make it easier on farmers and ranchers, neither one, in Canada or the US! So you have to be forward-thinking, and maybe take the blinders off in some cases, to take a real hard look at what you're doin'. This Lonesome Dove way of life we'd all love to live settin' horseback all day doesn't come without a price and alot of hard work. But, hard work comes no matter how you make your day's dollar, so I'll make mine off the backs of my beeves, and keep workin' to ensure that my kids get a fair shake to do the same when the time comes. I love ranchin', and I'll give it up the day they spread my ashes across the Battle River Hills.

For any of ya who feel the same way, don't give up, even when things are lookin low. Where there's a will, there's a way. And the iron will of the farmer and rancher is what built these 2 friggin countries. One day, our work will be more than worth the while.

Have a good evenin'. :hat:
 

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