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Life as a Rancher

I have been thinking of the right words to answer your question, and for some reason what Paul Harvey said in theDodge commercial keeps popping into my head.
There is no other place in the world i would rather be, and using the words of PRofessional hunter jim shockey "there will be times when the last place earth you want to be is right where you are" (most people who have calved through storms know where i am coming from).
You seem to be a person with some p*ss amd viniger and that is nice to see. My advice to you is get an education and if after college you still feel need to go ranching then by all means put your nose on the south end of north bound cows and give it heck.
 
....and when the day started before Sun up and you get back in the house after sundown , with every part right down to your toenail hairs aching, and you happy with a supper of bread and milk.....
 
I'll be the nay sayer and say screw school unless your committed to it.Lots of people go to school because everyone says you need to.Look at all those same people with huge amounts of student loan debt working for $8 to $10 an hour. Our oldest son is to put it blankly Lazy but he's bounced around for 4 years since highschool and now has a job in a metal fab shop running some kind of punch press. He's talking about going to college now which I think now he may be ready.If and when he does he'll take it serious 2 years ago he'd have drank and smoked every bit of student loan money he could. Some people are'nt meant for college and for that I'm grateful otherwise teachers and professor's would wreck all of them.The people that I think will be in highest demand going forward are those with some real world work skills not some book taught b.s.I'd go to a trade school long before I'd go to a college.Most ranch jobs are at starvation wages and rightly so most ranchers live the same way but you'll get experiance thats for sure. Good Luck.
 
After looking at the local commuity college sustainable ag associate degree requiements. I think a person would be better going to attend Ranching for Profit school, taking holistic management courses and other educational events. If you go to college make sure to take technical writing, accounting, business management courses and a many science courses you can fit in.

If you are serious about wanting to farm find a farmer(s) to work with in your area that will let you help and mentor you.
 
I will put my 2 cents in here too. If you aren't committed to going to school. DON'T!! All you will be doing is wasting money.
I went to 1 year at UNL. (Yea Jigs, I'm a Husker, although I have yet to go to a game) My Dad had a horse pile him up, and broke his back in more places then I care to count. That was March 1 of 83. I did finish out the year, although I should have just dropped out then. Trying to calve 300 head of cows, 250 miles away, didn't work. That spring we had snow and rain to the point calves were drowning. Ended up kicking cows out in the hills, and letting them do it on their own. Worked well for the cattle, not so well for the Pinzgauer Association. I don't think we registered any that year.
I say all this to say, I met some life long friends in my year of school, but I learned a WHOLE bunch more from the school of hard knocks.
Don't be afraid to try something totally different from your normal. If you enjoy equipment at all, hire on with a custom harvest crew, and see what North America has to offer. If you enjoy showing cattle, get hooked up with a show jockey and see the world. 15 years ago, I would have encouraged you to join the military, but with the leadership we have right now, I think that would just be spooky.
All in all, my opinion is get away from the area you are in, and see how other people do things. You can always come back. I did, not to the family operation, but to something that I enjoy even more.
 
I went to college and it was the best thing I did. Not from the stand point of education but I made life long friends who stay in contact and are ready to help each other in a moments notice. That was priceless and well worth the 4 years.
 
4Diamond said:
I went to college and it was the best thing I did. Not from the stand point of education but I made life long friends who stay in contact and are ready to help each other in a moments notice. That was priceless and well worth the 4 years.
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same here, and I am on boards that I would probally never been on too
 
I kind of wished I would have went just for the experience. But then all that really would have done was had another loan to pay off. I will disagree however about being on a board or not weather you went to college. My dad didn't go and he has been on about every board you can imagine and turned down a bunch more. I know of three very successful businessmen within 5 miles of my house that have lots of people work for them and do very well actually got kicked out of high school for being onery and never even got their high school diploma. I'm not condoning droping out of high school, and I still kind of wish I went to college. But just because you have a college degree it doesn't mean your going to be more successful than if you don't.
 
3 M L & C said:
I kind of wished I would have went just for the experience. But then all that really would have done was had another loan to pay off. I will disagree however about being on a board or not weather you went to college. My dad didn't go and he has been on about every board you can imagine and turned down a bunch more. I know of three very successful businessmen within 5 miles of my house that have lots of people work for them and do very well actually got kicked out of high school for being onery and never even got their high school diploma. I'm not condoning droping out of high school, and I still kind of wish I went to college. But just because you have a college degree it doesn't mean your going to be more successful than if you don't.
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thing is some of the board members are people I went to college with, and there been bussiness deal that came along because of friends from college,simple thing like cattle and hay deals, to work for my kids when they are out in the friends part of the world. Seem my college friends are alot close then my highschool friends.

Just sayin
 
jodywy said:
3 M L & C said:
I kind of wished I would have went just for the experience. But then all that really would have done was had another loan to pay off. I will disagree however about being on a board or not weather you went to college. My dad didn't go and he has been on about every board you can imagine and turned down a bunch more. I know of three very successful businessmen within 5 miles of my house that have lots of people work for them and do very well actually got kicked out of high school for being onery and never even got their high school diploma. I'm not condoning droping out of high school, and I still kind of wish I went to college. But just because you have a college degree it doesn't mean your going to be more successful than if you don't.
Click to expand...
thing is some of the board members are people I went to college with, and there been bussiness deal that came along because of friends from college,simple thing like cattle and hay deals, to work for my kids when they are out in the friends part of the world. Seem my college friends are alot close then my highschool friends.

Just sayin
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College friends tend to by more friends by choice than friends of convenience(locals/high school friends)
 
College is not for everyone but it for sure helped me. I left a low income family, obtained a veterinary degree, which afforded me a ranch and cattle. I would have been lost without my education, it shaped my entire career and life. Graduated from college 30 years ago, paid my student loans off, and moved forward.
 
If you get to where you are your own boss at it...you can do whatever the heck you like.... :D . You'll get to where you will know what needs what an when .....and can time things to suit your needs. My number one goal in life is building my cattle herd....number 2 interest is growing, raising, hunting, gathering the food I eat....so I never leave the place. Nobody but me has done my chores in 9 years.....so I like all this.... :D .

ETA - today on the world's smallest ranch, I played with calves and chicks all day.... :D . ...also, being so broke running cows, will make me better at running cows.... :D .
 
I chose the path of ranching as I have never gotten along with the rest of society. Cows and lots of open space keep me sane. Throw me in a desk job in the city or any situation in which I have to put up with many irritating people a day, and I guarantee you my name would be the top story on the news, and it wouldn't be pretty.

People who truly enjoy having cattle (and couldn't imagine it another way), don't have hobbies. Guys who could live without the cattle, generally have other interests that could preoccupy them.
 
Hello Magungo,
Three days ago signed up and four pages on this question. Lots of answers and opinions. Probably the most important thing to do is always keep asking questions. For what it's worth in my opinion you have the best advantage of all of us here because you can learn before you commit to any of it. If you want to cowboy why just go get a job on a ranch. you might learn a bit about livestock and even how to handle them properly although that isn't always true. If you are serious about ranching and want it to be a successful business you should go to something like Ranching For Profit School or take a Holistic Management course before you buy the first animal or acre of land. surround yourself with the positive people you meet at venues like that. Whatever you decide and you will be well informed. We ranch, we don't have outside jobs to support it and we also can take time off several times a year.
 

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