This past week we took a road trip that included several stops along the way.  Travelling to PCC® headquarters at Cheyenne Wells, CO we helped evaluate 272 bulls for the Colorado fall bull sale.  That put us halfway to Missouri, so we drove on to gather with family and visit my Dad for his 96^th birthday.  Taking the long way home, we swung down into Oklahoma to see my son and his family at Bristow.  During our stay, I met a future PCC customer and a herd quitter who follows Kit Pharo’s philosophies and utilizes regenerative grazing techniques.

Ryan and Megan Vandecar are young ranchers that started from scratch.  Several years ago, they bought 80 acres of his grandpa’s farm and started a small cow herd.  Ryan and Megan work in town, while they work their ranch nights and weekends.  Ryan has spent a good bit of time reading and studying from some of the best-known names in regenerative ag.  It is impressive to see how he has improved the quality and quantity of their grass through rotational grazing.  Their pastures are some of the best I’ve seen over the many miles we travelled.

Ryan’s goal is to own a herd of low-maintenance Angus cows but he is content to work toward it one step at a time as his budget allows.  Rather than go in debt to buy the cows he wanted, he bought a handful of affordable Corrientes.  He discovered that these little cows are quite efficient and cross well with Angus to produce a moderate framed animal with good growth.  They are paying the bills as he gradually replaces them with purebred Angus.  Meanwhile, they are improving the productivity of his farm each year.   

There are many paths to achieve your dream of ranching. Some go in debt jumping in with both feet, and some patiently grow one step at a time.  Your preference, your creativity and ingenuity are the only limits. I’ll see you next time on the Herd Quitter® Minute.