Open space that allows people to get away from other people has value to both sides of the bargain. A room with a view that many people don’t see every day is a value that ranchers can share.
X BAR RANCH NATURE RETREAT Their Place, Guests’ Pace
Article by LORIE A. WOODWARD Photos courtesy of X BAR RANCH NATURE RETREAT Editor’s Note—This is the third in a series of articles exploring alternative income and educational opportunities for TWA members.
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n the fall of 1996, the Meador family added hospitality to the traditional income-generating mix of livestock and hunting on the X Bar Ranch near Eldorado. “It was dry. Times were tough. As a family, we all realized we needed to diversify if we could, so we were looking around for something else to do,” said Stan Meador, who runs the family’s recreation division, which also includes season leases for whitetails and turkey hunts in the spring. After living and working in Europe, Stan saw Texas and the ranch, which was founded in 1915, in a new light. In 1989-90 and then again in 1994, he called Holland, one of the world’s most densely populated countries, home. While its population was about the same as Texas’ at that time, the land mass is 13 times smaller than the Lone Star State. “As a West Texan, I’d always taken elbow room for granted,” Stan said. “After seeing my European friends’ lives and their reaction to our ranch, I understood that open space that allows people to get away from other people has value.”
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This realization coincided with the first wave of Texas’ nowongoing population boom, which led the family to a second realization. In a fast-growing state where at least 94% of the land is privately held, demand for open space and outdoor recreation could eventually outstrip Texas’ supply of state and federal parks. “There seemed to be an opportunity for families who were willing to open their gates,” said Stan, whose off-the-ranch professional experience is in marketing and management. “Hospitality seemed a logical choice for us, so we just jumped in and did it.” In hindsight, Stan recognizes the family and the operation would have benefited from thinking through an organizational structure before they began. As it played out, the family operated informally for almost a decade. Stan oversaw recreation while his brother Chris grew into a role of managing the ranch’s agricultural pursuits. “Everything was just hodge podge,” Stan said. “It drove me crazy because I like to operate in compartments and know where money is coming from and where it’s going.” Plus, as the oldest of the fifth generation in the ranching family, Stan wanted to create a culture where his sister
