Cowgirl boots, hometown roots Family medicine practitioner embraces ranching lifestyle while serving her community Lusk – Born and raised north of Harrison, Neb. on her family’s cow/calf ranch, Dr. Joleen Falkenburg has always known she wanted to practice family medicine. Growing up, she attended high school in Edgemont, S.D. and went to Creighton University for her post-secondary education. She later received her doctor of medicine from the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine. Joleen’s passion for medicine blossomed into helping people, but started with caring for animals. Early inspirations “My dad would do a lot of caesarean sections on cows at the ranch, because when you’re in the middle of nowhere, it’s hard to get a veterinarian out,” Joleen says. “Getting to be my dad’s surgical assistant through calving and other complications during ranching encouraged me the most.” Joleen spent a lot of time in the fields with her dad caring for livestock, but her parents always supported a postsecondary education because ranching was something she could always fall back on, she shares. Practicing medicine and ranching has been a family affair for Joleen and both of her sisters. “During my last year of high school, I was able to visit my older sister in Tennessee where she was practicing medicine, and this was probably another big push for me to continue on through this path,” she explains. Hometown roots Joleen takes pride in her hometown roots. After completing her three-year residency in family medicine at the Rapid City Regional Hospital, she found herself on a ranch near home. “My husband and I started ranching on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota with his family after my residency, and we were looking for our own place,” she shares. “My cousin owned some land south of my dad’s, and we were fortunate to buy the ranch from him.” Prior to her current position, Joleen spent many hours on the road traveling back and forth to Custer, S.D. for work, and when her children hit school age, practicing in Lusk only made sense. One day, she called the chief executive officer at the Niobrara Community Hospital and inquired about a position, and she has been there ever since. “They thought I had kind of fallen out of the sky because they had been looking for a permanent position for a longtime,” she jokingly shares.
Joleen was happy to make it back home to a community she loved dearly. Niobrara Community Hospital Joleen has been practicing family medicine for 19 years, with eight of those years serving the community in Lusk, she shares. When asked about what she enjoys most about her career, she says, “I’m really fortunate to live and work in this community because people are very appreciative of me being here, but they also tend to really come in when there is really a need.” “You’re not going to find a lot of people who walk in and don’t truly have something wrong with them,” she continues. Ranching and agriculture make up a large sector of the Niobrara County community, and when patients come in for care, it’s probably serious, Joleen shares. “I appreciate the very genuine, down-to-earth type of people, and in return, we grew up in the same area, so we usually have something in common,” she explains. “In Wyoming, we know how to take care of each other, and it’s a good, working relationship.” “I’m very thankful I took the pathway I did to become a physician, and it’s really rewarding to go out into this community and take care of patients,” Joleen says. “This population in particular is very grateful, and it’s been very rewarding for me to have ranching, healthcare and my family all be a part of my life.” Family life Outside of practicing medicine, Joleen spends time with her husband Bryan and their three children: 15-yearold daughter Blaise, 13-yearold son Brody and 10-yearold son Baxter. “My husband has always ranched and is very much the epitome of a cowboy,” she shares. “He’ll do everything horseback no matter the weather outside.” Together, the family raises a spring-calving Black Angus cow/calf herd. Joleen praises her husband for all the work and effort he has contributed towards their ranch and raising their children while she works. “My husband is very good at multitasking and making this all work for our family,” she says, noting their children enjoy riding and working on the ranch alongside their dad. “My kids all rope and my daughter has trained all of her own barrel racing horses and competes in high school rodeo in Nebraska,” Joleen shares. “We go down the road quite a bit to some competitions, but I let her do the
competing part.” Growing up, Joleen thought it would fun to be a barrel racer, but found herself putting up a lot of hay with her dad and didn’t have time to rodeo. She enjoys getting to watch her children do something they love. “I can do a lot of sorting with cattle and do all of those things on a ranch that need to get done, but you probably won’t find me signed up for a roping; and if so, I’m probably not going to be a very good partner,” she jokes. Meaning of ranching When asked about what ranching means to her, Joleen shares what it means to her to leave a legacy for her children through being a
caring steward. “Ranching has a lot to do with our heritage and the fact that we really want to sustain our western heritage and our way of life, because it is the best way to raise our children,” she explains. Ranching is the best way to teach children how to be self-sustaining, and it teaches skills in caring for yourself and raising your own food, Joleen says. “The most important thing to me more than anything, is to leave a legacy behind of productive children who can leave the world a better place, and I think ranching certainly does that,” she says. Words of wisdom Ranching and medicine has provided Joleen opportunities to learn life lessons and leave a legacy of knowledge. “I think if you get up in the morning and have a good work ethic it will serve you
Family traditions – The whole family is involved on the ranch and skilled horsemen. Pictured from left: Blaise, Bryan, Joleen, Baxter and Brody Falkenberg. Elise Fortune Photography photo
in whatever you do,” she says. “My kids love the ranch and riding their horses, but if the world changes and they aren’t able to continue that path, they’re still going to have a good work ethic to get a job or be accomplished and productive in other avenues.” “Wake up in the morning, be ready to go, have a good work ethic and do what’s
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right by yourself and others, and you can’t go wrong,” she concludes. “If you want to go down the road and be successful, you’re going to have to do some of the hard work on your own.” Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr. net.
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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
Winter cattle feeding Local rancher utilizes bale grazing technique
Feeding cattle – Bale grazing is a technique Nancy Harsy has utilized to ensure cattle are fed during winter months. Courtesy photo
Lusk – Roughly nine to 10 years ago, Nancy Harsy started looking for property in Wyoming and settled the Harsy Land and Cattle Ranch on a property roughly five miles south of Lusk on Highway 85. Before buying the ranch in Niobrara County, Nancy bought property in Goshen County, which was enrolled into the Conservation Reserve Program. The Lusk-based ranch is her main headquarters and has a great infrastructure for ranching, she shares. Cattle business Nancy, who is originally from Illinois, is no stranger to the cattle industry. As a small child she spent a lot of her time on her father’s ranch in southern Illinois. “My father was a cattleman and a farmer,” Nancy notes. “I’ve had no formal education in farming or ranching, except from learning from my
father and experiencing some good ol’ hard luck.” Nancy has learned a lot throughout the years. Prior to moving to Wyoming, she raised registered Angus cattle and had a spring- and fall-calving herd. Over the years, Nancy raised and showed cattle, but when she relocated to Wyoming, she sold her fall-calving herd and moved her herd of 75 spring-calving cows with her. When Nancy first moved to her property, she noted there was room to make improvements. “The ranch was very adequate with interior fencing, excellent watering points and well-managed grass,” she says. “There was room for more improvement to run more cattle per acre.” Bale grazing “When I bought this ranch, I implemented Continued on next page
Grazing layout – Setting up the bales takes planning, according to Nancy, but is easy to do. She places hay bales into grid sections fenced with electric fence. Courtesy photo
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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
Continued from previous page intensive grazing,” she shares, noting she utilizes interior electric fencing to accomplish her grazing goals. Intensive grazing is a grazing system where animals are allowed to only graze a small portion of a pasture while giving other sections time to recover. There are several grazing techniques producers in the area utilize. Alongside intensive grazing, Nancy decided to try implementing bale grazing because it offered several benefits. Nancy credits Bud Williamson of Williamson Land and Cattle of Moorcroft for introducing her to bale grazing, which is utilized often in northeastern Wyoming. “Bale grazing is an easy practice anyone can do without spending all day feeding,” says Nancy. Setting up the bales Shortly after meeting Bud, Nancy was introduced to another rancher, Linda Lawrence, who raises Brangus cattle in Montana. Several years ago, Linda overwintered around 100 head on the Harsy Land and Cattle Ranch and the cattle grazed bales. “A cow will consume about 30 pounds of dry matter each day,” says Nancy. “It takes some planning, but once you set out the bales, its easy.” Ranchers who want to practice bale grazing need to know the weight of each bale in order to figure out how long the bales will last. When setting out the bales, Nancy shares it’s important to consider how long producers plan to bale graze.
“When making the grid of hay, you figure to move the fence every week or every two weeks,” says Nancy. “I make sure all the hay has been eaten and if I need to be gone for a longer period of time, I can move the electric fence over another row.” Bale grazing benefits Bale grazing not only improves ground conditions, but significantly impacts organic matter and produces little waste. “I’m still benefitting from bale grazing residual to this day, because I have another lot right next to where I’ve grazed bales and there is definitely a visual difference,” she shares. “Cattle eat everything to the ground.” In fact, Nancy shares bale grazing produces the least amount of waste she’s seen compared to feeding in Illinois. “Ranchers can also feed older hay or lower quality hay and sprinkle them throughout better hay,” says Nancy. “I started bale grazing as females need more from their diet as they get further along in gestation.” Nancy shares she found it much easier to feed cattle alone this way, even though the bale wrap can sometimes prove challenging. Additionally, bale grazing opened up some options economically. “Bale grazing provided me with a way to sell my hay and gave me some cash flow during the winter time,” she says. “It was a win-win situation.” Bale grazing not only increased organic matter and reduced waste, but improved grass conditions. The hardest part about bale grazing is having moisture in the spring for grass to
grow, she shares. Spare time In her downtime, Nancy runs yearling cattle for a gentleman in northern Niobrara County. At a given time, she can easily sustain roughly 750 yearlings, but commonly grazes nearly 400 to 500 head of yearlings for her friend, and has consistently benchmarked three-plus pounds of gain per day. She also spends her time with her husband, Leonard Pullis and her two sons, Aric Harsy and Aaron Harsy. During the summer months, Nancy partakes in
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The Legend of the Rawhide reenactment at the Niobrara County Fairgrounds as Mother Featherleg. The festival is set for July 8-10 and Nancy invites all to attend. “There will be the reenactment, dancing, several concerts and good food,” she shares. Future advice Bale grazing for Nancy has so far been a one-time occurrence, but she has witnessed several grazing benefits. “I would do it again, but my whole process has changed,” she notes. “For right now my management and ranch practices have
“Bale grazing provided me with a way to sell my hay and gave me some cash flow during the winter time.” – Nancy Harsy changed.” Ranching input costs have affected how ranchers do business, and will do so going into the future, she notes. “We face all kinds of dilemmas, and one of them is going to be our input costs,” she notes. “It’s going to be very hard to
make money this year, but don’t be afraid to take the jump.” Nancy concludes, “Don’t ever say you can’t do it, until you try.” Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.
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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
Multi-enterprise operation Humble mindset brings gratification for Dockery Ranch
True custom beef – The Dockery family utilizes rotational grazing practices to raise beef for custom processing. Courtesy photo
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Lusk – If there is a will, there is a way and this seems to be a mantra for the Dockery family. Starting from scratch with no family land, the family has operated by leasing ground and obtaining some of their own land little by little, which has led them to their operation today. Matt Dockery finds what works in his operation is not just limited to one enterprise or practice. The Dockerys keep busy with anything from growing cover crops, custom haying, rotational grazing and raising custom beef. More than one iron in the fire The Dockery family does not shy away from hard work, as they did not get their start with family land. By leasing ground and purchasing smaller places along the way, they found themselves putting in a lot of upgrades to help bring their own operation success. “We do a lot of rotational grazing, we’ve developed a lot of water, and have done a lot of fencing for our rotational grazing,” shares Matt. “One of the places we have has some old farm ground on it and we’re using some fall crops to graze and try to increase soil health.” A mixture of rye, radishes and turnips can be found in the fall crop. “It was awfully dry this year, but the little bit of snow we got late made the turnips grow really good, which gave them a lot of vegetable matter on top to graze,” notes Matt. Matt likes the addition of manure onto fields while they are grazed, which adds more nutrients and productivity back to
the soil. Then, the next spring the Dockerys will hay the rye, getting both a hay and grazing crop. Along with this, the family also custom bales hay for people around the county and add this to their stack as well. The Dockery place runs a cow/calf operation and will run yearlings when the grass is permitting. “The last few years we have taken most of our cattle to a feedlot and sold them as feeders,” explains Matt. “This year, we are going to try and feed some all the way to fats.” This will be new territory for the Dockerys. Matt’s wife, Tandy, also works as a realtor in town. “We just kind of do everything we can to put this deal together,” says Matt. In addition to the many moving pieces of their operation and business in town, Matt and Tandy are heavily involved in the Niobrara County community. Matt is chairman of the Conservation District and Tandy serves on the fair board. The pair shares the community organizations they’re involved in are incredibly important to them. Dockery Ranch Custom Beef The Dockerys found themselves seeking custom beef as a way to get more for their cattle. Through this enterprise, they found taking market price on everything wasn’t going to get them where they needed to be. “Taking market price for everything is pretty tough when you’re having to purchase land or even lease land at an accelerContinued on next page
“One thing we think is cool, is it is true custom beef. It’s been raised right here in our county and the people who buy it know it’s not an imported product.” – Matt Dockery
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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
New territory – New this year, Dockery Ranch Custom Beef will retain some yearlings to feed out. In years past, the Dockerys have taken most of their calves to a feedlot. Courtesy photo
Continued from previous page ated value,” Matt says. “For years we’ve been buying cattle with good marbling expected progency differences (EPDs), and it seemed like at the sale barn, we just weren’t getting paid for our genetics.” It is a balancing act though, to still producing good cattle for their operation that are able to handle the rough country they run in, but also produce good beef to sell. “When you get them to the feedlot, you need something that will grow and finish well, so we just try to balance it all out,” shares Matt. “We usually feed out our beef by ourselves, except for this
year. This will be the first year we start taking our custom beef somewhere else to be fed.” Matt feels it is easier to take the cattle to feed this year as opposed to bringing the feed to the cattle. The Dockerys have established a relationship with a packinghouse, making it easier to promote their beef. “The packer is U.S. Department of Agriculture inspected, so it’s been a little easier to get our beef processed in a timely manner,” Matt states. Social media and word of mouth has helped promote Dockery Ranch Custom Beef.
Family involvement – Each member of the Dockery family is involved in their multi-enterprise operation. From left to right are Dax and Cady Dockery, Matt and Tandy Dockery and Lexie Dockery and her fiancé Thomas Painter. Courtesy photo
“We’ve had a lot of customers in the past buy beef from us and they pass it on and give us a good review,” shares Matt. “One thing we think is cool, is it is true custom beef. It’s been raised right here in our county and the people who buy it know it’s not an imported product.” Dockery Ranch Custom Beef takes pride in their beef and will deliver to their customers’ doors, often traveling to do so. For more information, visit dockeryranch.wordpress.com. Delcy Bayles is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net
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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
Clark & Associates Land Brokers, LLC Real estate agency specializes in farm, ranch, recreation and auction properties Lusk – Cory Clark received his bachelor of science from Chadron State College in Nebraska and quickly started his real estate career. “In 2000, I joined Pearson Real Estate in Buffalo,” Clark shares. “At the time, John Pearson was the real estate broker and sold a majority of the farm and ranch real estate, and that’s what I wanted to do.” Over the course of four years, Clark learned all he could and started his own company – Clark & Associates Land Brokers, LLC. “I launched the business with two of my closest college rodeo friends, Mark McNamee and Denver Gilbert, both of whom have offices in Buffalo and Billings, Mont.,” he says. The three friends continue to run the company today with 25 licensed agents throughout six states including Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Colorado. The company has sold over $100 million worth of agricultural property per year for 10 consecutive years.
First steps in purchasing a property Throughout the years, Clark has accumulated a few tips for new property owners. “The first step in purchasing real estate is finding a good agent who knows the area, current market and availability of properties that match the needs and desires of the client,” says Clark. “Just like getting a good attorney, doctor or accountant, a full-time and knowledgeable land broker is important when buying and selling real estate.” The company takes pride in hiring individuals who started out from hard working ranch roots – “living the life” of ranchers – which allows agents to develop a true insider’s point of view and knowledge of the land. Real estate myth Purchasing property is a big financial decision. Finding a real estate agent that understands the market is key. “In my opinion, a myth about real estate is that it’s easy,” Cory says. “One needs to be educated about the market and what the client is wanting to buy or sell includ-
“Having the ability to wake up every day and meet new clients, reunite with long-term clients that have become friends and see new properties throughout six states is truly a dream job for me.” – Cory Clark
ing: water and mineral rights, easements, current land values, 1031 tax regulations, title insurance, carrying capacity, soil types and real estate contracts – just to name a few.” It’s like any other profession and it takes hard work with a solid understanding, he explains. Marketing approach Clark & Associates has a proven track record of selling over 90 percent of the properties they list. The company takes pride in offering the highest quality service coupled with excellent results for both buyers and sellers. Additionally, the company has been named one of America’s Best Brokerages by The Land Report for 10 years in a row. It takes determination from all the brokers and real estate agents to serve the people of Wyoming and surrounding areas. For each listing, Clark & Associates provides complete and accurate information on both their website listing and property brochures. Included in the listing are property maps, color photographs and a comprehensive report listing water rights information, forage production, mineral rights, livestock carrying capacity, leases, cash flow and social, cultural and recreational amenities of the property. Listings of potential properties are made available to millions of people throughout the U.S. and the world. It’s the goal of Clark & Associates to customize advertising on a caseby-case basis so each listing is accurately marketed and reaches the maximum num-
Rodeo friends – Denver Gilbert, Mark McNamee and Cory Clark founded Clark & Associates Land Brokers, LLC after competing in college rodeo together. The trio works hard to serve Wyoming and the surrounding states. Courtesy photo
ber of potential buyers. Employees attend regular training seminars on taxation, financing, sales, listing and marketing properties, appraisals, trust and advertising, ethics and easements to stay up to date on current information to better serve the community. Clark & Associates also offers auctioneer services in conjunction with McNamee Land & Auction Company, which is owned by Cory’s real estate partner Mark and his brother Michael McNamee, who is also a sales associate with Clark & Associates. Together, Mark and Michael have operated their own auction company since 1977 and they offer a onestop-shop when it comes to real estate, machinery and livestock auction needs. Community involvement Not only do Cory and the rest of the Clark & Associates team focus on helping resident and non-resident owners of Wyoming purchase properties, in recent years the company has assumed additional responsibilities of helping new ranch owners find the right
people to operate the ranch to its greatest potential. “In addition to consulting with the owner regarding the production and/or marketing of crops and livestock, lease negotiations, developing an overall ranch management program and budget, we also work with the ranch manager to put these plans in to action,” reads the Clark & Associates webpage. “Throughout this relationship, our top priority is providing excellent representation to the owners of these ranches while striving to improve the quality of their real estate investment.” Providing top-quality ranch management services to ranch real estate investors is their way of ensuring this legacy will continue. Clark & Associates tries to give back to local communities when given the opportunity to do so by attending junior livestock sales, fundraisers, hosting Roping for Toys events and supporting local FFA and 4-H programs, Clark shares. The company is also involved with several associations and organizations, including: National Asso-
ciation of Realtors, Wyoming Association of Realtors, Montana Association of Realtors, Douglas Board of Realtors, Realtors Land Institute and the Colorado Multi-Listing Service. Great partnerships and friendships There are many great services the company offers, and Clark has enjoyed his time with his company. “Being surrounded with great partners, associate brokers, sales agents, web designers and office staff for the past 21 years has allowed us to create a company that takes pride in brokering farm, ranch and recreational properties,” concludes Clark. “Having the ability to wake up every day and meet new clients, reunite with long-term clients that have become friends and see new properties throughout six states is truly a dream job for me.” For more information, visit clarklandbrokers.com and mcnameeauction.com. Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.
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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
Show cattle in ranching country Matt Jameson strives to provide quality show projects to producers across the region Lusk – Matt Jameson was first introduced to showing when he was a small child and grew up showing in local shows and 4-H shows. Located south of Lusk, his focus today is on raising quality beef projects for exhibitors across the Midwest with his wife Kellie, five-year-old son Jhett and two-year-old daughter Landree. Show cattle inspiration Matt started his own cattle business full time in 2001. In 2015, Matt started working for Asche Show Cattle and Frye Ranch helping raise show cattle. When the Fryes decided to sell out, Matt and Greg Asche decided to run their cattle together for another four years, he explains. “Greg decided to retire this year and with the drought, we decided to cut our numbers down,” says Matt. “Today, we have about 33 bred cows.” Matt has scaled down recently due to feed prices, but is looking to rebuild the herd down the road. Going forward, Matt plans to continue with embryo transplants and artificial insemination to produce the best show prospects possible. Show cattle connections Throughout the country, Matt has developed close friendships with show cattle producers, exhibitors, cattle traders and businesses. “We work with a variety of producers and exhibitors form across the country,” Matt shares. “Right now, we’re trying to put up a house, so we have been super busy with that project.” When Matt is not busy working with cattle and raising his family, he spends his free time as a grounds keeper at the Niobrara County Fairgrounds. Biggest accomplishment Several years ago, Matt produced the Champion AOB at Ohio State Fair in 2015 and the Fourth Overall Prospect Steer at the National Western Stock Show in 2016. There will be bigger accomplishments as the family hits the show road, but for now, one of Matt’s greatest accomplishments is providing the best cattle possible. “Having some great
cows of my own and raising quality projects is my greatest accomplishment,” Matt says. “It’s great having success in the show pen, but being able to raise a great cow instead of having to go out and buy her, is what I’m most proud of.” Depending on the year, a majority of prospects go to families throughout Wyoming, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Colorado and California to name a few. Club calf sales Previously, Matt sold prospects in an online sale. Most recently, he has had success selling calves through private treaty sales. “If someone wants to come in the spring and buy, we welcome interested parties to come out and take a look,” he notes. “During COVID-19, the market was a bit unpredictable and we weren’t sure what was going to happen. So, it was best for me to sell when the buyer was ready.” Matt works with local youth exhibitors, he adds, noting he enjoys watching youth succeed in the show ring. Matt explains, “As we get more involved in the years to come, I’ll get a little bit more aggressive and take some to a few sales and keep a few back for my son to show in Billings and at Black Hills.” “We just have to wait and see what we have for a crop first,” says Matt. “As long as we don’t have too many heifers, we’ll be alright.” Judging show projects Matt Jameson Show Cattle has had a variety of success throughout the industry, but has a type of cattle he prefers to raise. “Every judge is going to like something different,” Matt explains. “I know what kind of cattle I like.” Matt prefers having big, productive cows who can easily calve on their own, and he tries to not keep cows around that don’t work in his program. “I try to have the best genetics that I can,” he says. “I don’t try to be big to just be big, sometimes less is more – I just want to raise the best kind instead of just having the
“It’s great having success in the show pen, but being able to raise a great cow instead of having to go out and buy her, is what I’m most proud of.” – Matt Jameson
most cattle.” It’s the little things Focusing on genetics and raising prospects, as well as cow care in general is what Matt really loves the most about being in the cow business. Matt shares he has had great success with VitaFerm and MultiMin minerals in his feeding program. “To me in the cattle industry, you have to do all of the small things right – you have to outwork your competition at home,” says Matt. “Working hard at home and putting in the extra elbow grease into caring for the cattle – washing, blow drying and general care – is how you win shows.”
Top notch cattle – Matt Jameson Show Cattle produces quality show cattle. Pictured is the Fourth Overall Prospect Steer at the National Western Stock Show in 2016. Courtesy photo
Showing cattle takes more than buying an expensive project and thinking the animal has the potential to take the owner
to the winner’s circle, Matt concludes, noting, “If you don’t do the little things right, you won’t see the same success.”
Brittany Gunn is the editor at the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
Raising well-rounded cattle ZumBrunnen Angus proves diversity is key
Lusk – Originally homesteaded in 1888, ZumBrunnen Angus has been a family operation for well over 100 years. After a decadelong career in engineering,
Jason ZumBrunnen made the decision to return to the family operation and has hit the ground running in the 10 years he has been back. ZumBrunnen Angus
is a family-owned Angus seedstock operation located about 17 miles northwest of Lusk. According to their website, they focus on “devel-
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oping progressive bulls and females to help commercial and registered cattle breeders increase the productivity and profitability of their herds.” In addition to raising high-quality Angus cattle, the family also feeds out their own cattle, as well as some of their customers’ cattle and offers wholesale beef. Balancing genetics and phenotype “We focus more on
females here, and the average cattle we provide have longevity,” Jason explains, noting ZumBrunnen Angus is looking for productive females who are easy fleshing and raise a calf each year. “It makes it easy to market bulls when you have a good cowherd behind them. We strive for both carcass and growth qualities. We want our cattle to read as well on paper as they look on the hoof.” Jason is passionate about
having cattle with genetic potential and the phenotype to match. “I think we can have it all,” he explains. “I want to produce the phenotype people want and have the genetics to back it.” Jason adds, “A lot of people think you have to sacrifice one for the other, but we don’t believe this to be true. I really believe we can have animals that work for everyone.” Continued on next page
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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
Feeding and wholesale meat When Jason originally moved back to the family ranch after 10 years in engineering, his thought was feeding cattle was a natural next step for growth in the operation. “We say we are selling these great genetics and we wanted to prove how great our genetics were,” he explains. “We started out by just feeding out the tail end we didn’t want to keep as bulls or replacements and sending them through the feedyard. Then, we started taking in some of our customers’ cattle. We are getting premiums and selling carcasses off the grid.” Jason notes the meatselling business came about in a time of economic uncertainty, as the price of feeder cattle and futures tanked in 2020. “We were looking to face a really big loss that year and we were scrambling to figure out what we were going to do,” he says. “We decided we were going to try and sell as many as we could through direct sales.” Jason continues, “Inputs got higher and higher, so we just started advertising, found as many butcher slots as we could and we sold beef mostly through social media.” Jason notes the direct meat sales opportunity really got them out of a pinch in an uncertain market on fed cattle and they are continuing to sell their meat directly to the pub-
lic. Customers can now purchase on their website and can reserve a half or quarter carcass and pay with a credit card. The history and the future Jason’s father and grandfather started raising Angus cattle in 1952 and stuck with the breed. Jason has been interested in cattle his whole life and was thrilled to get back to the ranch after 10 years in another sector. “We have been back about 10 years and my parents were still selling privately, about 20 to 30 bulls a year,” he explains. “We wanted to grow the business to make it more ideal for growth and make it possible for my kids to come back as well. I am the fifth generation, and my kids are the sixth generation on this place.” He continues, “My parents have grown the ranch quite a bit and hopefully we will be able to grow a little bigger. With all of that, comes building within our community and making sure what we are doing is helping our customers, our business and everyone in between.” Jason sees a lot of potential for their meat business and the younger generation coming into ranching. “We sold probably 85 steers last year to people who were looking for beef straight from the ranch,” he says. “I think this type of market has a lot of opportunity for growth.” “I also think most ranch-
ers are older right now and the opportunity for younger people to get in and thrive is coming,” he says. “I really hope my kids want to come back and we are working to give them that option, but if they want to do something else, that is okay too.”
For more information about ZumBrunnen Angus, visit zbangus.com. Callie Hanson is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.
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Growing business – Over the years, ZumBrunnen Angus has grown as different generations have taken over. Jason hopes his children have the same opportunity to get into the ranching industry. Courtesy photo
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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
True to tradition
Baars Ranch looks to the future but stays rooted in tradition Lusk – Originally homesteaded in 1911, the Baars Ranch has a long history in Niobrara County and deep ties to agriculture advocacy in the area. Chelsea Baars is the fourth generation on the ranch and is proud to keep the tradition of both ranching and advocating for Wyoming agriculture.
Four generations deep “My great-grandpa Fred originally homesteaded the place in 1911 and staying true to our heritage is something that has always been a goal for us,” says Chelsea. “Fred came from South Dakota in search of water.” The story is, Fred stopped at every diner in
Branding pen – Baars Ranch typically calves and brands later than most ranches to avoid issues associated with winter calving. Courtesy photo
every town between Lusk and South Dakota and asked for a glass of water – if he didn’t like the water, he moved onto the next town. He eventually ended up in Lusk, liked the water and went directly to the land office. Fred built a house, and his wife and kids eventually came to meet him in their covered wagon. Since then, the Baars family has always been involved in cattle ranching. Chelsea notes there are photos of her great-grandfather with his Hereford cattle in front of a barn on the place. “My father’s family was very into registered Herefords for a long time and eventually made the switch to Angus cattle,” Chelsea explains. “When my parents came back to the ranch in 1994, they decided to switch to Angus cattle as the market had shifted to favor
Generational ranching – From left to right, Kerby, Denise, Chelsea and Kevin Baars represent the third and fourth generation on the Baars Ranch. Courtesy photo
black cattle.” Day-to-day operations The Baars are primarily focused on selling yearlings each summer. “We raise non-registered commercial calves and keep the yearlings to sell
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the following summer,” she explains. “Our family had been doing black Angus up until about four years ago and we started implementing Hereford bulls in our herd.” After seeing how hybrid vigor has positively affected some of the neighbor’s cattle, the Baars were looking to add a breed that could help them increase their yearling weight. “We are really chas-
ing yearling weights due to the nature of our operation,” Chelsea shares. “We had the opportunity to buy some Hereford bulls locally, and it has worked out really well for us. The cattle stay fairly small through the winter, but really blossom in the spring.” She notes, they calve later than most in the state and begin breeding their heifers in early-April, with Continued on next page
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Baars ranch – Prior to running Angus cattle, the Baars Ranch focused on Hereford genetics. Courtesy photo
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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
Continued from previous page their grown cows following a few weeks behind. This is to avoid both grass tetany and harsh winter calving. After a rough destocking in 2012 following a drought, Chelsea is excited to have the opportunity to be “picky” about some traits again. “After 2012, we were down to about 50 to 70 cows, and our main focus was to get our herd back to a manageable size,” she notes. “Now that we are at this point, we can be a little pickier and cull some of the cattle that are less sound and docile. We really want cattle that can travel, but are still easy to manage and work with.” Agriculture advocacy The Baars also have a long history of involvement with the Wyoming Farm Bureau (WyFB). Chelsea has
served as both a county president and the Wyoming Young Farmers and Ranchers State chair and her father serves as the Southeast District director. Chelsea’s mother and her grandparents have also been deeply involved in WyFB in their respective counties over the years. Chelsea notes her mother’s grandfather was an avid member of WyFB and instilled a deep passion for promoting and protecting agriculture in Wyoming. “After watching my parents be so involved over the years it was just natural,” she notes. “Some of my earliest memories were at our county fair Farm Bureau barbecue and my job was to pour lemonade. I guess you could say that was my first taste of serving the agriculture community.” “I remember going to
meetings as a kid and sitting in the back with my toys and books and hearing speakers and my parents being so passionate about agriculture,” Chelsea says. “Down the road, we would then hear back how those speakers actually affected ag policy. These experiences really influenced me to get involved.” Chelsea is very passionate about advocating for agriculture, but stresses the importance of staying true to her roots. “I think everyone wants to grow and get bigger, but at the end of the day, I really want to take care of what we have and be a good steward of God’s creations,” Chelsea shares. “This is what matters most to me.” Callie Hanson is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
Docility is key – In addition to yearling weights, the Baars aim to raise cattle that are docile enough to be safely handled on both foot and ATV. Courtesy photo
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Wrangling the horse market
Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
Young cowgirl shares her passion for training and selling horses
Lance Creek – Tessa Manning is a 14-year-old cowgirl who has a passion for horses. She grew up on a fifth-generation ranch with her family and has been involved since she was born.
“I’ve learned a lot about ranching from my grandparents and parents,” Tessa says. “I also learned how to ride at a very young age.” The family’s history and ranching roots run deep, but
Working horses – Working with her horses and on the ranch in the summer and fall seasons is a full-time job for 14-year-old Tessa Manning. She also plays basketball and volleyball in her spare time. Courtesy photo
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when she is not busy playing two high school sports – basketball and volleyball – Tessa spends a majority of her time training and selling horses. Grandpa’s love and influence Until recently, Tessa’s love for horses grew into a passion for working, training and selling the fourlegged friends, and her grandpa Alvin Manning has played a major role in helping her accomplish her goals. “I got involved in selling horses when I was 13 years old,” Tessa says. “The first horse I ever sold was a little Appaloosa pony mare my grandpa bought for $1,450 from a previous sale.” “Grandad knew it wouldn’t take long for me to fall in love. She was lightly started compared to anything I had been on up to that point, but my grandpa told me if I would work hard, I could do good on her and continue selling many more,” she continued. Tessa learned a lot from the Appaloosa mare which she and her grandfather later sold for $9,000 at a sale in Douglas. “My grandpa started and continues to drive my
Pony rides – Tessa Manning spends a lot of time with her horses and desensitizes them to new situations. She sometimes even gives her dog a ride. Courtesy photo
love for horses,” Tessa says. “I’ve had so many opportunities, chances to meet some truly amazing people and the ability to learn and care so much about horses because of him.” Horsemanship skills There are many skills Tessa teaches the horses she works with. “I try to do everything
with them and teach them respectful ground manners, being saddle broke and being able to handle anything extra,” Tessa explained. “Just recently, I learned how to lay a horse down, though I’m far from mastering this skill. Hopefully in a few years I will be able to teach things like that as well.”
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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
Continued from previous page In addition to working with her horses, Tessa showed in 4-H when she was 10 and 11 years old. She competed in trail, barrels, poles and goat tying. Today, Tessa focuses more on training and selling horses. One of her highest selling horses was sold last year at Jake Clark’s horse sale in Cody, selling for $29,000. Horse characteristics There are several things Tessa’s grandpa taught her to look for in a horse, she shares. This includes clues as to whether horses are smart, gentle, willing, athletic and have a solid build. “While most of these characteristics are not able to be found, sometimes you are able to build them up,” she says. Tessa works with nearly 40 horses on her family’s ranch and is hopeful to have more in the future. “I don’t necessarily have a favorite,” she says.
“I’ve enjoyed working with some more than others, but sometimes the less enjoyable horses are the ones I learn the most from.” “When my grandpa traded and sold horses, he had anywhere between 100 and 150 head of horses out on our ranch,” she explains. “While I hope to eventually be able to attain that, for right now, 40 head of horses is more than enough to keep a freshman in high school who plays two sports plenty busy.” Biggest lessons and future advice Life offers many life lessons, and Tessa notes there are even more valuable lessons when working with horses. It takes hard work, determination and responsibility. “One of the biggest and hardest lessons I’ve learned is to always have patience,” she explains. “You can’t get frustrated, you have to be calm, respectful and brave
when working with horses.” There are several key things trainers need to remember when training horses, and it starts with the horse’s foundation, she shares. “Work on making a solid foundation on a horse you can build up, whether this foundation starts when the horse is one-year-old or 10 years old, it’s important to have a solid, broke horse you can count on,” she says. “Always be patient and learn from everyone and everything possible, especially from the horse.” She encourages horse trainers to push not only the horse out of their comfort zone but the trainer as well. “Work on breaking through comfort zones, always have a good attitude and have even a better plan toward adversity,” Tessa concludes. Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
Family roots – Tessa has learned a lot from her dad, A.W. Manning, and grandpa, Alvin Manning. During the summer months when she’s not riding horses, she helps with all aspects of the family’s ranch. Courtesy photo
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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
Wyoming women of agriculture Retired teacher and longtime sheep and cattle rancher shares her story of success
Lusk – Kathleen Johnson, a successful sheep and cattle rancher in northern Niobrara County has been involved with the ranching industry since she could walk. Growing up on her father’s ranch in Albany County, the Hall Ranch, Kathleen learned about animal husbandry from a young age. “I fed the bum lambs
when I was three years old,” says Kathleen. “If you were able to get around and walk, you always had a job.” Helping her father on the ranch in her younger years inspired her to continue with the ranching lifestyle. Ranching and teaching youth about livestock and ranching has been all she has known, Kathleen shares.
Ranching lifestyle and livestock attributes Throughout Kathleen’s life, she has been heavily involved in the ranching community, raising commercial Angus cattle and Columbia sheep. Kathleen doesn’t purchase any replacement animals, but focuses on raising quality livestock that have adapted Continued on next page
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Enjoying the outdoors – Growing up on the Laramie River, Kathleen Jackson spent many hours fly fishing in her youth. Today, she still likes to get out on the river, cast some flies and catch fish to take home. Courtesy photo
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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
Continued from previous page to Wyoming’s harsh conditions to keep as replacements. “If you’re going to ranch, you might as well use the livestock that has adapted to the environment,” she says. An important attribute of Kathleen’s livestock is uniformity and hardiness. “Producers want their livestock to be uniform and look alike,” she explains, noting she appreciates the uniformity and hardiness of her Black Angus herd. “My cattle are good survivors in the kind of environment I’m ranching in.” “Her cows are not babied,” says Buttons York, Kathleen’s daughter. She says first-calf heifers receive special care during calving season, but mature cows are expected to perform as good mothers. “All of my mother’s cows calve out in a foursection pasture by themselves. They have to survive and mother their calves.” Family involvement Kathleen has three children – Buttons York of Lusk, Katie Smith of Gillette and R.J. Jackson of Rozet. Buttons has a particular interest in continuing with the ranching lifestyle and raises registered Angus bulls alongside her mom. “I’ve really enjoyed my life in production agriculture,” Kathleen says. “At my age, I can’t work very hard anymore so I have to rely on the younger folks in my family or others to do the daily work.” Several of her grandchildren have an interest in ranching and help out when they can. Elly Wurdeman, Odessa Mathias and Laramie Seymour are several of Kathleen’s grandchildren who help with the ranching operation. In addition to her family, there are several young
neighboring ranchers who help out on Kathleen’s ranch, including Dakota Forkner, Colt and Blake Travnicek, Jeremy Faye and Cheyenne Seymour, who is Laramie’s husband. Ranching duties include, but are not limited to, day work and riding health checks on calves. Without their help, Kathleen says it would be tough. Community involvement and overcoming obstacles Giving back to the younger generation is important to Kathleen, and she has been continually exploring opportunities that will allow her to do so. “I have previously done estate planning work, but I’m also looking at my operation and trying to find some ways to help the next generation of agricultural producers involved,” she shares. Kathleen enjoys supporting 4-H programs and purchases livestock at the Niobrara County Junior Livestock Sale where youth exhibitors sell their steers, goats, lambs and chickens. Living a ranching lifestyle has not always been easy for Kathleen and her family. For many years, Kathleen taught school in Saratoga, Laramie and Wheatland to make ends meet while ranching. “It’s been my experience in life that droughts and blizzards are challenging, but survivable,” says Kathleen. “It’s the skyrocketing inflation, fuel prices and politicians that make life really hard for farmers and ranchers.” “Some politicians’ policies tend to really cause harm for agriculturists, to a point where we can’t recover or makes it extremely difficult for us to recover,” she adds. Fishing in free time When Kathleen was not
“It’s been my experience in life that droughts and blizzards are challenging, but survivable.” – Kathleen Jackson
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Growing family – Family involvement on the ranch is very important to Kathleen, who is pictured here with nine of her 11 great-grandchildren. From left to right are Colt, Caylee, Connor and Claire Jackson, Norah Smith, Josey Franzen, Lainey Wurdeman, Kathleen and Jax Franzen, granddaughter Cinnamon Lenhart and great-grandson Amby Lenhart. Courtesy photo
busy with her duties being a wife to her late husband, Dick Jackson, mom to her three children, grade school teacher and a sheep and cattle rancher, one could find her in a river with a dry fly rod. “We lived close to the Laramie River,” she shares. “When I was little, I fished in the creek, and of course those fish went to the house for dinner.” Throughout her lifetime, she has been a near world class fly fisherman, adds Buttons. Today, it would be a bit difficult for the 90-yearold woman to go fly fishing, but if there is a will, there is always a way, Button notes. “You have to get a chair to sit in,” jokes Kathleen. “So, you can fly fish out of your chair. You have to get the correct fly sitting on top of the water so the fish will bite at it and you can catch him.” If there are grey and tan flies or millers sitting on top of the water, she suggests using a grey or tan dry fly of the right size in order to catch a fish.
Success takes a lot of practice with not only fly fishing, but in ranching as well, she adds. Advice for future generations There are a lot of opportunities, experiences and life lessons that come with
ranching. It takes a lot of time, effort and hard work, but Kathleen’s biggest piece of advice, above all, is to go to school and get an education. “I’m glad that I was a rancher and didn’t do anything else,” she concludes.
“If you make a mistake along the way, it’s okay, but you just have to make another decision to correct it.” Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr. net.
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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
Heart and soul operation
Lusk ranchers work tirelessly to build successful ranch Hat Creek – Throughout history, cowboys and cowgirls have dreamt about the days when they could look out over their own herd, scattered across their own piece of land. Pat and Jo Ann Wade’s hard-earned piece of heaven lies north of Lusk at the bottom of the Hat Creek Breaks. The husband-and-wife duo both grew up in eastern Wyoming ranching families – Pat lived north of Torrington and Jo Ann is from east of Node. When they were married, the two began working towards their goal of owning and operating their own place.
Humble beginnings In the beginning, Pat and Jo Ann held outside jobs to support their ranching goals. Jo Ann worked for both the conservation district and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Pat worked a few jobs on ranches, in the oil field and even drove truck. In addition, the Wades owned a wild game processing business – all with the goal of building their herd and buying a ranch. The young couple started out buying small groups of cows or yearlings to run on leased pas-
Independent cows – Pat Wade shares it is really important for their cows to be self-sufficient and earn their keep. Easy fleshing cattle are a must in eastern Wyoming. Courtesy photo
ture. The Wades share, at the time, their most prized possessions were portable panels, a portable loading chute and squeeze chute, their stock trailer and a few good horses. “We bought what cows we could afford and paid cash in the mid 1980s, when everyone thought there would never be another good day in ranching,” Pat jokes. “We run Red Angus cross cattle, and we started out with a motley bunch.” Jo Ann says, “I think our first bunch of yearlings was 10 or 20 head. My mom and dad found a small piece of grass to lease that would run that many, so that’s what we did and it was a big deal to us.” After years of not living where they ranched, Pat and Jo Ann ran across the opportunity to purchase a ranch in 2005 – 26 years into their marriage. The owner at the time wanted the ranch to go to a family who would appreciate and protect the history and integrity of the ranch. Pat, Jo Ann and their young son fit the bill perfectly. The ranch, located north of Lusk, is home to the Hat Creek Stage Station – the
Raising kids and cattle – Pat and Jo Ann’s son Monte gained a solid work ethic from being raised on the ranch. After paying his own way through school, Monte works as a welder out of Kaycee. Courtesy photo
only stage station between Cheyenne and Deadwood, S.D. still standing. The land is rich in history and scenic views. “It was a long time coming,” Jo Ann says. Working cowherd Over the years, Pat and Jo Ann worked to continue adding positive traits to get their cowherd where it is today. “We try to keep our cows somewhat moderate and find the tough balance between smaller-framed cattle that still have performance in the feedlot,” Pat
explains. “It is really important for cows to be really functional,” he continues. “We like them to be really easy fleshing. We don’t supplement much, and we always make sure they have forage but expect them to make their own way – we want a cow that can stay fat and take care of herself.” The Wade’s cows calve outside, and it is important for them to calve on their own. “We calve our heifers out to the extent we can – don’t get me wrong, we
keep our eyes on things, but we want them to do it as much on their own as possible,” Pat says. “I made up my mind quite a few years ago that a cow ought to know more about having a calf than I do.” Nonconventional cattle production In 1994, Pat and Jo Ann started retaining ownership of calves and feeding cattle out. They spay heifers to run as yearlings and have the option of selling or retaining ownership through slaughter. Continued on next page
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In 2011, Pat and Jo Ann Wade received a letter that a pipeline would be built on or near their property, including the possibility of eminent domain. Without much experience at the time in negotiating these situations, Pat reached out to Dan Hanson, another Niobrara County producer. Pat and Dan knew the more people there were working together to negotiate the pipeline, the better chances they had for their concerns to be addressed. Pat explains pipelines utilize the eastern Wyoming corridor because of the possibility to cross on all privately owned land from North Dakota to as far as Oklahoma. The group – Progressive Pathways – ended up representing about three-quarters of the total miles of pipeline right-of-ways in eastern Wyoming from north to south. After joining forces with Frank Falen, of BuddFalen Law Offices, the group made major headway in terms of easement protection and landowner liability. “We also worked on reclamation standards with help from the Niobrara Conservation District, and when we got those in place, we were able to raise the bar in terms of compensation for landowners in eastern Wyoming,” Pat shares. Since the incident in 2011, several more groups of landowners have taken the “group approach” implemented by Pat, Dan and the entire Progressive Pathways congregation to advocate for ranchers’ rights in pipeline development.
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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
Continued from previous page “Due to the nature of how we got started, we’ve had to do some things in a fairly non-traditional way,” Pat shares. “We’ve wintered cows on cornstalks since the early ’90s, as it was a place for a cow to be in the wintertime and we didn’t have any other place.” Pat and Jo Ann have fed out cattle with the same feeder in Henry, Neb. since the beginning, and continue to winter cattle on cornstalks based on the same relationship build in the early ’90s. The Wade’s operation as they know it today was shaped throughout the years by necessity, and their strong relationships continue to prove successful. Success based on faith and support As Pat and Jo Ann reflected on the years leading to their many stories of success, they share it is pos-
sible to get started in agriculture. “There are so many people who say getting into ranching can’t be done now, and it can be done,” Pat says, noting he grew up on a leased ranch. He also shares they have many friends who are starting out the same way. “We started out with not much at all, but we have been very blessed.” Jo Ann adds her mother and father are still running their own operation well into their 80s. “There is going to be a lot of work,” she says. “But, as Pat says, we are blessed.” “We have had the support of so many good people here,” Pat notes. “Niobrara County is a great address to have.” Averi Hales is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.
“There are so many people who say getting into ranching can’t be done now, and it can be done. We started out with not much at all, but we have been very blessed.” – Pat Wade
Rich history – The only stage station still standing between Cheyenne and Deadwood, S.D. – the Hat Creek Stage Station – is located on the Wade family’s ranch. Here, the branding crew poses in front of the station. Courtesy photo
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Prized possessions – When Pat and Jo Ann leased different properties, they utilized portable panels and chutes, as well as good horses. Pat, pictured at their branding, still enjoys a good mount. Courtesy photo
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A piece of golden pie
Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
Baker Quarter Horses boasts quality, high-performing palomino stud
Lusk – Exquisite mind, performance and a golden palomino stallion is what can be found at Baker Quarter Horses in Lusk. Standing at Dick and Connie Baker’s place is the stallion Guys Piece Ofthe Pie – the Baker family’s saving grace in the horse industry. Just when the Bakers were about to hang the towel up in the industry because of the slow market, Guys Piece Ofthe Pie caught their eye. At the Myers Performance Horse Sale, their addiction to top-
performing horses could not be shaken when being around the stallion. Performance ability with sensibility One of the main reasons the Baker family started raising their own horses stemmed from finding horses for their children. They were always on the lookout for horses with good minds and athletic ability that anyone could swing a leg over. “When our kids were little, we tried to find horses to
Solid conformation and sound mind – Guys Piece Ofthe Pie caught Dick and Connie Baker’s attention immediately. From a young age, the palomino stud has been revered for his cool demeanor and stunning structure. Courtesy photo
get them mounted on,” Dick explains. “We were having a hard time finding horses we liked that had some cow in them as well as athletic ability, but were still gentle enough to stick kids on.” The Bakers were close to calling it quits in the horse industry, as their old stud had broken his hind leg and the horse market was slowing down. They needed to find bloodlines which offered their program more to stay in the business. The Bakers purchased Guys Piece Ofthe Pie right off his dam in 2008, making him a 2007 model. The stud is by Frenchmans Guy and out of Fleeting Pie by Pie In The Sky – superb bloodlines to bring into the Baker’s program. The stud was fantastic, even at a young age, according to the Bakers. All of his positive traits have led the horse to be even more successful throughout his performance years. “Rodney Grote started him on the barrels and ran him at the futurities and derbies,” Dick says. “Then, Jaimie Merrill rode him and won about $35,000 on him.” His earnings come from futurities, derbies, slot races Continued on next page
Performance bloodlines – With Frenchmans Guy on top and Pie In The Sky on the bottom, the Baker’s prized stud has impressive bloodlines. A top performer himself, Guys Piece Ofthe Pie has sired several futurity winners and money earners. Courtesy photo
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ROCKING CHAIR RANCH Dubois, Wyoming 4,660 ± acres | $15,900,000 For over thirty years, Fay Ranches has helped landowners locate, purchase, and sell farm and ranch properties. The agricultural team has extensive knowledge of all aspects of agrarian transactions and a proven ability to source exceptional land assets. Not only that, but our brokers are multi-generational farmers, ranchers, cattlemen, riders, and competitors themselves. As fellow stewards in the agricultural community, they live the lifestyle they sell. I am proud of our reputation for outstanding service, unrivaled expertise, and unparalleled reach. We work hard to maintain the trust we’ve earned from clients throughout the country. It is a privilege to serve those who share our values of responsible land conservation and help guide them to valued investments. I want to personally thank you for considering Fay Ranches when determining your next land transaction. - Greg Fay, Founder/Broker
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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2022 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition
Continued from previous page and professional rodeo money earnings. Dick shares the horse was also a Semi-American qualifier. Guys Piece Ofthe Pie is a sire of multiple rodeo and futurity money earners as well. The right mind for offspring “Besides his color setting him apart, his babies are extremely easy to start training,” shares Dick, noting they rarely have any buck and nonsense is at a minimum – they act like they’ve been ridden their whole lives. “His colts are really easy to start and they’re so smart.”
Dick’s granddaughter also practices showing him, as he is quiet and nice to be around. Along with a good mind, Guys Piece Ofthe Pie offers solid conformation. “When he was a yearling, we hauled him to some shows in Montana, showing him in halter and on the lunge line and he always did well,” Dick says. “We see most of his offspring in the barrel world and in team roping.” Guys Piece Ofthe Pie has colts from California to Florida, all excelling in their respective fields. “He has a gray mare that won the Indian National Finals
this year, he has a stud colt they’re standing in Nevada, which just won a big team roping, and we see a lot of his colts being ridden by college barrel racers,” says Dick. “We hand breed him here at
our place, and we also work with Colorado State University to ship semen,” explains Dick. “His stud fee is $1,300 with a $200 booking fee. He is eligible for Future Fortunes,
Cowboy State Incentive, 5-State Breeders Barrel Futurity and Valley Girls Stallion Incentive. For breeding information, contact Dick or Connie at 307-340-0146, 307-334-3344
Because... “Research is the foundation of consumer trust” -Dr. Cody Gifford, meat scientist and registered dietitian University of Wyoming “We were having a hard time finding horses we liked that had some cow in them as well as athletic ability, but were still gentle enough to stick kids on.” – Dick Baker
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Industry leading genetics and the highest quality Red Angus, with 77 years of Satisfied Customers Beckton has long been the premier breeder of Red Angus cattle which combine calving ease, maternal traits, and rapid growth to yearling age, for maximum overall profitability to commercial cow-calf cattlemen. Beckton’s balanced genetics and emphasis on the maternal traits, have made them the leading choice for commercial replacement females and for building a productive cow herd. And the lower birth weights make them a first choice for breeding heifers. As an indicator for "maternal" traits, the Herd Builder Index is dominated by Beckton bloodlines. 9 of the top 10, 18 of the top 20, and 43 of the top 50 sires in the breed for Herd Builder are Beckton sires or descended by Beckton sires. In the Red Angus breed, 9 of the top 10 sires for Birth Weight EPD, 8 of top 10 sires for Stayability EPD and 8 of the top 10 sires for Marbling EPD are Beckton sires or descended from Beckton sires.
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Delivered free anywhere in the continental U.S. Video of sale animals will be available on our website. Internet and direct line telephone bidding will be available
www.becktonredangus.com becktonwyo@gmail.com 37 Beckton Drive • Sheridan,WY 82801 307-674-6095 • 307-674-8162 - Evenings Fax: 307-672-7281 Cam and Trish Forbes
or by e-mail at baker.horse@ yahoo.com Delcy Bayles is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.