3 Tips for Young Ranchers
It’s an exciting time to be a rancher and truthfully, as a young rancher myself I think we have a lot to look forward to. But just because we have a lot to look forward to doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of work to do either. One thing I don’t take lightly as a young rancher is that we hold the future of the industry in our hands. Generations before us have put in the work and now it is our turn.
How we choose to show up and do the work will look different for each person but after over 5 years of podcasting and over 200 episodes, here’s what I think we need to do.
#1 Show Up
I’d argue most ranchers are outstanding at showing up for the ranch. This dedication needs to be spread to organizations and meetings that move the needle for the industry too. I always enjoy seeing a full room when I attend meetings, but I don’t see many people without gray hair. Showing up can look like showing up to meetings, serving on a committee, leading a committee or even being on the board. It all depends on your ability to volunteer time.
If you run into challenges where the senior generation also wants to attend the same meetings, ask if you can swap which days you are gone or find a neighbor to look after things for a day or two. Get creative and don’t let day-to-day ranch chores hold you back from doing your part and getting involved.
#2 Ask Questions of the Older Generation
About all those people with gray hair…what a great opportunity for the rising generation to learn from so many people! Part of the reason I enjoy hosting a ranching podcast is because it is the best continuing education experience I could have ever created. Creating opportunities to visit with people for even 15 minutes can create so many learning opportunities.
Whether you want to ask a friend, neighbor or family member questions about their experiences in the beef industry; here are a few questions to serve as a guide and get the wheels rolling.
Tell me how you got started with ranching?
How has your operation shifted since you got started?
If you could start over, what would you do differently?
Which years were the hardest and how did you overcome them?
If there is one piece of advice you’d give all young ranchers, what would that be?
Conversing with and learning from seasoned ranchers can be enlightening. Sometimes you see how some challenges are still the same. Other times you see how different things are!
#3 Check Your Mindset
Every generation seems to think they had or have it worse than any other. I’m not sure if it’s true or where this entirely comes from but it is a mindset I choose to distance myself from. I don’t find it beneficial for my own personal growth or growth of our business.
I believe each generation faces their own unique challenges and a small challenge for one person might be a big challenge for another and vice versa. It all comes down to being grateful and gritty.
Be grateful for the advantages we have and the little things in life. Get gritty with challenges and lean into them to find enjoyment. These challenges can be where you find friendship, mentorship and total breakthroughs if you truly choose to have an open mind and seek help from others.
The list of things young ranchers should do to be successful is a long one but these three tips are the ones that stick out the most to me after over 5 years of podcasts and a (young) lifetime of ranching.
