Ranching on the prairie is an act of determination and faith, set to the cycles of life and weather. Our livelihood both demands and richly rewards a close relationship with nature.

Through the seasons, the northern prairies are well-tended by men and women who run ecologically-sustainable ranches, and in doing so, take care of their families and the wildlife that surround them. It is true that some ranches are better managed than others, but those among us who abused the prairie starved out and were forced to leave long ago. There’s not a lot of room for error in this harsh environment.

Cowboys are beloved heroes of Hollywood, but the lives of ranchers today have little in common with those legends of the big-screen. Like people everywhere, we are working to improve our businesses, care for our families, and participate in close-knit communities. As ranchers, our added focus is to care for the land so that we leave it in better condition than when we received it.

In the sections that follow, we invite you to glimpse the world in which we live and raise our families.

Photo © Leo Barthelmess