“Beef!” At least that was my step-mom’s answer. (In her defense, she was in the kitchen.) What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “Ranch Life”?

Hope ya’ll had a great Easter weekend with family, friends, and good food. The older I get the more it seems I rely on funerals and holidays to make a trip home to see the family. This was actually the first time in 3 three years I have been able to make it home for Easter. Though this year I walked right in the door as the food was being set to eat. I had to get an early start Sunday morning, check the cows, tag new calves, and feed the horses, before making the 2 1/2 hour trip to the grandparents house. Ranch life does not take a break for holidays, sometimes we just have to work harder to fit everything in.

I’ve got a neighbor that just moved to our little town from Tulsa. She’s lived in town all her life and has no idea of what ranch life is like. She caught me for a chat when I was driving out of a pasture one morning. One of her questions was “Do you ever get bored working by yourself out here?” (I had to take a moment to process) Boredom? In ranch life? Guess I never considered that.

This past week was everything but boredom. We had several rounds of thunderstorms, 6.5 inches of rain, and gave vaccinations to a herd of cattle. On top of that we had two separate fences that someone drove through and had cattle out on the busy U.S. highway through town. The resulting traffic jam was the talk of the town. Then there was fixing fences and trimming fallen trees after the storm, and giving my horse an impromptu workout when he decided he didn’t want to be haltered one morning. This week is bound to be just as busy.

Ranch life is anything but slow-paced. Now that we’ve finished calving season, we’re working cattle for Spring vaccinations, soon we’ll be baling hay in the summer, then will come weaning time, and before ya know it fall calving season will be here, then Christmas will come and we’ll be feeding hay. So when those lil ladies at church say “things should be slowing down soon for you on the ranch,” my response, maybe for a week, then we’ll be moving on to the next season.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when I say  “ranch life.” (Better not say long, lazy days soaking up the sun…)

Help me out with a future post: How would you define/differentiate the following:

  • Rancher
  • Cowboy
  • Farmer
  • Cattleman
  • Or other words related to those who work in Agriculture…

Published by Ryan Goodman

Ryan Goodman works in grassroots advocacy as a communications consultant with beef cattle farmers and ranchers across the United States. He is a proud alumnus of Oklahoma State University, with studies focusing on cattle reproduction and nutrition. Ryan's experience in the beef industry range from family farms and ranches in several states to large feedlots and non-profit policy organizations. Ryan is an avid trail and ultrarunner, proudly showing how beef can be an important part of a healthy diet and active lifestyle. Find Ryan on social media as @BeefRunner.