Meet Robyn from The Ranch Wife Chronicles as she shares her story of how she and her husband came to be ranchers.
Hello from the South Dakota Prairie! I am Robyn from
The Ranch Wife Chronicles.
My Husband, J, and I ranch with J’s parents and are the 4th generation to continue this traditional way of life. J is home full time with his folks and I have a job in town. We have a cow/calf operation and run a few yearlings. Our farming is primarily small grains that we harvest for hay.
I was raised in South Central Nebraska on a cow/calf operation. Growing up my sister and I showed steers and lambs. Both my parents grew up with agriculture in their background.
J and I are both graduates of South Dakota State University’s Animal Science Program. I was on the Livestock Judging and Evaluation Team and did a little Meats Judging. J worked in the Meat Lab and helped with research there. We met at college, married and began our ranching adventure in 2004.
There are many characteristics of our lifestyle that we enjoy. J and I feel strongly about carrying on a time-honored family business. We are very lucky that J’s folks feel the same. J likes the fact that everyday is different and every season is the same. He never knows what will greet him when he walks out the door, but it keeps him on his toes. I enjoy working with the cattle and doing what I can to support our dream.
Gretchen Rubin, author of
The Happiness Project, says “What you do everyday matters more than what you do once in a while.” Taking care of our family, being stewards of the land and producing quality food to the best of our ability are the everyday things that matter. As we go through our daily tasks, the seasons of our work and the hard days we try to keep in mind, that we are making a difference. J and I are continuing a family tradition; a way of life we hope to pass to the next generation.
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