Working Ranch Blog

Dead week is finished, Calf Fry is wrapping up, and Finals week is here. Graduation is only days away and I am searching for more ways to procrastinate my studies. I do my best work out in the pasture so I have found a fencing project just outside of Stillwater as my get-away. There is nothing like building a little fence and taking a moment to soak it all up, just sitting there in the middle of the pasture.

There is an art to building a good fence. It is something my dad taught me from a young age, and a craft that I am still trying to perfect after working on fences in Arkansas, Texas, Wyoming, and Oklahoma. Every situation is different and there is a different plan for each project. I love to share with others the things that I love to do, so I usually try to bring an extra hand or two out with me to lend a hand (and the clips do not exactly put themselves on the fence!). One weekend a couple of guys came out looking for some weekend cash. They have weekday jobs in town, but they are still good at the basic mechanics of things. Over lunch, they started discussing the happenings at their work place. After a half hour of listening to their complaints, moans, and groans about their supervisors, paychecks, and co-workers, I realized something that struck home. I am so thankful that I love what I do for a living.

I guess in some ways I have grown up a sheltered life. My entire life, for the most part, has been spent working on the farm or ranch. Even while in college, I have worked odd jobs for hobby farmers and ranchers close to town, so I really have never worked side-by-side with those that have jobs in town. I may complain about work on a bad day. It might be the weather if it is muddy and cold. Heck, we all complain in the moment when that heifer seems to call for our help when it comes to calving late at night. However, day in and day out, if you ask me if I would change jobs, the answer would be an immediate “Not a chance!”

I am so thankful that I love what I do for a living. I love the ranch lifestyle, my working environments, and the opportunity to interact with the livestock. I love the challenge that comes with caring for my stock and the independence that is life in Agriculture. There is no other place I would rather live. Working with cattle and ranching is my passion. It is something that I am willing to do for little to nothing, just some food at night and a bedroll to sleep in. I understand that not everyone can experience this way of life, but I hope everyone at least get the chance to experience it once. Until then, I just keep sharing my stories of why I am Agriculture Proud.

Tell me why you are thankful to be part of Agriculture. A great place to find stories from others is the Facebook group, “I am Agriculutre Proud.” Also, if you are on Twitter, use the tag #AgProud. Send me an email (rjlgoodman@hotmail.com), or look me up on Facebook or Twitter. Until next time, ARranchhand.

CattleFact: When large-scale projects began in the 1880’s, it was to prevent cattle from drifting south in the Panhandle and Southern Plains regions. Early on, many barbed wire fences were used to keep cattle out of certain places, rather than to keep them in. Read this interesting history of barbed wire from the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.