Have you ever heard a rancher say that he picked his job because he knew he was gonna strike it rich?  Ya, its not gonna happen.  We choose this job for the lifestyle.

We raise calves to sell, raise grain and alfalfa for feed and raise horses to ride.  But I think that the greatest crop that is ever raised on the ranch are kids.

When I look at my children, The Rancher’s children, I am amazed at how much our lifestyle is raising them to be people of integrity, even at such a young age.  This was how The Rancher was raised.  In fact, I don’t know how many parents get the kind of yield out of their kids like Rancher Sr does out of his five boys.  Everyone of them is honest, hard working, kind, and generous.  That isn’t just luck but good parenting- good fathering.

And by no surprise, this is how I was raised.  We learned to work and to take responsibility by things we learned from the ranch.  We learned to be accountable for our actions and to take in stride whatever hitches were thrown at us.

Today I am very grateful for the fathers in my life and for all fathers.  But I am especially grateful for the ranching fathers, that use every day to teach their children by the way they live and work every day.  I don’t know if there is any way to teach a lesson than by example, like these men have done.

Rancher Sr. helping The Rancher’s Boy

Rancher Sr. and The Rancher working together

My dad taking The Rancher’s Boy out fishing

The Rancher taking the kids for a ride in the tractor