Knott Land and Livestock

“When it comes to the question of how I got interested in agriculture, I suppose it’s best to understand I was born into a ranching family that had very recently lost our ranch and exited the business. In that sense, I have always been interested in agriculture, because it is what shaped my family’s values, habits, traditions, and pastimes.” Read more here.

Sather Farm and Ranch

“Agriculture is pretty much where my interests and philosophies in life pointed me to. It definitely took me a while to get there, because I was not exposed to much agriculture as a kid.” Read more here.

Coulter Family Ranch 

“Since I was a kid I’ve always been around agriculture, from participating in my family’s olive orchard harvest to the annual pig slaughter. I always enjoyed these experiences and dreamed about becoming a farmer someday, but I didn’t know how to connect that dream with my reality.“ Read more here.

Mannix Ranch

“The hard plastic seat of the children’s swing cupped my lanky nine-year-old legs perfectly. My fingers curled around the rough, vinyl rope that suspended the swing from the arbor. It attached just below the grape vine, that although beautiful, would come to be an abounding source of food for our Norwegian roof rat infestation.” Read more here.

Oxbow Cattle Company

“A sense of community is so important to a meaningful life and I believe contributes the most to a purposeful life. To share ideas and beliefs with people you trust is key to feeling fulfilled.” Read more here.

Veebaray Ranch

“I associate meaning with work towards something greater than the individual. I believe sustainably managing the land we live on is intrinsically tied to the common good.“ Read more here.

Indreland Ranch

“A meaningful life. A small but powerful idea that myself and many others have been chasing after for most of their lifetime. For the majority of my life, I have held a curiosity for the land and the creatures living on it.” Read more here.

Western States Ranches

“It’s hard to believe I’ve been here almost 2 months already! Days go slowly but the weeks fly by. When I arrived at Western States Ranches in early March, I was thoroughly overwhelmed.” Read more here.

Rafter W Ranch

“I grew up in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia. I never really paid much thought to where food came from, even as I experienced working in community gardens.“ Read more here.

Lightroot Community Farm 

“There is no one thing that led me to agriculture but I have always been headed here in my roundabout way.  When I was four years old my friend and I decided that we would be getting married when we were all grown up; the only problem was that he wanted to live in New York City and I wanted to farm.“ Read more here.

Round River Resource Management 

“A meaningful life to me at its simplest is one where I wake up everyday feeling good about the work that I am doing. Even when the work is hard, if I feel what I am doing is contributing to an even bigger and more beautiful picture, that is a meaningful life to me.” Read more here.

Round River Resource Management

“Growing up, I was told stories of the years my mom spent working ranches from horseback. The numerous adventures and exciting tales captured my imagination and it was with great pride that a three year old Joshua declared, “When I grow up, I want to be a cowboy!” “ Read more here.

Richards Ranch

“Human life has been built around agriculture for thousands of years, and to this day we still remain largely an agrarian society. Much like our ancestors, my interest in agriculture was led quite literally by a gut feeling; the need for sustenance and love for food.“ Read more here.

Round River Resource Management

“To me, the idea conveyed in the term “regenerative agriculture”, is a practical approach to growing  food that prioritizes optimal land use over maximum land use. Its implementation requires a deep  knowledge of animals, plants, soils and the environment, and foresight to plan for the long-term benefit of the land and animals under the stewardship of the farmer or rancher.” Read more here.

Western States Ranches

“I’ve always loved being outside. When I was in high school, I wanted to lead backpacking trips for a living, and, being from Austin, I lamented the lack of public land in Texas and relished the opportunities I had to explore the public lands of the West and all the raw beauty they had to offer.“ Read more here.

Charter Ranch

“I feel my land ethic is continually changing, as I gain experiences with different landscapes and communities.  My understanding of land ethic centers on community and how we interact and treat those within that community.“ Read more here.