I am viewed as the young kid by many producers. I am 38, hardly a kid anymore. Our industry is plagued by high initial investment costs that are prohibitive to younger folks who want to get into it, and a migration of younger people who grow up in the industry and are lured away by regular hours and higher pay checks with greater security. This is not an industry for the faint of heart, but one that also comes with great rewards of freedom, days out on the land and the exhilaration that comes with the daily fight for survival. I love the fight; that’s a part of who I am. To me, anything worth doing must be hard fought for.
I often hear ranchers make statements that there aren’t young people who want to get into the industry. I am calling foul on that. As a university educator and a rancher, I talk to young folks all the time who are eager and willing to join the front lines and give it all they have. These are intelligent and motivated people. My wife and I are some of the fortunate ones; we built it from scratch, but we had help from some old timers who threw us a bone from time to time. Not in the form of money, but advice and information, and most importantly, they were willing to put us together with folks who had land to lease to get us started.
Often I see established operations grow not because they needed to or even wanted to, but because someone who wanted to retire went to them with land to lease or cows to run on shares and they thought “no one else would be interested.” From a bird’s eye view, I see opportunities for the industry to put their money where their mouth is and make a real investment in the future of this industry. I realize folks need to look after their bottom line for their family’s sake, but still I wonder what the possibilities could be.
What would happen if instead of expanding an already solvent operation, we helped pass along some opportunities to young folks who are truly hungry for it? What would happen if we changed our mindset from wanting more for ourselves to wanting to see a new generation rise up and take the reins of the industry? We have the opportunity to propel this industry and encourage new entrepreneurs, but it requires sacrifice on our part. Are we in this solely for ourselves? Or do we want to leave a more lasting and richer legacy of our lives behind?
As for me and my wife, we have made the decision to provide our kids with the opportunity to make a living in this great industry. We will teach them the skills they need at home, provide for opportunities for education, and when the time comes, if they want to, they will be able to come back and make an adequate living from the land and livestock. It means sacrifice in money, time and personal aspirations, but the goal is bigger than that. Our goal is to see family ranches continue, instead of corporate recreational tax write-offs.
We want to see an industry that the rest of the nation looks to and sees as one of great ethics and a role model to follow. As a result, we may not accumulate great wealth by the world’s standards, but true wealth is not measured in dollars.
The next time you are at your local sale yard, look a little harder – you just might see someone with the hunger in their eyes that you had when you started out. When you see them, instead of telling them they are fighting a battle they can’t win, give them some advice, a pat on the back, and encourage them any way you can to keep fighting, trying and getting back up when they get knocked down. Trust me; I’ve been there. It will change their lives. The future of this industry lies in the hands of those who are willing to fight for it. Will you? 
Billy Whitehurst has spent several years as a working cowboy, rancher, land and livestock consultant, BQA trainer and university extension educator in Tennessee, North Carolina, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. He currently resides near Cardwell, Montana. Email Billy Whitehurst.
PHOTO: Two young cowgirls at work. They are the real future of our industry. Photo by Billy Whitehurst.
