Features

A 4-H project that got out of hand. That’s what Tommy Mead of Mead Cattle Enterprises says about his passion for the Hereford breed.

What makes a man who grew up in the San Francisco Bay area choose the life of a cattleman in eastern Oregon? A passion for the beef industry and a knack for the business to make it all work.

It’s what they call “10-40” country; there are varying stories depending on who’s telling it but, essentially, a cow has to have a mouth 10 feet wide and run 40 miles an hour to get enough feed.

Going back to the family farm may be a dream for some, but that doesn’t make it a reality.

When Sally, Drake and Corbin Yon decided to return to their family’s reputable seedstock and row-crop business in Ridge Spring, South Carolina, the legwork had already been done.

Sally: We are all working on the same farm, but we don’t really see a lot of each other. Even though the meetings take longer than needed some days, they are good because they help everyone know what’s going on.

One of the most valuable pieces of advice cattle producer Nick Trainor has to offer young cattlemen is: Learning never stops. This young cattle producer makes it his goal to surround himself with positive-thinking ranchers who want to see him succeed.