An honest moment.

Ranching isn’t for the faint of heart. You need to be all-in, or don’t even try it. To all the farmers and ranchers out there — you have my sincere respect.

Some truth: I have never wanted to be a rancher. But, I wanted to give it my best shot, and see if I could make it work. At this point in my life, I do not even enjoy ranch work. I don’t want to spend my days sitting on a tractor, tending to cattle, and mending broken fences. I don’t like going to sale barns, and having chats with other local farmers about ag-related things. I don’t get a thrill from predicting how much fertilizer we’ll need this year or next. I sure don’t flip through The Angus Challenger, or The Progressive Farmer with any kind of enthusiasm for what’s on the next page. My heart aches when I hear the cacophony of noise and stress from the cows as they’re moving through the corrals and chutes. I’m too sensitive for this job! The isolation of living alone on 2,000 acres was a lonely, challenging time for this 20-something young lady. My parents enjoyed the ranching lifestyle – in fact, it was their dream. But it’s not mine.

After three years of “running” Blasdel Ranch, I’ve succeeded in some ways, and I’ve failed in others. There have been many beautiful moments and there have been plenty of funny moments, too. I have experienced tremendous personal growth, but also a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety at the helm of Blasdel Ranch.

So, with great peace in this decision, I announce that we’re getting out of the cattle business.

The transition is in progress, and I have some wonderful successors lined up to lease the ranch. They will be stewards of the land, and in the future I will enjoy seeing the beauty of (SOMEONE ELSE’S) cattle, grazing in peaceful harmony.

I know that at some point I’ll look back, and remember this period of my life as a time when I just went for it. I jumped into a new lifestyle, gave it a whirl, and learned how to (and how not to) run a business. I tried it, and discovered that ranching is not for me.

Thank you to everyone who has followed along on this incredible journey of mine!

To our foreman Gary and his wife Debbie– if you ever read this, I hope you know how much I appreciate all you’ve done for the ranch. Your honesty, dedication, and hard work have made this difficult period of my life that much easier.

I’m not sure what’s next for me, but I am lucky to have a loving and supportive boyfriend, friends, and family who provide me encouragement as I figure it all out.