The Cost of Ranching 

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, pays the freight both ways." -John F. Kennedy

So much respect for the farming life! I need to get back into this, grew up on a farm but moved to a city in my early twenties. I’m eager to buy my own farm

"How to make a small fortune in ranching?" Start with a large fortune!

If John Marston can do it, I can too

Ranching is romanticized in the media. Thank you for telling us the reality of ranching.

We must protect our ranchers, God bless America 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Im sure some people drive a Lamborghini out to the pasture. Lamborghini started making tractors long before cars

Farmers and Ranchers = National Treasures. Thank you, Sir.

All thanks to agriculture Because with out agriculture we could have starved to death.

I hope my wife doesn't see this video..I've got her thinking we're making money on our farm..lol

i am working on becoming a farmer. not for the money. not for the women. but for the love of waking up and doing something i love and enjoy

God save our farmers, the world over. Great informative video, greetings from the UK 🇬🇧

My dad farmed and he said that if he won the lottery he would keep farming until it was all gone

Damn, man, you should consider getting into the voiceover game. Gold tones. (Brought to you by an audio engineer working in TV and film).

No wonder my steak is not cheap. Thanks for this very informative video. I already appreciated what ranchers do and now I have even more respect. Seeing the cost of trying to start up a ranch really helps explain why it is a generational lifestyle and not just a simple start up company.

Thank you sir! Please quit reminding me how much money I'm losing...... I have a sign in my living room that states "Behind every successful rancher, is a wife that works in town." My favorite saying is, "I can show you how to make a small fortune in ranching. Start with a LARGE one!"

Mike, the fact you are an ethical rancher and really seem to care about the welfare of your animals makes me have hope that there are still good people out there raising our food.Have a blessed holiday season with your beautiful family-Jerry

Much love and respect to all farmers and ranchers thank you for everything y’all do for us

Thank you! I am wrapping up the first year of my new farm and I feel exactly what you are saying. To see a profit I had to ignore certain costs or break them down so they accounted for less. I am a young farmer and I hate seeing farm land being turned into cookie cutter houses. I have a good 40 years left in the business plus two young kids and my goal is to grab up as much land as I can over the years and save it. I don’t need to get rich but just pay the bills and I’ll be happy. Keep up the good work man!

My wife and I do e head first into this a little over a year ago. We started with nothing, we have no big fancy equipment, no money coming in. Our herd is small, less than a dozen, we are clawing our way through it all and it's rough. Rough not having an income to put dinner on the table consistently, and rough trying to gain the things we need to continue. He's right, it's not cheap and it's not easy. And if you don't love the work you do, it's not worth it, not even close. We love the work we do and we don't take a paycheck because there is no money to take one from. We do this because this is what and where we love. Not slaving to line someone else's pocket while getting paid a fraction of the money you make your company. Don't be the commodity.

Thank you Mike and you're honesty is greatly appreciated and every time I go to the grocery store I truthfully appreciate your effort and the farmers efforts what irritates the daylights out of me is the amount of attack on that people after you do God bless you and keep on because I love watching you and your family God bless you

Hi Mike. Im a city guy from South Dakota and our cattle guys have are suffering through a late season snow storm. Our local news has really focused on the our area producers and the struggles they are going though during calving and the difficulties they are facing. Im trying to learn more about the great folks that work with cattle in our great state and I really appreciate this video.

My fellow-American, if only more business owners like you are open and honest as you are in this world of business and money. You are the reason why I totally appreciate your hard work and honest into making what this country really is: Being American! Thank you and thank you for your family for feeding us. Thank you and God bless America!

Dude, I feel you. So much hard work so little time for vacations. I appreciate YOU Mike, and all other farmers ! God bless !

Through hard work, great things can happen... I needed to hear that today. Thank you for the very inspirational message and your experience as a rancher. Subscribed!

Cool video, I had about 2% of an idea of what it took to be a rancher and I am sure there are dozens of other details left out. it's the details that get you every time.

Thanks for the video Mike! The information provided was useful, the delivery was flawless, and your honesty is very much appreciated! We don`t have access to range land here in Mississippi (to my knowledge) however, many of the principles you described in the video above still apply. Farming/homesteading/producing beef and goat meat has always been an interest of mine, so this video really hit close to home. You weren`t afraid to put forth realistic costs and scenarios, and that amount of honesty and transparency is what we need entering into this field. As you mentioned before, you have to love it to do it. And as you pointed out, even though there are some pretty steep costs and other aspects that should be taken into consideration, there are plenty of ways to counter them. Buying bred cows, inheriting land, volunteering as a ranch hand with someone who is seeking to pass down their operation and possessing the know how to do certain things around the ranch/farm to cut down on costs that would otherwise hurt your pockets are a few great points that you mentioned. Where as some people would become discouraged while watching a video that doesn`t tickle their ears and that contain high amounts of honesty as this video; I was actually both encouraged and empowered because I believe now, more than before, that this is the line of work for me. You`ve challenged me to be creative, conduct more research, connect with other farmers and people of like interest and to just all around learn more about the agricultural world! I just graduated college with a bachelor`s degree in Agriculture (Animal Science Emphasis), so videos like this are of great interest to me! Sorry for such a lengthy post lol, but I thank for educating us and showing us a more realistic approach to both farming and owning cattle! Best of prayers for you guys entering the New Year! Be blessed, and thanks a lot!!!

Stumbled onto one of your videos about a week or so ago while surfing youtube. I subscribed to your channel and have watched a few videos pretty much every day since. Love the way you guys stepped up to help when the family needed you, took a lot of guts to drop what you were comfortable with and take on a completely different lifestyle. Farming and ranching isn't a job, it's a way of life. Either you love it or you hate it. I work 40 to 70 hrs a week in a factory and have a small 25acre farm here in East Tennessee, where we hobby farm a few calves each year. We also have a horse, some chivkens, several dogs, and just bought some baby ducks(don't ask me why, lol). I love the country lifestyle. Keep doing what you're doing guys, and thanks for inviting us into your daily lives!!!

Thanks for making it plain and simple!

Good morning yes the cost of anything dealing with farming is tough. We had three calves yesterday two died one was breached and the other one got trampled two moms had a fight animals are hard to understand sometimes. Farming comes with challenges that some people just can't handle it brings out the rough in the tough men and women of this country. Thanks for your video hope you have a great day

The way you explain ranching is amazing. Simple and to the point answering questions that pop up before I ask them.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I have a ranch in South America, and I never heard someone so clear and honest like you! Once I spoke with an American rancher and I asked about his ranch returns an politely replied me: Ranch is a way of life! that is definitely true

Great overview! Thanks for the work you put into the overview and the dedication to your ranch. God Bless!

Wow man this video was everything and more then I was expecting my hat's off to you and Erin I must say your videos are like a study guide for anybody that wants to become a Rancher cuz you single-handedly explain everything so intelligently that anybody can become a Rancher that they truly wanted to be must say. I have to say you all are touching lives hundreds if not thousands of miles away from where you live keep up the great great work. And not to put you on the spot but your videos help others learn from the mistakes of others you can't make them all yourself

This is a great breakdown of the real costs of farming! Coming from a dairy farmer in Wisconsin we feel the pressure from the sides. Keep it goin and stay warm out there!

keep up the awesome work,I grew up on a farm in Southern Iowa,no better life than farming or ranching,to see what you have built with your hands,and how you make it,sometimes its the toughest,but in the end,its probably the most satisfying job ever

it's still the best life

FASCINATING video.....just subscribed, 1st time viewer....wish things were different for you all. I miss seeing family ranches and farms all over. Sending God's blessings 2 u all.

You guys are incredible for very little money you feed us all . How on earth do you it . All the machinery you need alone wow . Thank you so ,ugh for your hard work xoxo

Great video. I own a small slice of heaven 133 acres in northern Michigan. Its our ranch. I love country living. Wishing you and all farmers and ranchers the best. Thanks for all the hard work you do!

Wow, just about the very best video I've ever seen on the cost-logistics of such an operation!

I grew up on a cattle and sheep farm (small ranch) in Ireland. I figured out real quick and at a real young age that there's no money in cattle. Nowadays, You need to have mutiple streams of income from your ranch... bnb, tourism, etc. I will tell you that growing up on a farm/ranch is priceless. Great lifestyle.

Well done and many thanks! I've been a suburbs and city guy all my life and always wondered about the business side of ranching--- this really breaks it down. Good luck to you, your family, and your farm.

Man I'm impressed. You've got a talent for speaking in front of the camera and keeping the attention of the listener. Keep up the good work.

Great video. I'll use it the classes I teach on ranching at Oklahoma State University. Two comments, you shouldn't charge for summer grass since you said you inherited the ranch - which provides the summer grass. You didn't mention protein supplement - maybe you don't need much in Wyoming with feeding hay. Two - you didn't count cull cow and bull income. That makes a difference. Most everything else was spot even for Oklahoma. Thanks!

This is a fantastic breakdown of the costs, very well done. and i agree, you need to do voice overs :)

to the farmers and farm hands thank you for your hard work.

Thank you so much this was very informative. People always dream about being a part-time farmer or having a hobby Farm but there's so much more to it. Like he said you got to love what you do that's the most important thing. God bless you and your family

I started laughing pretty hard when he said there was a cat crawling up his leg

I often wondered about the cost of ranching, Thank you for putting it into perspective for me. 😲WOW!!! I've always said that farmers and ranchers should have anything they need to run their farms at taxpayers expense. NO QUESTIONS ASKED!!! Idk, maybe I'm wrong but that's the way I see it. Without you folks America would starve!!! GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS and Take Care!!!

I so much appreciate your video, your clear and honest talk and the way you ran the numbers, I'm a city guy and I have never thought of all that you guys do and go through, God bless, I love it.

This is my all time favorite video from Our Wyoming Life

ironic that Lamborghini actually started as a tractor co

I appreciate how honest your story is.Supplemental income and a really good work ethic can make a nice place, But it is a hard line of work to turn a profit getting started.I have considered taking on some goats for a couple of years because they are a faster turnaround in my area, " its like Corb lund said what else you gonna spend that extra money on!"

Hi Mike...I'm from Brazil and I'm studying English and American culture. I love countryside landscapes and country music. Your channel is amazing!

Thank you for the info and being honest. They are definitely under appreciated.

Thank you a great informative Vedeo👍

Thank you friend. well said. we have a 380 farm in east texas and always wanted cattle. I'm not too sure now.

All y'all ranchers and farmers...Thanks a million.

I hate seeing land turn into buildings. My father grew up on his parents’ farm during the Depression. He told us about homeless, hungry people passing through looking for food. My grandmother gave them what she could, which most of the time was maybe a pork sandwich, a few potatoes, and some peaches in the Summer. My point is we need people like you. And not just for food. To me, it’s for a feeling of freedom that farms and ranches hold in my heart.

Excellent

My dad is a vet and ranch kid. Lot of people think he charges too much for his services. Well let me tell you, those peoole are the ones who have cats and dogs and make a 100 grand a year and still STIFF him for a lousy 60 dollar rabies shot. He works tirelessly for his large animal customers because they are the ones that always pay on time and have values. For those of you that have to buy scours vaccine, he hardly makes any money on that thousand dollar bottle and hates having to supply them because he knows how bad a scours problem can turn in to. Good luck in the year everybody and hopefully calving season isn't too rough on you.

This is by far the most generous video I have seen on this topic. Many thanks for so much information.

Whew.. God bless our much needed farmers & ranchers. Thanks for what you do.

Good video, this presents a realistic picture, I think. I believe that those born into family operations don't know the hardships of someone who starts from scratch. They don't see the costs and don't understand why people just can't fork over the cash. Your video brings that to light. Enjoyed watching this one for sure.

Great video. I'd argue your numbers are low. But very informative and great throughly enjoyed it. I get so mad at people saying how farmers and ranchers have it easy. Sometime do a cost analysis of medicines. I worked from a fertilizer company that also did custom spraying. I unloaded two pallets of chemicals thirty boxes with two 2.5 gallon jugs per box. When I finished my boss looked at me and said you just moved 250,00o dollars. So again tell me how farmers and ranches over use chemicals sorry for the rant. Thanks Mike and Erin for the video

One of the best videos of anything I've ever seen. Thank you

This video is currently 4 years old I stumbled across your channel because I am tired of the rising beef prices. I've decided I want to look into getting my own beef cow. Even if just one a year feed it grow it butcher it. I did hit the subscribe button to your channel because I thought you did an excellent job on the video explaining it. I someday hope that maybe I will have my own homestead I currently live in the city and I raise chickens I collect my own rainwater and I garden and my neighbors all think I'm a joke but. As food shortages continue I sometimes wonder if this is sustainable the path that we are on right now. I've heard stories about the Great depression when times got hard the farmer still farmed the baker still baked his bread. And I realized the more dependent you are on yourself the better off you'll be too many people are expecting the government to carry them now it's a system that can't sustain itself. Great video hit that subscribe button I hope to see more great videos from you.

Wow smh so you need millions there goes my dream

We have almost 600 cows and a little grow yard, and your numbers are pretty close to our area, it takes alot of money. So for a young guy like me wanting to expand I have to buy the land and the cows so there really isn't any thing left over

Great Video!!! Just found yall!!! I grew up farming with my Dad in eastern NC doing Row Crops, Hay, Hog Operation and a few Cows. I really miss it alot!! People have no idea what it takes and the true cost to get food on their table!!!!! Good Bless Yall and I pray that you are blessed doing You Tube as well!!! Will be checking out your other videos.

I do ,always have and always will love ranching. Thank you for a great video.

No idea how i ended up here... but Sub'd just for the damn quality of the vid.. Hello, from Northern CA, Yuba City

A excellent installment of "Our Wyoming Life"! From a purely numbers point of view though- Ranching seems questionable at best as a chosen way to make a living. BUT...BUT IMO 100% worth while when you look at it from the point of view of your Family(as Bruce said) priceless. Speaking for myself a city guy- I will never look at the Meat counter at the Grocery store the same after watching your videos.

My respects to ranchers and farmers!! You all are awesome💚

Man slot of knowledge you have too know, had no idea! Now I appreciate ranchers and farmers when I go to store

In case you don't know, there's a huge trend that's started for grass fed beef, and fatty beef ... or just beef in general. Low Carb-High Fat diets, ketogenic diets, carnivore diets ... the science supporting them as super healthy is very solid. If I were you, I'd be feeling pretty good about raising cattle. I'd also try to get started selling the meat direct on the interwebs. Advertise it as LCHF or Keto food, and that you don't cut the fat off ... you'll get lots of customers. Just search Keto on RU-vid... there are dozens of channels. Search 'Low Carb Down Under' ... see the conferences the low carb community is holding. Also AncestralHealth.

It's 1:30 in the morning. why did I just watch a video of how to ranch😂😂😂

Thanks for the insight on this!!! Knowing this creates a whole nother appreciation for you guys

Thank you and well done. You absolutely convinced me there is no such thing as a retirement ranch, guess I will settle for a cabin on the lake I guess. God bless you and your family.

So if I want that life I should've fought harder for the boy in highschool who couldn't go out cause he had to work on the farm for his granddaddy. Damn it

You were speaking to the choir to us fellow ranchers in this video, but one thing you left out that makes the figures work. The best thing you will ever raise on your ranch is your children. That makes the figures work. Because the quality of your children and their life lessons in growing up on the ranch is priceless.

Thank you for your time and the information you share.

Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge. I have only 5 acres and raise Hampshires. I appreciate you breaking the numbers down. We raise for ourselves only. We do our own butchering, curing, smoking ,etc...

800 per acre is low.try 5k to 10 k per acre in texas and the Midwest.wall street types are parking their money on farm/ranch lasnd.letting it lay idle.your place looks great.your info is great.keep it coming.

Two most important passions of ranching, growing grass, and fixing fence, everything else is gravy.

I ran across this and had to watch. This is so true. I can totally relate. Nice you took the time to teach others this. Thank you :)

Love your channel, am a farm vet from Botswana Africa! Keep up the good work

''farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field''-Dwight D. Eisenhower'

Thanks for the reality of Ranching!!!! if every city boy and girl that ate a steak had to watch this video and CSPAN 4 hours a week this country would change overnight. Wake Up America, Thanks Wyoming life

Not sure how I got here, but what an eye opener. Big shout out to all the ranchers out there.

My grandfather supplemented his farm income with his full time job of being an engineer for Delavan, Inc. (makers of ag-spray nozzles as well as fuel spray injectors, etc) and he was integral in my younger years for helping me develop a strong work ethic. Put in a very simple way, he once told me that if whatever I choose to do; If I LOVE my work - I will never WORK a day in my life. No truer words were ever spoken and I live my life each day for this simple fact! This is my 2nd video of yours I have watched and am looking forward to viewing many more! Thank you!

The government should do something to help and protect the American Rancher /Farmer and agriculture land. I'm not even American I am a 101% born and rasied Mexican who now lives in the beautiful US and drives big rigs,But I've always worked with cattle and agriculture because that is what I used to do in my country when I was a kid,I know the feeling of being a rancher,I know the feeling of being out there working feeding the cattle,Fixing the fence,Dealing with agressive animals,taking care of the new born and younger members of the heard,Riding my horse around the ranch to make sure everything is going well and the fence is still up,I really wish that some day life gives me the opportunity to be a rancher again but this time here in the US,I know its very hard and I know its very expensive but that does not scare me at all,Because I know that hard work,dedication and common sense will make any business succeed. Hope you all are having a great day so far,Greetings to you all,Especially to them bad ass ranchers and farmers out there,With out you guys this country could starve to death !!!

ill be a Texas rancher and pay half in land. great video

A good video ...many home truths here and a god listing of costs and economic considerations ...thanks for upload..not a farmer but worked for years with the dairy processing industry...and still alive at 71!

Great video, went into important detail. Thank you for your hard work.

What if I told you that in my country bottled water is 4x more expensive than the price that we farmers get for the same amount of quality milk?

The trouble with the farming and ranching business is that most of society is so far removed from that type of lifestyle. Food being one of our three basic needs . The two others being shelter and water. The only one of those people are seemingly willing to pay money for is shelter . Food and water folks simply are unwilling to pay for unless it's been value added to (restaurants and such). Every year for the last three years farming has cost me roughly $100,000/year. I say let the masses eat cake. A stupid profession to be a a part of. Work 16 hours a day 6 and 7 days a week. Just to live poor and die rich. While I love it it doesn't pay the bills .

Thanks for the video! You provided a lot of useful and specific information. We recently decided to leave city-life behind, bought a small farm and decided to get into hobby farming while we continue working full-time. Eventually, we would like to make a living off the land. Your videos really helped put the costs into perspective. Thanks again!

This is a great video--I love getting to see behind the scenes of a completely different way of life from mine.