Final Reflections
November 2024

As my time here at Barthelmess Ranch is coming to an end, I can not help but look back and reflect on all the great memories I have made since I got here the end of March. I can remember leaving my house in Winter Garden, Florida and knowing I have another 34 hours and 2400 miles to drive. I was both excited and nervous because I was committing to spend the next chapter of my life in an industry I had no experience working in, surrounded by people I had never met.  

Of all the skills and ranching operations I have been exposed to, I would have to say being a part of the calving process was the most memorable for me. Coming in with no experience around livestock then working hands on with cows can seem like drinking out of a firehose. I say calving was the most memorable because we checked on our heifers every two hours, 24/7, for 2 months. There was one night in particular that dropped down to 19 degrees and the snow was blowing sideways. Being born and raised in Florida, this was not the weather I was used to working in.  

Broadly speaking, one thing I loved about my time here at Barthelmess Ranch is the wide variety of things an individual will be exposed to. You may spend one full day moving cows to a different pasture, then the day after that may be spent in the shop being a mechanic trying to get  tractors or other machines up and running again. Realizing that you truly do not know what you may be doing for work the next day makes every day seem like an adventure.  

Although many days will not be the same, most mornings will be. Every morning before we started work, Leo, Chris, and I met at Chris’s house and discussed our plans for the day. As my apprenticeship progressed, this became something I genuinely looked forward to. We would try to plan out what needs to be done for the day and week and then somehow always end up talking about the most random stuff. You would be surprised at the wide variety of topics that can get covered by three people talking for the first 30 minutes of the day, every single day, for 7  months. During some of the more stressful and intense times of the season made me appreciate these calm and peaceful moments. I viewed these moments with just the three of us as I did my whole apprenticeship, which was an opportunity to learn something. I definitely did not think I would ever be helping run a cattle ranch, so why not try to learn something from two guys who have been doing it their whole lives.  

Getting to be experience all the different brandings at the neighboring ranches was truly a special time. Brandings marked the end of a successful calving season which meant it was time to put your brand on the new calves. It was during this time that I truly started to feel myself  fit in with the community. Prior to this, most of my days were spent just on our ranch working with our cows, but brandings here are what bring the community together. Everyone knows everyone so at first it may seem a little daunting knowing you are the new person. You go from only knowing the family here at the ranch to spending multiple days a week with the same families and pretty soon you fit right in. 

Growing up hunting and fishing, I was always interested in the outdoors. Living on a cattle ranch in Montana has definitely made that interest of mine turn to a passion. Something about spending countless days riding around pastures checking on cows and sheep, identifying the grass they’re eating, and seeing all different kinds of wildlife was very meaningful for me. Many times, I just stopped and looked around and caught myself just fascinated to see all of God’s creation doing what God designed them to do. I would say there aren’t many other jobs where you can just be alone in nature with the Creator of all these things we are unknowingly around every day. 

Not only have I learned some mechanical and technical skills while working here, but I have also learned the importance of gratitude. I can not say there were other times in my life prior to ranching that I was truly happy to see it rain. Now, seeing the pivotal role weather has in the success of a ranch has taught me the importance of just simply being grateful for the little things. A rancher and a farmer can only control so few of the factors that they so greatly depend on, and when you realize this you can find yourself feeling truly blessed for the little God-given  moments that help us out.  

My time here in Montana has not only been spent on the ranch. I have been blessed to find a church where I attended weekly and have made relationships with families there that will continue to grow even as I head for the next chapter of my life. In having a church community, I have been able to be a part of outside of the ranching community has really given Malta that sense of belonging feeling to me.  

As I look into the future, I am excited to start the next chapter of life. Taking a bold move from Florida to Montana has made me more comfortable with starting in a new career or even moving across the country not knowing a single soul. Through my time being mentored by Chris and Leo, I understand the importance of starting and strengthening a strong relationship with the people around you. I am beyond blessed to have been provided with this unique opportunity to come out here and am grateful for Quivira Coalition and Barthelmess Ranch for making it all come together. 

How did you get interested in agriculture? And what are you hoping to gain from your apprenticeship?
May 2024

I became interested in agriculture at a young age. My dad’s side of the family was in citrus farming and my dad was a fourth-generation farmer, so I got to see a little bit of the operation while I was growing up. Unfortunately, due to some bad freezes in the early 2000s and a bad disease called greening, the operation slowly started to decrease and shrink its operation down. I knew growing up that working for the family business in the future would not be an option, but it was still fascinating for me to see all of the orange groves and the operation as a whole. My father is definitely the key contributor to my interest in land, animals, and just the outdoors in general. I am blessed to have had a father like him expose me to hunting, fishing, farming, and even just weekend landscaping jobs at the house. 

From this apprenticeship, I have a broad goal of just wanting to be exposed to as much as I can. The main reason I chose this apprenticeship was because of all the different skills you can learn on a ranch as well as learning about livestock, soil health, and even the business side of running a cattle ranch. Personal development is another big thing I would like to gain from this apprenticeship. Many people may not approach a job or an apprenticeship with that mindset, but with my intentions being to expose myself to as much as I can in the ranching industry means there will be many times where I must step out of my comfort zone. Doing this, over time, allows me to take steps of growth so that instead of just learning a new skill like driving a tractor, soil identification, or husbandry, I am progressing on a personal level as well. Lastly, like all apprenticeships, I am hoping to have a better idea about what career path will come through this apprenticeship. I never would have thought I would be working on a cattle ranch 2400 miles away from home, so I am very eager to see what the next career path God has planned for me is.

More Voices