About the DDV Ranch

About the DDV Ranch

In the Beginning:

The ranch came into our possession in late June 2005. At that time we began the process of cleaning the ranch up as it had not been groomed for a number of year. Our cleaning up of the land met with instant approval of the neighbors who were glad to see it begin to look like it did 30 years before. Of course as we met neighbors and talked about history of the land the 30 years before became more relevant.

We purchased land that 30 years before belonged to Darlene's grandparents. The land ironically had gone up for sale a few weeks before we started looking it over. It was in our target area and almost as big as we wanted (ideally we would have about 50% more, but it doesn't grow on trees, so we are happy with what we have) and the view was a huge draw. In comparison to various other ranches we looked at, this was the winner. It is no surprise Darlene's grandparents wanted the land a century earlier when they moved onto it.

As we secured the ranch we were deciding what we wanted to do with the land since we would not live on it full time immediately. Growing hay, raising exotics, and raising livestock, specifically cattle were the ideas we considered. As we looked further into the cattle, we discovered raising Texas Longhorns is easier than raising many other breeds due to easy of birthing and their hardy nature. Couple that with David's undergraduate education at The University of Texas, and Longhorns just made plain sense.

Soon after securing the land, spending a lot of time working to clean it up, and patching fences and other chores, we started securing cattle from a couple of different herds. We moved our foundation herd onto the ranch later in the Summer of 2005 and the ranch really started taking shape from that point onwards.

The land between Schulenburg and La Grange is of such beauty that we are very thankful to have been able to buy what is ultimately part of Darlene's family history.

The Growing Years:

After the initial clean-up of the ranch, we embarked on a program to get the ranch into working ranch shape. This involved obtaining guidance from neighbors and the USDA-NCRS crew in Fayette County. As non-ranchers before obtaining the ranch there was a steep learning curve. Fortunately, David's experience in the offshore oil industry where self sufficiency was important to making things work on time helped with getting the ranch going.

Ultimately the ranch ended up cross fenced and with new fencing around all but one relatively small section. That section was and still is in relatively good shape. A new pond, which was dug at the time we acquired the ranch, filled after a big rain. It literally went from nothing to 1/4 full one day, and then from 1/4 full to 100% full in the matter of a few hours during one of the last big rain storms out at the ranch.

We started the livestock on a grazing rotation program in three of our fields. The other two fields are a trap area which is grazed in conjunction with either of a couple of other fields at times. We also started a fertilization program so we could grow a single field of hay. Selling hay was part of the plan in the first couple years when the hers was quite small yet growing.

Over the next few years we raised plenty of calves selling some and using some to help provide food for the needy. This helps manage the size of the herd while also helping the truly needy in rural areas where many other organizations forget to help them.

Presently we are dealing with a drought situation in Texas. This really has us working to redo our business plan for the ranch. What this means is we have to reduce the herd to a size we can afford to feed over the next couple years while we allow the fields to recover. This certainly devastated our plan to have a great calving program each year, but we must live with what nature deals to us. It sure helps open the eyes of non-agriculture families to the plight of many ranchers and farmers.

Where we're going:

Ultimately this will be one of the places we spend our retirement. It will continue to be a working ranch where we raise grass fed Texas Longhorns. Our goal is to continue this path for as long as we are physically able and then call in assistance so we can continue to enjoy the beauty of Longhorns grazing the pastures and helping make the world a beautiful place.

The immediate future has us trying to reduce the herd to a size we can manage thru the drought, so presently that means we have a number of beautiful animals for sale.

Team Bio:

	(David - Head Rancher): David is an avid business owner passionate about ranching, selling insurance, and owning a travel agency. Together it means a good 90-100 hour work week. Thus time at the work, even though it is filled with ranching work, is cherished. The clean air, beautiful views, and beautiful cattle are all strong draws to the ranch. Eventually a retirement home and it's building will be among the big ranch draws.
	(Darlene - Assistant): Darlene provides direction and administrative support for the ranch. She enjoys going to the ranch and sitting and enjoying good weather out there. She also enjoys taking Tori and her friends out there to experience the ranch and see what the country looks like.
	(Tori - Junior Rancher): Tori is a full time student. She comes out to the ranch to help out as she is able on weekends. She considers her favorite Steer, Oreo who shares the month and day of her birth. She enjoys school, playing the Viola, and spending time hanging out with her friends.