Having Multiple Irons in the Fire to Keep Ranching with Laura Hicks

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Laura talks with us from South Dakota sharing her story of living a rural ranch life. She speaks about having many irons in the fire to allow the ranching business to continue is important. We diversify as much as possible.

Laura is passionate about sharing stories about women in AG and how women are in it and all roles may be different. 

Her motto is, "Never stop learning, never."

She says that, a lot of times in ranching, you go by what the generation did before….there are new ways, the world is different now…we have to adapt and learn, or you’re gonna be out. 

We discuss the hardships of living on a ranch and that there’s no way you do this without being emotionally invested. Having a soft heart while having strong shoulders, and having that balance. Trying not to get  so callused that you lose the joy in this life too. 

It's hard to see the hard, but if we don’t share then there’s a misinformation that ranching is this  ideal romantic lifestyle. 

People can connect with Laura at www.laurahicks.org or my Instagram @laura_a_hicks

Laura’s family was in the ranching business since the day she was born. Her dad had a cattle ranch as well as being a veterinarian before she was a twinkle in his eye.  So, you could say she comes by the love of animals naturally.

She would sit and tell her dogs and horses stories from the time she was old enough to say a sentence. She realized she was a “talker” early on when she couldn’t even keep her mouth closed long enough while racing along on her horse to prevent swallowing way too many bugs to count! 

Laura ranches with her husband and two sons in western South Dakota. They raise cattle and sheep. She also loves to train Border Collie’s to work livestock. She’s still telling them stories while they work. Watching a good dog work livestock is truly poetry in motion.

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Lauren Denny-- www.laurendenny.com