Kids & Cows: The Return to the Ranch

Wes Chism on Bridging the Generation Gap in Farming and the Hope for Future Farm Succession

The connection to family and land is a story shared by many in the ranching community; with legacy farms being passed down from generation to generation along with the values and traditions that come with it. However, family farms have been in decline, a trend that husband and wife Wes and Kaitlyn Chism hope to reverse. 

Born and Bred

Farming is a family affair for Wes Chism. From an early age, he learned the rhythms of farm life, tending Charolais and Angus cattle alongside his father and brother on the family farm in Kentucky. This early experience shaped his passion and career in agriculture.

“My dad managed several large ranches before we came back home. I went to college. I got a degree in Agri Econ and a minor in animal science and genetics.”

Out of college he worked in equine research for the University of Kentucky, then as a territory manager for the American International Charolais Association, before landing at Gallagher where he managed the Missouri Territory for 7 years before transitioning into the Business Development Manager role almost 2 years ago.

“I’m very blessed that I’ve spent most of my life getting to talk to farmers and ranchers. That’s been my living.”

It's this ear to the ground that has uncovered a demographic gap among farmers in the United States: a generation is missing. 

Generation Gap

This generation gap isn’t an isolated phenomenon. According to the 2022 U.S Census of Agriculture, the average U.S farmer is getting older – with the past 5 years seeing a 12% increase in over 65s and a 9% decrease in the middle age range, 35-69.

The economic pressures brought about by extreme weather events and a global pandemic seemingly influenced middle-aged farmers to look for greener pastures.

“Grandpa and Grandma are getting older. But we miss Mom and Dad. They went to town. The economy was tough. So, they sought jobs elsewhere.”

Until recently, Wes and Kaitlyn had also lived away from the farm. “I'm guilty myself. This is the only room in my house that is not in chaos at this moment, we are actively moving. We're going back. We're moving to my wife's hometown because I want my daughter to grow up on a farm.” 

Young Producers

Despite the economic challenges that led to a missing generation on farms, more young people are returning, bringing new energy and curiosity to the industry. The 2022 census shows a +3.9% increase of under 35s on farms since 2017, making up nearly 1 in every 10 producers.

“Now we're seeing those younger grandkids, the great grandkids, they’re coming out of college, and they want to come back to the operation. They're trying to figure out how to make it profitable.”

This wave of new young producers is not an accident. Wes believes that young people want to return to a simpler, more family-centric way of life. Working the land and going back to their roots while disengaging from social media is of wide appeal for the generations born into an internet-connected world.

These generations are also finding support from organizations looking to attract more young people to the farming industry. One such organization is the American International Charolais Association, where Kaitlyn Chism, Wes’s wife, is Director of Youth Activities & Foundations. Part of their work includes holding contests and conferences and awarding scholarships to youth participants.

“Our whole life is built around kids in agriculture, my wife likes to joke that it’s all ‘kids & cows.’ around here. But being able to help those kids and then see young people come back to the operation, to me is heartwarming.” 

Set Up for Success

Encouraging young people to return to the farm is a positive step, but how can they build a viable business and profit amidst the current challenges facing farmers? Wes believes that their embrace of technology and innovation will be key to their success.

“To be able to make sure the legacy endures that ranch must be profitable, and technology is how you do that. You must make better breeding decisions, better grazing decisions, better management decisions, better feeding decisions. All those things stack up and keep it in the black, that's where technology plays the part.”

Experienced farmers can also introduce technology to increase their bottom line but often expect a steep learning curve with integration. As a Business Development Manager for Animal Performance and Traceability at Gallagher, Wes is accustomed to guiding customers through the process. He recalls his father-in-law's hesitance to update his scale from a 1998 vintage model to a new TW-3 Weigh Scale & Data Collector, despite his familiarity with and daily use of other innovative products.

“His grain operation is cutting edge, he’s talking about apps for showing his property markers, he’s buying a new combine that’ll drive itself... I think it’s funny when these guys sit down and they tell you, ‘Well, that’s too complicated’ and my response is, ‘No, I see what you do on the rest of the operation. This is peanuts [in comparison].” 

A Way of Life

When meeting producers with concerns about the use of technology upsetting their traditions and way of life, Wes points out the priority of Gallagher products is to enable farmers to spend more time doing what they love, not less.

“I don't want to take a cowboy out of a saddle. I want to make sure he can spend as much time in the saddle as possible. Make sure he can spend more time in that saddle and do more with his cattle. Be more with his animals and doing less paperwork, having less headaches, less things that take him away from what his passion is.”

Newer isn’t always better, though. Wes admits growing up on farms has taught him some things have been done a certain way for a long time for a reason. “You don’t ever really know the reason when you’re growing up, you just know that’s how you’re supposed to do it.”

A prime example is tensile wire.  “You can buy crimps and do that, but by the time it’s over, you took more time and cost to use the new gripple or crimp, but if you’d just tie the wire the way it’s been done for 50 years, you’d already be done.”

Experienced farmers have much to offer young producers, “There’s a lot of life lessons that can be imparted that unfortunately some operations have lost because they don’t have that patriarch or matriarch to pass those down.” 

With the support of organizations promoting youth involvement in farming and the use of innovative technology to help address current challenges and complement traditional methods, the future of farm succession seems to be well underway.

“It’s a way of life here in the states that needs to be respected. We need more cowboys.”