Ranching isn’t for the faint of heart. This is a well-known fact in small town North Dakota. The winters are cruel with cold and the summers usually make you wish you were back to wearing five layers of clothing in the winter. The ranching profession isn’t a nine to five job. It starts before the sun rises and ends when the work is done. Ranchers see how fragile life is on a daily basis. As a caretaker to their livestock, they hold a high responsibility to make sure their cattle have a healthy life. Unfortunately, that isn’t always an easy task. 

Some may think of ranchers as those seen on old westerns- stern and gruff. However, that’s pretty far from the truth. Yes, you may find a cranky one or two when the market is low or hay crop isn’t turning out to be what they needed, but even then, those ranchers still have the largest hearts. Nursing abandoned calves, doctoring cows in their time of need, helping neighboring ranchers move cattle to the next pasture is just a start to all that these great people hold near and dear to their heart in their ranching lifestyle.  

I’ve had the pleasure of watching Haley Robison give a spark to her family's 5th generation ranch. Since kindergarten, her first priority before sleepover festivities could commence was to feed their stock and walk any 4-H animals. As she left for college, her determination to keep the family ranch going never stopped. She then met her husband, Max, and they became an unstoppable team. Both are hardworking entrepreneurs who have started successful businesses that branch from their ranching lifestyle.  

So, if you are reading this blog post, there is a good chance that you have ordered meat or a leather item from Haley and Max at the Dry Creek Ranch. Just know that your product is coming from a couple who has dedicated their lives to keeping the ranching lifestyle alive in an “urbanizing” world. Both willing to answer any consumer questions in a moment's notice and show you a snippet of what their typical day is like to prove that the rancher isn’t just a rough and gruff character from an old western.