Hometown: Fairland, Okla.
County: Ottawa
Family members: Wife, Lindsay; Children, Alexa, McKenna, Grant and Elijah
In Town: I work as the Senior Sales Director for Walmart and Sam’s Club at The Bluebird Group, helping brands get their products onto store shelves and into shoppers’ carts. While my career is in retail, our family has grown passionate about ranching and the lifestyle that comes with it. My wife, Lyndsay, and I work side by side – she homeschools our kids and keeps both the home and ranch running while I’m at work. It’s been a hands-on, humbling journey, and we’re grateful for the chance to learn and grow together as a family.
In the Country: Lyndsay and I didn’t grow up full-time in farming or ranching, but agriculture has always had a place in my story –and now it’s become a shared passion for our whole family. I was fortunate to spend time during my early years helping ranchers near my grandparents’ place in Estilline, Texas, where I learned the value of hard work and gained a deep respect for the land. We started on a small hobby farm in Gravette, Arkansas, raising sheep, chickens, and rabbits. Two years ago, we moved to a 55-acre place in Fairland, Oklahoma, looking for more space and a chance to build something meaningful for our kids. We’ve been incredibly blessed with mentors along the way. Our neighbors, Terry and Julie Crow, welcomed us into their cattle operation and have shared their knowledge generously. James and Mary Skelton in Springdale have also helped guide our kids and introduced us to the Beefmaster breed, which we’ve really taken an interest in. We believe in the lifestyle, the work, and most of all, we love doing it together as a family.
What we’ve enjoyed most about this whole journey is getting to do it together as a family. Ranching isn’t easy – there’s always work to be done – but there’s something special about tackling it side by side. Even the small, everyday tasks have a way of bringing us closer and reminding us why we started. We’re also incredibly thankful for the chance to care for the land God’s put in our hands. There’s a certain peace that comes with watching the sun come up over your own pasture or seeing your kids work hard and take pride in what they’re raising. It’s a constant reminder of how good God is, and we don’t take that for granted.
