Living off the land requires more than grit, it takes strategy, side hustles and community
CHEWEY, OKLA. – As smoke rolled off six fired-up smokers and rib racks stacked as high as the Oklahoma hills, Wade Hampton looked around and realized something was missing – everybody who promised to help was long gone.
“That’s when I decided,” Hampton said with a grin, “I’ll never do 550 racks again.”
It’s not the first time Hampton has rolled up his sleeves and gotten the job done himself, and it won’t be the last. Whether it’s cooking for a fundraiser, feeding cattle in the rain or making sure his neighbors are taken care of, he doesn’t back down. It’s a way of life that started on the family ranch and grew into something bigger; a legacy of hard work, deep faith and keeping your word.
It’s what the Hampton Ranch in Chewey, Oklahoma is all about. The operation includes crossbred cattle, a dairy and registered Quarter Horses.
“My dad started milking in January 1989 and mom helped him until she passed away in April 2010.” Wade continued, “He passed away in July of 2023. I baled hay and kept feed in the bin and milked some, but never thought I would be in the milking business after dad was gone.
“I always said, when Dad’s gone, I’m going to sell them milk cows. But with cattle prices as good as they are, that calf the milk cow has goes a long ways making her profitable. Feed has been fairly cheap and milk a fairly good price and then add the calf in the equation, milking is not a bad business.
“We have been upgrading the dairy as much as possible the last couple years.
“One of the most important things in a dairy operation is good help!” Wade stated. “Your helpers can make or break you.”
Hampton grew up with calloused hands and a rancher’s heart, but as the years went on, he saw a need for more than cattle on the ground.
“I just felt like people weren’t getting what they deserved from the co-ops,” Hampton said. “There was a need, and I knew how to fill it.”
That insight sparked a journey into the feed and fertilizer business, where Hampton helped open the door to better options for local producers.
The business, H-5 Feed and Fertilizer, is always just one phone call away. Hampton talked about how his business offers longer hours as he is willing to answer phone calls 24 hours a day to help answer any questions.
“When you buy from a big company, they take your money and it’s gone,” Hampton explained. “When you buy from your neighbor, you’re supporting their kids, their ranch, their future. That matters.”
It wasn’t long before Hampton’s business sense and ranching know-how met a smoker and a stack of ribs. What started as a few racks turned into full-blown fundraising events that brought the community of Westville together and raised thousands of dollars for those in need.
The biggest one? 550 racks.
“I was thinking, ‘I’m crazy for doing this’,” Hampton said, laughing. “We didn’t even sit down to eat. We just kept cooking.”
Those cookouts aren’t just about barbecue, they’re about community. While he might joke about never doing that many again, he’d do it in a heartbeat if it meant helping his neighbors.
Hampton’s deep ties to the ranching world extend beyond cattle – he’s also made his mark in the horse industry. For years, he and his family have hosted an annual Quarter Horse sale that draws buyers from across the country to the ranch
The sale isn’t just about business – it’s about preserving proven genetics and producing high-quality horses. Many of the animals trace back to bloodlines Hampton has relied on for decades.
“I’ve been registering American Quarter Horses for 51 years this year.” Wade said.
Behind every business, every fundraiser and every early morning on the ranch is Hampton’s family. They don’t just carry his name; they carry his work ethic.
Now grown with families of their own, his daughters continue to keep agriculture close to their hearts.
“They all learned how to work, and they learned it here,” Hampton said proudly. “They’ve got their own things going now, but they still come help when it’s time to put up hay or work cattle.”
He often laments on how tough it is for young people to get started in ranching today. Between high costs, low returns and increasing pressure from outside industries, making a living off the land requires more than grit, it takes strategy, side hustles and community.
“We’re the first link in the chain,” Hampton said. “People don’t realize. They see a steak at the store, but they don’t see the rancher who’s up at 5 a.m. feeding cows in the mud. That’s where it starts.”
If there’s one thing Hampton hopes to pass down, it’s not just the ranch – it’s the values that built it.
“Put God first and family second. That’s what we’ve always done, and that’s what we’ll keep doing,” Hampton said.
