The Efurd family ties the past to the future they want to build for their farmily
BEGGS, OKLA. – Before he ever signed the papers or ran his first fence line, Ryan Efurd understood what this ranch meant. It held a deep piece of Oklahoma History and even deeper piece of his own life.
To Efurd, this place is more than land. It is the culmination of family, history and the grit that defines ranch life. The Patriot Ranch remains in Beggs, even though the Efurds live in Goshen, Arkansas. The distance does not weaken their tie to the ranch. It reflects the effort and heart it takes to manage a working operation while raising a family today.
“The ranch is located in Beggs, Oklahoma,” Efurd said. “It used to be part of the Jamison Ranch, and the original cattle ran all the way to the Texas border. The Jamison family has been in the cattle business for over a century. One of the family members sold off a piece of their land, which formed my ranch.”
Once a part of one of Oklahoma’s most established cattle operations, The Patriot Ranch has become a story of its own. A story about heritage and the determination to keep old traditions alive while adapting to modern times.
Efurd’s connection to agriculture reaches back to his childhood in northwest Arkansas. He grew up surrounded by horses, cattle and the people who taught him how to care for them.
“I grew up caring for horses and livestock,” Efurd said. “My grandfather always had me around animals. I often did odd jobs helping him around the farm.”
Those early days helped shape the person Ryan is today. He remembers his grandfather not just as a rancher but as a teacher who valued patience and hard work.
“My grandfather was a hard worker,” Efurd said. “I learned that you could accomplish a lot through hard work. You will make mistakes, but the key is to learn from those mistakes and not repeat them. It is the purest form of learning.”
That kind of mindset and work ethic is still what drives Ryan today. The Patriot Ranch, once open prairie under Jamison ownership, now holds his growing herd of Hereford cattle. Their calm demeanor and deep red coats have become a familiar sight on the rolling ground.
“I used to love having the freedom to roam and run free,” Efurd said. “There is a sense of freedom a ranch provides, much like I imagine it used to feel in the great American West.”
Those same lessons of independence and work ethic extend far beyond the ranch and herd. Ryan credits both of his parents and grandparents for showing him that success rarely comes easy but is always returned.
“Without a doubt, my family influenced my work ethic,” Efurd said. “My parents and grandparents were all hard workers, and they passed down the drive to me. While I did not always like doing the work as a kid, I now appreciate it and I am thankful they raised me that way.”
That family centered mindset carries into everything Ryan does. In addition to The Patriot Ranch, he owns two Arkansas based businesses that reflect his drive for excellence. BLACKHIVE Corp. Inc. is a commodity food business that buys and sells products like sugar, dry beans, fruits and vegetables to processors and distributors. His second company, CANIS Ventures Inc., designs and sells high performance hunting gear and clothing.
Balancing those businesses while running a working ranch is no easy task, but Ryan says he has learned to rely on the people around him.
Their ranch hand, Ryan Pembrook, shares the same appreciation for the land and its livestock.
“I was raised in Oklahoma, and we did not have a lot, so we learned to take good care of what we had,” Pembrook said. “I apply that belief to all of my work at The Patriot Ranch.”
Their home there gives them the best of both worlds, close enough to manage their businesses and still connected to the rhythm of rural life. It is a way of living that keeps their family grounded and reminds their children where their roots are, even as life pulls them in new directions.
“Being able to raise our kids with an appreciation for livestock and land is something we do not take for granted,” Efurd said. “They are growing up understanding the value of hard work, just like I did.”
For Efurd, each day on The Patriot Ranch ties the past he learned from to the future he wants to build. The legacy is not found in the land alone but in the hands that keep working and in the people who carry its story forward.
