When Dale Johnston went off to college, he had no plans of returning to his multi-generational ranch. Dale was a business major in college, and didn’t have anything to do with the agriculture field. “When I left home for college, my intention was not to come back. Got out in the real world, and found out ranching wasn’t so bad after all.”
Dale has returned to his family farm, Johnston Stock Farm, located west of Welch, Okla. The land belonged to his great-grandfather, purchased in 1911, now in the fourth generation of Johnston family. Today, Johnston Stock Farm currently operates on approximately 5,000 acres, both owned and leased.
The family farm has approximately 700 head that are separated into two pastures. One group consists of cow/calf pairs and in a separate pasture 2-year-old cows that are getting ready to calf.
“There is a theory that if you feed the calving cattle in the afternoon, you’ll have more daytime calves. There is a little something to it, seems to me it does make a difference.”
Dale shared his passion of raising high quality stock. “Improving the quality of our cattle is a never ending job. There is always somewhere that needs improving for the quality of the cattle. There are still things I would like to improve.”
Dale said he doesn’t really have any special techniques for marketing, just standard practices that others use, such as newspapers and radio. He also has advertised on the Internet through some free websites.
In addition to staying busy with work at Johnston Stock Farm, Dale also has been the director of the Ottawa Craig County Cattleman’s Association for the past six years. On October 15, Dale will be placing 40 pairs in their 5th Annual Cattlemen’s Association Sale.
From an office building located by the family home, Dale also runs a vet supply store. He states the store is his hobby. The hobby came about when a local supplier that their farm, as well as many other area ranches used, closed its doors. Dale started to sell a few items, buying enough stuff to place an order for himself and his neighbors.
Dale Johnston is a prime example of a conscious rancher. Always striving for excellence, always working hard for his ranch, and his fellow ranchers.
