Hello! I’m Sheridan Visser. My husband, Austin, and I are first generation ranchers. We run a commercial cow calf operation near Reeder, N.D., of about 200 head of cattle on 1800 acres of rolling grassland and hayland acres. We have Corriente cows which allows us to diversify our markets. Along with selling beef calves for market, we also sell and lease out roping livestock and we livestock contract for rodeos, ropings and ranch rodeos. We take a holistic management approach by using regenerative grazing practices and running smaller framed cattle on our ranch. My husband and I both have in-town jobs and work on the ranch when we aren’t working in town. I am a crop insurance agent at Farm Credit Services of Mandan, and he is the yard foreman at Lemmon Livestock.
We ranch because it feeds our soul. It’s hard work in all weather conditions, but it’s the kind of work that confirms you are fulfilling your purpose on earth and laying a path for future generations. We are motivated by the opportunity to raise our son in a place that is peaceful and simple. The life lessons learned through ranching cannot be taught in any school or told by words alone. We get to experience first-hand the rewards and tribulations of ranching as life comes and goes. We learn determination and fortitude with each storm and experience gratitude and joy with each successful calf crop. Our biggest motivation is the people. We do this for our family, and we stay motivated thanks to our neighbors and friends. Within our fellow ranching community, we have a lot of fun together too. We build each other up and help each other. When we get together to work cows, we share laughs and stories and knowledge. We always part ways being a better person than we were before we came.
The list of struggles is a mile long and it can be disheartening once you start going down that list. I find it's important to focus on the things that you do have control over and keep God close to you. A rural lifestyle can be lonely and stagnant if you don’t make a point to foster a community of people around you that support your dreams and goals and inspire you to build and grow past the struggles. There will always be struggles as ranchers but we have a community of people who can lean on each other through the hard times and celebrate the wins with. It is through NDFB that we have found our network of like-minded people we can relate with and build positive relationships.
Farmers and ranchers put their entire lives into their operations. It becomes who we are, how we dress and how we think. This is why mental health awareness is so important in agriculture. We attach our identity to the thing we do, and this particular lifestyle can be quite volatile. Luckily, it also conditions us to be mentally tough, flexible, resilient, loyal, and grounded. It strengthens your faith. Two percent of the population feeds the other 98 percent. That’s a testament to the two percent. Most farmers and ranchers resist the temptation to give up in the face of adversity and they build back stronger with a smile on their face. They are the backbone of America, salt-of-the-earth type people and I’m proud to know so many.
As a child, I wanted to be a horse trainer, a vet, or a marine biologist. I’m not sure if swimming with dolphins will fit into my North Dakota ranching career but we do work with horses and doctor animals, so I’ll call that a win.
Before you believe the media narrative about ag being bad, go meet the farmer or rancher and their family who have put their heart and soul into producing the food, fuel, or fiber that you need. You will be amazed by the care, technology, and efficiency in which modern day food products are produced.
Sheridan is the District 9 representative on the NDFB Young Farmer and Rancher Committee.