Jim Smith: An Unexpected Connection

We would love to hear from you!Today I’m visiting with Kagan Sims of Sims Cattle Company in southeast Wyoming. He’s the fifth generation on a cow/calf ranch that sits at 7200 feet in elevation. His great-great-grandfather bought the ranch in 1942 thanks to a personal loan from a bank president.A University of Wyoming animal science graduate, Kagan is now partway through a five-year succession plan with his dad and grandpa. His family’s approach is simple: match the cattle to the environment, and when you fight nature, you’ll have problems. And stick around for a runaway pickup story his dad would rather we didn’t share.Make sure to leave us a review! 

We would love to hear from you!Today we’re joined by Don Ament, former Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture among many other state leadership roles. Don worked alongside Terry and countless others to strengthen farming and ranching across the state.At 83, he hasn’t slowed down—still at meetings, still advocating, and still managing his family’s farming and cow-calf operation, always reminding us how important it is for the rural voice to be heard.Respected across Colorado, Don’s leadership and dedication to agriculture continue to inspire.Make sure to leave us a review! 

We would love to hear from you!T. Wright Dickinson, managing partner at Vermillion Ranch Limited Partnership and former president of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, grew up learning ranching from his dad—so early his younger brother signed a loan at age four. He and Terry built a working friendship, challenging each other for the betterment of the cattle industry.  T. Wright shares what it takes to run a multi-state and multi-generational operation, preserve the land, and carry forward a family legacy.Make sure to leave us a review! 

We would love to hear from you!Matt Perrier is a rancher from Eureka, Kansas, where he helps lead his family’s Dalebanks Angus Ranch.  His roots in the beef industry run deep. He and Terry were both in county 4H together.  Today, along with ranching,  Matt shares those lifelong ranching experiences and insights through his Practically Ranching podcast, a space where he explores the challenges, opportunities, and everyday realities of the cattle industry. Make sure to leave us a review! 

We would love to hear from you!Preston and Jeanna Beeman own and run Beeman Backgrounding, continuing a growing ranching legacy. Preston, who was Terry’s college roommate for a year at Kansas State, shares how he’s blended tradition with innovation in ranching—navigating challenges, adapting to change, and preparing the next generation.Make sure to leave us a review! 

We would love to hear from you!Ross T. Hendrickson of Hendrickson Cattle Company shares what it means to carry forward a family legacy. He reflects on the lessons passed down from older generations, the responsibility that came with starting young on the ranch, and—something he returns to again and again—the importance of transparency and communication in family operations. At the heart of it all, Ross talks about the legacy he hopes to leave for his children.Make sure to leave us a review! 

We would love to hear from you!Jo Stanko has been part of Colorado’s ranching community since 1974, continuing a family legacy that began in 1907. Ranching just outside Steamboat Springs puts her in a unique position—balancing the pressures of urban growth with the traditions of agriculture. In our conversation, Jo reflects how conservation easements have helped protect their ranch as development has steadily encroached around them.Make sure to leave us a review! 

We would love to hear from you!Lance Woodbury is a trusted voice when it comes to family agriculture business and legacy. Lance is a principal with Pinion. He’s worked with families for years, helping them face the hard conversations that come with passing on the business.I met Lance through a peer group organized by the Kansas Livestock Association, and I’m grateful to KLA for sponsoring this succession program. It creates a space where families can openly share what has worked—and what hasn’t—as they each plan for the future. The support and perspective from others in similar situations has been invaluable. Lance leads these sessions with clarity and a deep understanding of both the personal and financial sides of succession.Lance joins me today to talk about the process, how to break through common barriers and what it means to truly prepare the next generation.Make sure to leave us a review! 

We would love to hear from you!In this conversation, Cody Wright, a professor of animal science at South Dakota State University, shares his journey from growing up in South Dakota to becoming an educator. He discusses the diverse agricultural landscape of South Dakota, the demographics of his students, and the importance of succession planning in farming families. Cody emphasizes the need for communication between generations in agriculture, the current challenges facing the industry, and the significance of sustainability and conservation practices. He also shares humorous anecdotes from his teaching experiences and highlights the deep care that farmers and ranchers have for their land and livestock.Make sure to leave us a review! 

We would love to hear from you!I realize I’m breaking the rules  by interviewing Jim Smith phd,—he’s not a beef producer—but I couldn’t imagine leaving him out. Jim is a swine nutritionist and a longtime friend of Terry’s. They met in grad school at Kansas State, and as Jim likes to say, their paths never should have crossed. That friendship lasted a lifetime. Jim stood up with Terry at our wedding, and his wife, Kim, even caught my bouquet. These days, Jim shares reflections and stories through his podcast Patio Pondering, offering the same thoughtful perspective that made him such an important part of our livesMake sure to leave us a review!