FEATURE
The Measure of a Man
by IBBA Field Service Representative Taylor Shackelford
Not every commercial cattle operation is just cow-calf. Stevie Ray Hansen and his ranch, Hansen Land and Cattle Company (HLC), is a book you can’t judge by its cover. In addition to his commercial Brangus operation, he just signed on a property to house foster kids as they age out of the program called the Lazy H. “Everything I have, I owe to God,” said Hansen. “I’m a very blessed man.” The Lazy H is a place where kids can hold over and figure out life. These people are raised in the government system and then thrust out into the real world with no means to go to college or opportunity to learn tactical skill. Hansen wants these kids to have a place to unplug and decide what they want to be. Hansen said, “We will make that happen.” Though slightly different, Hansen can relate to their stories. Born in a small Kentucky town, population less than 100, Stevie Ray Hansen has always been involved in agriculture. However, when his parents decided to move him and his siblings to the big city in California, he did not approve. With hard times falling on familial relationships and his uncle’s hand-me-down Nova, Hansen hit the road at 14 years old. He remembered a place from the road trip to the west coast and he couldn’t wait to get back. Without even a high school diploma, Hansen landed in Plano, Texas, where he knew there was a weekly rodeo not far away in Mesquite, Texas. For a while, he played roughstock rider. Until eventually he caught the eye of an ex-wife to the mob. There’s more to that story, but you’ll just have to read his memoir. The important take-away is that 22
FRONTLINE BEEF PRODUCER
her neighbor was an oil tycoon who taught Hansen how to play a new game. With enough capital to invest in property, Hansen began putting together a herd as HLC. Soon, he was experimenting with different breeds of cattle. He tried all the popular breeds and even dipped into Texas Longhorns and Corrientes. Hansen’s cattle buyer, ---, suggested Super Baldies after they made the decision to transition from Santa Gertrudis. “We’ve tried them all,” Hansen said. “I’m not just saying that because you’re from the association. Brangus cattle are survivors. They thrive out here.” HLC is comprised of seven ranches. Most of the ranches are in southwest Texas, cows are calved out in the knee-high, green grasses of Buffalo, Texas. As for the rest of their time at HLC, the cattle are running in the Texas Hill Country rocks, steep slopes, and cactus. “When we were burning off prickly pear last year, you should have seen those cattle take right to the cactus,” said Hansen. Super Baldies are one of the hot commercial crosses in the current cattle market. For years, Herefords have been experts at moderation in frame size and milk production. When coupled with the growth and fleshing ability of Brangus, you get a high-conversion genetics to increase your paycheck. In arid climates where cattle need to be able to sustain themselves on low energy and maintain condition on spread out water sources, these Brangus x Herefords are the way to go.