Behind the Burger
Created by the New Mexico Beef Council, we are telling the stories behind the beef in New Mexico.
Behind the Burger
Stewardship and Legacy at Bill King Ranch ft. Abby O'Connor
Abby O'Connor, fifth-generation rancher from Stanley, New Mexico, shares her family's century-old ranching legacy and their operation raising Hereford, Angus, and Charlay cattle for seed stock while managing the challenges of New Mexico's unique landscape.
• Bill King Ranch has been operating for over 100 years with Abby's two-year-old daughter representing the sixth generation
• Managing cattle in New Mexico's arid climate requires constant adaptation to rainfall patterns that can vary from 2 to 15 inches annually
• The science of cattle breeding involves careful genetic selection to produce animals adapted to specific environments and market demands
• Connection with fellow ranchers across the country provides a supportive network that helps sustain operations through challenges
• Growing disconnect between urban consumers and agriculture creates challenges in helping people understand where their food comes from
• Working with the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association to advocate for ranchers and develop the next generation of agricultural leaders
• Preservation of land and ranching traditions ensures future generations have the option to continue the family legacy
• Cattle grazing represents the highest and best use for much of New Mexico's arid land that cannot support crop agriculture
To learn more about the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, visit nmagriculture.org
Welcome back to another episode of Behind the Burger, our podcast produced by the New Mexico Beef Council. I'm Carolyn Romo and I'm here with Abby O'Connor. Abby, will you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your family and what you guys do?
Speaker 2:Absolutely. My name is Abby O'Connor. I am a fifth generation rancher from here in Stanley, new Mexico. I've got with me my two-year-old daughter, blair, and she wanted to check out what we're doing today. So she's our tag along. But my family, we operate Bill King Ranch here in Stanley and we have been here over a hundred years. Blair is the sixth generation to live on the ranch and we raise Hereford Angus and Charlay cattle, mostly for seed stock. We sell a lot of bulls across the country, but we also sell beef into our local community. My husband and I also raise and sell show pigs for 4-H'ers and FFA kids across the state. So we do a lot of different things but we enjoy all of it.
Speaker 1:Thank you, yeah, thanks for having us. So you've kind of told us about your family operation, but maybe a little bit more about the history. I think that 100 years is a really important thing, a really special thing when an operation hits that many right in that many generations. Can you kind of go into more of that? The history, yeah, Can you kind?
Speaker 2:of go into more of that. The history yeah, actually, where we're sitting is part of the old homestead my great-great-granddad came here in the early 1900s, traded his Model T for a homestead here in Stanley and then over the generations we have built it up and raised cattle and bought and sold different ranches across the state. So we've been in agriculture a very long time and we do a lot of different things and at one point all of the family was involved and it's really cool to have been on this same piece of land for so long and just know that we've been able to be stewards of the land and maintain it for generations. So that you know, blair has the option to be a rancher if she wants to.
Speaker 1:That's so interesting and so cool and such an important part, I think, of the beef industry in New Mexico and everywhere, that it's generational and you know you're taking care of the land and the livestock for that generational aspect. So I guess kind of more kind of skipping around on my questions but how does New Mexico's landscapes and climate shape your ranching methods?
Speaker 2:So, speaking of the land, yeah, new Mexico is kind of very different in terms of ranching versus some other states. You know, we don't get a whole lot of rain, like you know parts of Texas or the Midwest does, so we really have to adapt. I think our annual rainfall here is about 10 inches, but you know, some years we get two inches, some years we get 15. So it varies from year to year on how we have to maintain our livestock and maintain our pastures so that we can continue to ranch year after year. I remember I was probably in middle school and we had a bad drought. We had to get cattle in and feed them for almost the whole summer. Last summer was wonderful, we didn't feed any hay, it was beautiful. So each year is different for us and depending on how much moisture we get, what the snow pack is, we adapt. So New Mexico's it keeps us on our toes.
Speaker 1:No doubt, no doubt. I don't think I've ever talked to a rancher without hearing about the drought or the struggle with water and gush, and it's a common, common problem throughout, throughout the states. What's the most rewarding part of being in the beef industry for you?
Speaker 2:for me it's the connections that you make with you know all the others that are involved in the industry. We are involved with the Hereford Association at a national level so we go to a lot of different shows across the country and participate in leadership events and things of that nature. So you know we've got friends across the whole country that we can. You know, if we break down in Iowa I could find somebody to help me out. So it's the people. Everybody is just, you know, good old country people that are just wonderful to work with. And you, you, nine times out of 10 won't find a bad rancher that is unkind or just the people are are wonderful to work with.
Speaker 1:I think that's an excellent example that, no matter, no matter where you are in the country, there's somebody, somebody there to lend a hand and you've got the commonality of of that. You know, salt of the earth kind of people and the kindness and generosity of our industry. I think is really, really special. Yeah, we talked about the land management and New Mexico's landscapes, but what is something else that's a challenge on your operation?
Speaker 2:um, agriculture, whether it's beef or whatever you're in, comes with, you know, more challenges and there are, you know, positive aspects of it. Each year is different. You know we battle turbulent cattle markets and regulations and so many different things that it's hard to not focus on the challenges. We try to stay positive and do what we can and just enjoy the ranching life and raising kids on the ranch and hope for rain, and you know. But yeah, there's a lot of challenges. When it comes to the beef industry, I think right now we're at a really good time as far as cattle prices. We're historic highs, so right now there's not a lot to complain about. And we've gotten rain. We had snow last week, so we're happy, so there's not a whole lot that comes to mind this week. But yeah, there's a million things thrown at us that we have to battle each and every year and it's hard for ranchers to stay positive, but it's definitely something that needs to be at the forefront of your mind.
Speaker 1:Absolutely so. Can you give me an example of how you care for your cattle to ensure their health and well-being?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So cattle health and well-being is probably the most, one of the most important aspects of raising cattle. If you don't take care of them, they're not going to take care of you. So you've got to make sure that they are healthy and you have the best genetics and the best nutrition. People don't realize that there are nutritionists for cattle. You know they have their own special vets and doctors and medicines and nutritionists and there is so much science behind what we do.
Speaker 2:You know we're not just making decisions based off random. You know we research and we figure out the best genetics to make what we're after, whether it be, you know, the best beef or the best breeding bull. So what we do is not just random. Um, so what we do is not just random. What we do, since we've raised seed stock cattle. You know there's so much research behind genetic markers and EPDs and we can almost tell you how much your calves are going to weigh based on what bull you buy from us. So there's so much that goes into these cattle before you even have beef on your plate. So the cattle industry is not by accident and we're not at historic highs by accident either.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I think a lot of the or at least a couple of the other podcasts we've done we've talked about genetics and, to be honest, we get a lot of questions and even kind of concerns when we start talking about that. So I did want to mention that when we talk about the science and the genetics of cattle, it's about breeding animals based on whether they're you know, um, whether their temperament is good, right, and so we want a calmer animal, because we want to, you know, save our fences and save our cowboys. Or we want to, you know, a bigger, better ribeye or a more marbled ribeye, right, so that when you're seeing that meat on the shelf, it's things.
Speaker 1:So I know genetics sounds scary sometimes, but for a customer, for someone who's just buying beef at the grocery store, I want to try and encourage that. It's like when we bred dogs and we started doing the doodle, the poodle dogs, right, so that people who were allergic to dogs could now have dogs in their home, right? What an excellent thing that they did through breeding. And so when we're talking genetics and cattle, I just wanted to kind of reiterate that that it's about breeding animals to make a better animal and it's not some scary science thing happening in a petri dish or something like that. This is animals, this is just good husbandry, and yeah.
Speaker 2:So I just wanted to kind of yeah, it's not a scary GMO type thing. It's picking out a bull that will work correctly with your cows and making sure that you know that bull will, you know, have calves that are small enough for your heifers so that there's no issues with labor, or you know that bull will provide your cows calves that can milk good and have a big enough ribeye to make enough money for us to keep doing what we're doing and have a good end product. So, yeah, it's not about scary GMO research in the laboratory. It's about picking cattle for your ranch that work for you and, you know, get to the end point that you're after.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. And even that kind of ties into the climate question, right. A lot of times we're using certain breeds of cattle because we're in New Mexico, so we need a cattle that can handle if it gets a little hot out or or it gets a little cold, right. That's the. You know the high desert. You have to take that into consideration when you're when you're breeding cattle. So, yeah, thank you for for clarifying that. I think it's just an important thing, and the goal of the podcast too is that we hope someone's listening who doesn't know that much about cattle in the industry and we can help them and show them where their beef is coming from and the good-hearted and the good, just honest people trying to create a better product for customers.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what's one thing people don't know about raising beef in New Mexico. What's maybe something or something interesting? We've already talked about a lot of things already.
Speaker 2:I think there's a lot of disconnect between ranchers and maybe people that have lived in a city their whole life. New Mexico is pretty rural as far as people you know. We don't have a whole lot of big cities. Pretty rural as far as people you know, we don't have a whole lot of big cities. So there's still a lot of people that are connected to the land through. You know their grandpa was a rancher or you know someone in their family grows chili or something like that. So New Mexico is good in that aspect.
Speaker 2:But there are a lot of people in the cities that have never seen a cow or they don't know. You know why? Why do we raise cattle like I can get beef at the grocery store? So there is a lot of disconnect and I think it's like the national average is three generations back is the distance between a person and the last farmer in their family, which is kind of scary to think about. That these people don't know where their food comes from a lot of times or they just have no experience with it.
Speaker 2:So our family really tries to be good stewards of what we do and how we do it and tell our story. You know we go to the state fair every year and everybody wants to pet our cows and we always say, yeah, you can pet them. They're friendly, they're show cows, so of course they can pet them, because we pet them all the time. But just having that connection like oh, these people were nice and let us pet their cows at the state fair, that's one like positive touch point.
Speaker 2:But as far as a disconnect of them not knowing something about the industry, probably a lot of what we talked about as far as this is like a business and it's not by accident. We don't just they're not our pets we were very strategic about the cattle we raise and why we raise them. And you know we make sure we do it humanely. We make sure that our pastures can continue to support the cattle. Year after year we sit down and we make plans for the year to make sure everything will work out. You know it's not just a throw cows out on the grass and hope they survive. So there's a lot that goes into raising cattle.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and even one thing I was talking to someone else about is the fact that a lot of the land that cattle live on isn't land that could be farmed. You couldn't grow vegetables on it. You might be able to grow some wheat or some grass, but it's not arid land, and especially in New Mexico, some of it gets a little rough right, and so it's land that we're the best, or the maybe only use for it, agricultural wise, would be cattle, yep.
Speaker 2:Cattle are sheep, and that's most of the western US. I mean we can't build homes out here, there's not enough water. So putting cattle on the land is the highest and best use of this property. I mean we can't farm everything. We can't produce enough vegetables for us to survive off of, you know, and beef is so nutritious and so dense in terms of the nutrients we get, that really cattle on the land is the best use, Whether and it's most of the West Coast, but especially in rocky regions or areas where it's especially dry, like Southern New Mexico. So yeah, absolutely Cattle. People don't realize highest and best use is grazing the land.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, we're glad that you guys are doing that and that the land is being used in such a way, so kind of stepping, I guess, stepping out off the ranch and into the office. Tell me about your role with the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so switch hats. I recently was hired with the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association. I've been there almost two years now, but my family's been involved with cattle growers for a very long time. My granddad was the president back in the 90s, I think, so we have a long history with cattle growers and it's a tremendous association that represents, you know, ranchers across the state, private property owners, and you know we stand up for our rights as private property owners and make sure that we have promotion out there so people know what we do as ranchers and we also help try to pick up our youth. We offer scholarships, we offer internships, Make sure that we raise kids you know, start at the bottom.
Speaker 2:We gotta we gotta raise kids that are willing to work hard and and do good from the beginning. But I'm the marketing director at Cattle Growers so I get to do a lot of the fun stuff. I spend a lot of time in Santa Fe during the legislative session as well, so I get to be one of the faces of Cattle Growers. But it's it's a fun job. It's a lot of fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah and thank you. Thank you for what you do for the industry, as as a member of cattle or as an employee of cattle growers.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we appreciate that it's important. Yeah, it's important work that you guys are doing. We do a lot of different things, but it's a lot of fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah, is there? Is there one thing, or maybe one or two things that you're most excited about in your job right now, that you're working on or you've worked on recently?
Speaker 2:Yeah, cattle growers in New Mexico has a lot of momentum right now. We've had very strong leaders over however many years that have really pushed us into where we're at right now. So we're seeing a growth in membership now. So we're seeing a growth in membership. We're seeing a growth in, you know, donations to the association so that we can implement new programs. This past year we implemented the Linda Davis Young Cattlemen's Leadership Academy and this is the first class, so there's six participants. A young cattleman is age 25 to 35 is what we kind of figured in our industry. So we get to help these young people learn how to be a good rancher and how to represent themselves. They spent three days in Santa Fe this year meeting legislators and learning the legislative process and how that affects us on our ranches back home learning the legislative process and how that affects us on our ranches back home. But they'll also get to do ranch tours and go to all of our conferences and that's one of the most exciting things that we've kicked off since I've been there.
Speaker 2:We also have a lot of different battles we're fighting too. Mexican wolves is something that we've been struggling with for years Now. Of course, they're not in our backyard, but in the southern part of the state it can be a problem for ranchers learning how to live with the wolves. So we're continuing on that fight and trying to figure out how to keep the wolves on the land and keep the cattle on the land out, how to keep the wolves on the land and keep the cattle on the land. So. But there's also different things, like corridors from the federal government that are at risk of eminent domain and you know there's always something coming up the pipeline for cattle growers. But a lot of the more fun stuff is getting to work with the kids and the youth and have those programs that we can educate people.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and I was going to let you give a plug too. If you want more information on the scholarships or what you guys are working on, you guys have a great website.
Speaker 2:Yep, our website is nmagricultureorg.
Speaker 1:Perfect. So if you want more information on what Cattle Growers is doing, please visit that, and they've got a great email newsletter too.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:If you're a you know rancher, cattleman, cattlewoman on listening and you're not a member, you can look at how to how to become a member, get those emails, that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2:And and our Facebook is probably the most up to date as far as stuff coming down the pipeline all the time so, and we host meetings all the time across the whole state and have two statewide conferences and anybody's welcome to come to those and visit with us and become members or learn what we're doing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, we'll see a couple of those this summer. What about so? Why do you do what you do? So you have, you know, like you said, you've got a lot of hats in your hands and a lot of baskets, but what makes you keep doing it?
Speaker 2:I think a lot of it is just, it's what we've always done, it's what I grew up doing. But you want to make sure that the land is taken care of and there's a legacy behind it. I want my two-year-old to have the option is what we always say. She may not want to be a rancher, but if she wants to, we better make sure that she has that opportunity. And that stems from not only taking care of your property and maintaining the land and the cattle, but also standing up from the legislative perspective or, you know, making sure that you are doing the right things in terms of estate planning, because that's a huge issue in our industry as well. So a lot of it is just. You know the legacy. That's what ranchers pride themselves on. So, but you know, I'm I'm young myself, so I've still got, however, many years to learn how to do this myself. So maybe an older person would be better to ask on that one. But yeah, just making sure that your kids have the option to do it if they, if they want to.
Speaker 1:I think that's a great way to put it and I think that family legacy is so special and so neat to see, especially, like you said, with the sixth generation sitting on your lap a few minutes ago.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:That's very, very special and something you should be proud of. So kind of getting to the end. Is there anything else you'd like to add about the beef industry, about your ranch, your family cattle growers, anything else?
Speaker 2:I mean, you know the industry is changing and it always is changing what different types of cattle we raise or the trends, and you know what people want to eat. Back in the 50s they wanted fatter cattle so they could have lard to cook. You know it's always changing, but I think cattle have their place and they will remain that way. When we go feed a group of people from the from town that aren't ranchers, you know we eat beef every day but they'll always opt for the beef option, unless you know a few don't.
Speaker 2:But it's hopeful and bright for our future as ranchers. But we have to continue to adapt and change our practices based off of you know the climate and how much rain we get every year. You know we've got a plan for the future, with maybe less water is what they tell us. So you know continuing to maintain what we've got and adapt to. You know what's coming down the pipeline and stay abreast of the challenges ahead of us. And that's what we will do and that's what we've always done. So as ranchers, we don't have an option.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I couldn't have said it better. We hope beef stays the king of protein and I know, always growing up and still now. If you want to celebrate something, always growing up and still now. If you want to celebrate something, it's yeah. We always joke. We say winner, winner, steak for dinner as a play on that other saying but we, okay, and then one last thing, one last question would be what is your favorite way to eat steak, or maybe a favorite recipe that you could tease and we could get it on our website?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was thinking about that this morning. One thing we cook a lot, which is mostly during the wintertime when it's colder out, is green chili stew, and I know everybody has. Every New Mexican has their take on a green chili stew, but my mom makes a fabulous one with ground beef in it, so we eat that a lot. We eat beef almost every meal, but that's one of my favorites is a green chili stew almost every meal, but that's one of my favorites is a green chili stew.
Speaker 1:Yep, I think we definitely have a green chili stew recipe on the website, but we'll have to see if it's Abby O'Connor approved.
Speaker 2:Everybody has their own. Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Absolutely Well. Thank you so much for joining the podcast. We really appreciate hearing about your role with cattle growers, about your family Thanks for letting us get a peek at your sweet, sweet daughter. And yeah, thank you again. Yeah, family Thanks for letting us get a peek at your sweet, sweet daughter.
Speaker 2:And yeah, thank you again.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely Thanks for having me Behind the Burger is a podcast produced by the New Mexico Beef Council with the goal of telling the stories of the cattlemen and cattlewomen of the New Mexico beef industry. Thank you for joining us for today's episode. If you'd like more information, please visit nmbeefcom. Whether it be a burger, a steak or another beef dish, we hope you're enjoying beef at your next meal.
