View From the Range

REDFIELD, Iowa (DTN) -- The legacy of the Copeland & Sons Hereford operation started with generations prior but continues through those who currently run the ranch with hopes of providing opportunities for the future.

Copeland & Sons Herefords in Nara Visa, New Mexico, has participated in DTN's View From the Range series, where DTN followed a year at the ranch to give readers an inside look at how the ranch operates and cares for its animals.

This final segment in the series looks at how the Copelands manage their operation to be able to pass it down to future generations, leaving the legacy better than they found it.

Copeland & Sons Herefords was started in 1943 by Cliff Copeland's grandparents and great-grandparents. The ranch is run by Cliff and his wife, Pat, along with their son and daughter-in-law, Matt and Alyssa Copeland. Matt said those who ran the ranch before him did their best to improve the cattle and the ranch land for the next generation to have the opportunity to continue ranching. Matt and Alyssa's daughters, Cally and Kinley, are the sixth generation to be raised on the ranch. "We continue to improve the genetics and the land. But our family really is the ultimate legacy," Matt said. "We want to be good people, stick to our word, care for our land, provide the best cattle genetics for our customers, and leave everything better than we found it."

Cliff said that for him, it has been an honor to continue to run the ranch, but it does come with some big responsibilities. "We have to keep moving forward and carry on the work to make everything better by improving the livestock, improving the land and improving ourselves. It's not anything in particular; rather, it's everything."

RESPONSIBILITY AND CHALLENGES

Cliff said passing the ranch on to future generations has many things that are easier to control, such as improving genetics and being good stewards of the land.

But there are also several factors affecting agriculture that cannot be controlled. The main uncontrolled factor is weather, which ultimately has a hand in the growing season of plants and animals. Taxes are another component that is hard to control but must be paid. And, finally, market prices are a big variable the Copelands have learned to deal with through the years. "We are at the mercy of what is happening in our country when it comes to market prices. You can have the best plan in place, but it can all change in a moment," Cliff said.

So, they concentrate on what is in their control. "We just keep trying to make a better cow herd to move forward for our customers and use the technologies available to make these advancements in our industry," Matt added.

And when it comes to the advancements they have made, Cliff thinks all their ancestors would be proud of how the operation looks now. "It's why we all work so hard, so the next generation has something to move forward with," he concluded.

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Editor's Note: To see previous stories in this series, go to:

-- "New Mexico Ranch Shares View From Range," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "Copeland & Sons Herefords Raise Cattle to Provide for Family, Customers, Environment," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "New Mexico Ranch Relies on Cows with Good Mothering Ability," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "New Mexico Ranchers Have Recorded Performance Data to Measure Herd's Progress," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "New Mexico Ranch Branding Tradition Unites Generations," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "New Mexico Ranchers Strategically Breed Cows to Advance Herd," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "New Mexico Ranch Sets Cattle Health Program for Optimal Herd Performance," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "New Mexico Ranch Reveals Effective Pasture, Range Management Techniques," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "New Mexico Ranch Family Legacy Continues in the Showring," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "New Mexico Ranchers Market Genetics That Also Work Across the Country," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

-- "New Mexico Ranch Tailors Nutrition Plans for All Cattle Groups," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com

Follow her on social platform X @JennCattleGal

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