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Most of those ranchers don't have the vision to transform their ranches as they'd have to. Perhaps not the inclination, either. My aunt's family were ranchers
by wavefunction 8y ago
Most of those ranchers don't have the vision to transform their ranches as they'd have to. Perhaps not the inclination, either. My aunt's family were ranchers out in NW Colorado and Eastern Utah and the entire extended family has transitioned into city life at this point.
Utah is one of the most beautiful parts of the world though, imo.
- Gargoyle 8y agoWhat's the ideal vision they should follow?
- wavefunction 8y agoI just mean they're ranchers. They have a certain mindset and expectations and understanding of the world. They probably were born into it and have only ever known ranching. It's a heck of a thing to (seemingly) cast your family's legacy aside to serve 'tourists' especially when it's the only life you've ever known and you're venturing out into uncharted territory. My mother stayed in a lovely homestay in a mansion/chateau (closest analog?) in the Kolkata region recently and the owner/proprietor joked to her one time as he mopped the floor that his grand-father was a Raja and here he was mopping floors. Not everyone wants to take up mopping floors...
- prawn 8y agoSomething that wouldn't help is that the slide would be gradual. Kids would leave one by one. Prices or yield would fall slowly. So while ranching is still there, the focus is on dealing with it or recovering rather than trying to create a slow-start new venture that could complement or supplant it.
- prawn 8y agoCreate a unique drawcard that stands out and sells in an age of image-driven social media. If the area is not particularly attractive, find a way to make it more so. Cadillac Ranch is old, scrap cars embedded in nondescript dirt. I've visited there from the other side of the planet. Salvation Mountain is a low, plain hill adorned with plaster and paint. I've visited there from the other side of the planet. There's a wall in San Luis Obispo that is literally covered with chewing gum. It's disgusting but awesome, and I've been there. Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch is basically junk arranged in an interesting way. Visited that too. I went to a restaurant because it has a novelty sign talking about "Ho' Made Pies". I've got loads of examples. If given 5-10 properties remotely near a driving route or international drawcard (like Zion), I'm confident I could invent a unique thing for each that would attract tourists and not be overly expensive to create. I suspect land-owners don't have the imagination or inclination though. Email in profile if you have a property and want motivation.
- altussky 8y agoThere is some truth to this, but a lot of times it's just not possible. Some spreads are so ugly, so rural, or so small (relatively speaking) that they really don't have that option. Some don't have the vision or the inclination as you mentioned. And some have both the option and vision, though this group is the minority. There is a medium sized dairy farm I know of (1,200 dairy cows) that started making compost out of their manure and selling it. I know some of the nicer/larger spreads that do dude-ranching or guided hunts etc.. I just don't see most ranches as even having the opportunity to transform even if they wanted to.
- rdiddly 8y agoI'll bet inclination has more to do with it than vision!