Tired truck driver needs cows to love in AZ/NM

[Hopeful Rancher]

Hello everyone. Twelve years of driving a semi had provided me and my family a nice livelyhood. We have a great home, a boat that we love, family close by, and all the things that your average middle class American is suspose to.

We are ready to give most of this up for a little more substance in our lives. We don't expect nor want to get rich, just to have a life we can be happy LIVING!

I have a million questions, and most of the posts I have been reading here have so far been very helpful. I am looking for a mentor, someone who wouldn't mind helping a hopeful in acheaving his dream.

We are looking at about 200 acres in Western New Mexico, just East of Springerville, Arizona for anyone whom might know the area. There is about 1000-1500 acres of BLM land backing up to this plot. The elevation is around 4-5000 feet with snow flurries during the winter, but never any hardpack. The area is full of cattle ranches, so I know that someone out there is doing it. I just need to figure out how to get started.

Again, anyone who knows this area, or might have a few words of wisdom for me, it will be greatly appreciated!

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

You will get some great help here Hopeful. I am about to do the same thing. Give up everything in Phoenix, a 3500 sq ft home with a beautiful yard and pool,my LLC, 25 years of friends and even leaving one daughter behind. The other is going with us. They are both single and grown. The point is we are like you and ready for the last phase of our life and want it to be something we will cherish and enjoy. We are going to Texas to live on undeveloped 82 acres. Seems like we need to get back to the life we wish we could have lived all along. But somehow you get snagged up in the younger years of kids,college fancy homes and keeping up with the Jones'. Well not anymore. Good luck to you.

 

[Hopeful Rancher]

Thanks! Been reading your green as the grass post. So much good info its hard to digest. Lots of folks from Texas, hope I can find someone familiar with the New Mexico area. I'm especially interested in range grazing in that area, and using federal land for such. Good luck to you as well!

 

[Anonymous]

Hopeful,
You may consider taking slowly. Leaving everything behind cold-turkey may turn out to be somewhat of a shock to you and your family. I tried the same a couple of years back; luckily, I just moved to my 300 acres in Texas but didn't sell my house in Dallas.
Country living didn't turn out to be what I expected. It was lonely, long drives to get to anything, and more work than I expected.
After two months we decided to move back and just spend out weekends at the ranch. It has worked out a lot better this way.

Hope I don't disappoint. ... Bart

 

[dun]

The first thing you need to look into is the availability of grazing leases in taht area. A judge I believe in Montana just threw a wrench in the grazing lease works. Then talk to some of your prospective neighbors, thay're the ones that will know the actual on-the-ground ins and outs for that area.

dun

 

[TheBullLady]

I've also been reading a lot lately on BLM lease property. There are a lot of "Sierra Club" type folks that are all up in arms on cattle ruining the public lands. I think it's going to get harder and harder to rent that property in the future.