Roseanne Wilson of the West Fork Ranch near Loup City displays her Champion Charolais Female at February’s Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic in Kearney.

Anyone who has attended the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic each February in Kearney is probably familiar with West Fork Ranch’s exhibits of Charolais and Red Angus cattle. Equally familiar is Roseanne Wilson – or Rosie as most people know her – who presents the cattle. During the 2006 Classic, I was able to take a few minutes of Rosie’s time to ask questions about her family’s Nebraska-based business.

Rosie is the third generation of her family on the West Fork Ranch at Loup City. Her father was so eager to get started in the ranching business that he borrowed money while still in high school to buy a few calves – then he hid them in the barn from his father. That love of cattle and ranching has carried forward to Rosie as well.

Her grandfather started with a Hereford-based herd, but those were phased out starting when Rosie’s parents, Henry and Eleanor, bought commercial Charolais in 1984. They liked the muscling and growth traits of the breed so much that they started raising Charolais seedstock in 1988. Since then, West Fork Ranch has used mostly AI sires to build the best quality into their cattle.

Eight years ago, West Fork was looking for a maternal breed to complement the growth of the Charolais, so the Wilsons started introducing Red Angus genetics into the herd. They are very pleased with the results of the Red Angus-dam and Charolais-sire calves.

The West Fork philosophy is raising profitable cattle. They retain ownership on their commercial cattle and sell them on a grid-based program. Rosie says that West Fork must have cattle that are well muscled, marble well and will grade. The ranch is also aware that profit comes by producing mama cows that have longevity in the herd through soundness, fertility, easy fleshing and low maintenance.

West Fork markets seedstock each year at the Classic and a select few other consignment sales. They have a private-treaty sale based on a silent auction each year as well.

Talking with Rosie, I got a sense of the pride she has in the West Fork cattle and her love for the lifestyle. Rosie is a graduate of the University of Nebraska School of Technical Agriculture (UNSTA) at Curtis. (The name has been changed to the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture.) She feels she got an outstanding education at UNSTA that prepared her well for involvement in the day-to-day labor and long-term decision-making on the ranch.

Rosie is very busy with ranch work and promotion of her cattle. The Wilsons had a very successful 2006 Classic by having their heifer selected Champion Charolais Female. Throughout the weeklong show, Rosie was keeping the road hot between Loup City and Kearney, shuttling between cattle at the Classic and cows calving at home. I asked her if she has time for any hobbies or other activities. Rosie said she works with her church’s youth, which she finds very rewarding. And she is a member of a horse-mounted women’s drill team – although it can be difficult to find time for the whole team to practice together. Trail riding is another activity Rosie enjoys, especially with friends. Finally, she was able to travel to Australia recently; Rosie found it so interesting and enjoyable that she wants to find time for more travel.

I asked Rosie why West Fork Ranch is a member of Nebraska Cattlemen. Of course, to enter cattle at the Classic, producers must be a member of NC, and that’s part of Rosie’s reason. But she went on to say that she has come to appreciate how important it is to have an organization representing the cattle industry at the state and federal legislatures. She believes that the communications pieces that come from NC help her keep current on issues and changes that affect her business. Rosie noted that it’s easy to get so involved with the day-to-day running of the ranch that she wouldn’t be able to keep up with the industry and regulatory changes without NC.

Look for Rosie and the cattle from West Fork Ranch at the 2007 Classic next February. 

 Melody Benjamin, working out of the Alliance office, is NC’s director of Member Services. She plans more member profiles.