Join the Sandhills Task Force for a Ranching For Profit- Young Adult School July 11-15, 2022 at the Niobrara Valley Preserve in Johnstown NE.  The school will focus on setting the next generation up for success using RMC®’s time-proven methods tailored for 18-25-year-old current or prospective land managers, who are interested in developing the necessary business management and leadership skills to succeed in ranch management.  Participants will build peer-to-peer relationships, learn from an experienced instructor, interact with mentors, and visit innovative ranches.  This experience will take you to the next level in business and land management.

Draft Agenda

• Monday, July 11 – Arrive for evening meal and “get to know you” social
• Tuesday, July 12 – ½ day classroom and ½ day ranch visit
• Wednesday, July 13 – ½ day classroom and ½ day ranch visit
• Thursday, July 14 – ½ day classroom and ½ day ranch visit
• Friday, July 15 – ½ day wrap up and depart

Location Driving Directions

Address: Niobrara Valley Preserve, 42269 Morel Road, Johnstown, NE 69214

• From Valentine: 29 Miles East on HWY 12; 8 Miles South on Norden Road
• From Ainsworth: 9.5 miles West on HWY 20; 16 miles North on Norden Road

Instructor Biography – John Locke, Ranch Management Consultants Instructor

A six generation member of the JD Hudgins Inc Ranching operation on the Texas Gulf Coast, you might say John Locke has taken a conventional path into unconventional agricultural practices.  Growing up on a Registered Brahman seedstock operation that is known for sharing genetics across the southern United States and around the World, everything appeared to be on a path of “business as usual” after returning home upon graduating from Texas Tech in 2001, until a 200-year drought and a major family succession event forever changed the way Locke looked at the family business. 

Somewhat starting over with less than half of your cow herd on ¼ of the land mass while still having most of the same expenses the previous business was responsible for, has a way of bringing about inevitable change and can be a blessing in disguise that almost makes it impossible to “do things the way we have always done them”.  Somewhere along the way Locke met Dave Pratt and attended the Ranching for Profit School and joined Executive Link, deepening the look into the business and ultimately life.

On the surface, much of the 6 decades-old core business of Locke Division of JD Hudgins still looks the same, but with a deeper look, the changes have been many over the past 10 years.  While embracing innovation in adopting practices such as ultra-high density grazing, the main focus has been on learning and applying principles.  Making sure one is doing the right things before obsessing over doing things right.  Identifying and focusing on a clear business purpose that aligns with the person.  Learning how to see the economic picture of the business and using that lens to build resilience.  Understanding the whole and striving to balance ecological improvement, livestock performance, profit, and human resources in a way that focuses on quality of life for all involved.  In short, putting fun and financial reward into ranching while working to build a legacy that has a lasting impact that is independent of the physical assets the business will leave behind is the Locke family priority. 

Working side by side with his father Coleman in the day-to-day management of their division, Locke also has been blessed to have been selected and trained as the 6th person to be an Instructor of the Ranching for Profit School. When he’s not too busy with the ranch or family commitments due to the activities of his three beautiful daughters Lauryn, Lyndsey, Lylee, and wife Salina, John teaches several of the week-long RFP schools a year, helps to facilitate Executive Link meetings, and serves consulting clients across the US.