Everyone wants to own the dirt they’re ranching on, but what if owning land isn’t always the best way to build a ranching business?

In this episode, Derek, Zach, and Dan dig into the tradeoffs between buying and leasing ground, drawing from their own experiences building ranch businesses with limited capital. They discuss how land ownership affects cash flow, why controlling productive land can matter more than owning it, and how the right approach can change as a business grows.

The conversation then moves beyond buy versus rent to the relationships that make land access possible. The guys talk about building a strong reputation as an operator, creating win-win arrangements with landowners, and why a rancher’s legacy doesn’t necessarily have to be tied to owning dirt. They also wrestle with when buying land does make sense and why the answer ultimately depends on your capital, stage of business, and goals.

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Resources & Links:

• Episode 10: What 10 Years Away Taught a Fifth-Generation Rancher with Logan Pribbeno of Wine Glass Ranch
• Scholarship Pledge
• Scholarship Application
• Podcast Music by Cade Foehner
• Check out the Territory Ballroom
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What happens when a fifth-generation rancher is required to leave the family operation for ten years before he can come back?

In this episode of the Ranch Rolodex, Derek sits down with Logan Pribbeno, of Wine Glass Ranch in Southwest Nebraska, a multi-generational ranch that's been in his family for 140 years. Logan's family had a rule: leave the state, leave agriculture, and stay gone for a decade. He spent those years studying economics at UC Santa Barbara and working in Silicon Valley finance through the Great Recession, and he came home viewing the ranch as a business first.

Derek and Logan dig into how that time away shaped his approach to ranch finances, from treating cattle as financial instruments to waging war on overhead and using long-term mortgage debt as an inflation hedge.

They close on ranch succession, the K-shaped economy, and how Logan structured his operation so he can leave for six months while the business keeps improving.

Make sure to hit follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Connect with Logan:

• Check out their website
• Follow on X
• Follow his podcast, Running on Grass

Connect with us:

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on Instagram @theranchrolodex
• Follow on Facebook
• Check out the website

Resources & Links:

• Episode 5: How Profitable Ranchers Think Differently with John Haskell
• Scholarship Pledge
• Scholarship Application
• Podcast Music by Cade Foehner
• Check out the Territory Ballroom
• Sign up for our email list so you never miss an episode

Everyone says America needs to rebuild the cow herd, but what does it actually take for a rancher to keep back heifers when the market won't give them confidence?

In this episode, Zach, Dan, and Derek dig into the cattle market volatility and political noise pressuring producers right now. They look at the latest cattle inventory numbers, why heifer retention isn't the same as herd expansion, and dive into the USDA’s LRP program.

The conversation then moves past the headlines to the long-term threats to the U.S. beef supply including urban sprawl, the disappearing tallgrass prairie, generational land transitions, and the barriers beginning ranchers face in accessing land and capital.

Make sure to hit follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Connect with us:

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on Instagram @theranchrolodex
• Follow on Facebook
• Check out the website

Resources & Links:

• Scholarship Pledge
• Scholarship Application
• Podcast Music by Cade Foehner
• Check out the Territory Ballroom
• Sign up for our email list so you never miss an episode