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To Return or Not to Return —
That is the Question

It’s not as dramatic as the Shakespearean language makes it sound, but as a young person trying to get their footing, the road back to the cattle business is anything but a straight one.


In college, there were those who were returning home to a waiting position; those who wanted to return home, but no room was available; and, finally, those whose family wished they would return, but the son or daughter had other ideas.


Oh, and then there were those who set out with a plan and realized plans can change — a lot.


If only there were an acre for every time someone asked, “What are you going to do? You going to go back or what?”


To return, or not to return … Farming and ranching aside, it’s a question any person who comes from any sort of family business must face, and popular enough to be the focal point of a session at this year’s Cattle Industry Convention in San Diego, Calif. Thankfully, there’s a saving grace in that others have gone before us and are willing to share their dos and don’ts.


Dan McCarty, a fourth-generation Colorado cattleman and the director of industry and affiliate outreach for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), was on hand to talk about his decision-making process and what eventually led him and his wife to venture out on their own.


“It sure makes family dinners a lot more fun,” he joked, sharing that “it” steered conversations away from business.


Dan’s story is unique, as is everyone’s, but there are common threads that tie us all together in this adventure. Here’s what Dan had to say:


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Editor’s Note: Laura Conawy is producer communications specialist for Certified Angus Beef LLC.














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