Little Jennie Ranch manager offers considerations for diversifying an ag operation
During the first breakout session of the 31st Annual Wyoming Women in Agriculture (WWIA) Symposium, held Nov. 7-8 in Laramie, Little Jennie Ranch Owner and Operator Faith Hamlin shared her expertise on ag diversification.
Nestled in the dramatic mountainscape of Sublette County just outside of Jackson Hole, the Little Jennie Ranch is home to a working cattle operation and outfitting business, providing year-long authentic Western experiences for individuals from all walks of life.
Traditionally a cow/calf operation, Hamlin and her family have taken steps in recent years to add additional revenue streams to their bottom line, including snowmobiling tours, sleigh rides, chuckwagon rides, guided hunting trips, ranch tours, ranch experiences and direct-to-consumer beef marketing, to name a few.
“Over the last several years, my family has been working to foster multiple businesses at the ranch, and growing these businesses has helped complement what we do on the cattle side of things as well,” Hamlin said.
“I am by no means an expert in resiliency and building multi-generational ranches, but I think with enough determination and passion, each of us can do just about anything we set our minds to,” she added.
Cattle and beef
In continuing her presentation, Hamlin shared some of the ways Little Jennie Ranch has been able to diversify their business in both the cattle and tourism industries.
She noted the cow/calf operation is still the “heart and soul” of the ranch, and the family is focused on raising hardy cattle tough enough to withstand cruel winter conditions in Bondurant, which she believes to be the coldest, snowiest place in Wyoming.
However, the Hamlins have also expanded their cattle operation to include yearlings and direct-to-consumer marketing.
“We are not just selling our calves, we also sell yearlings and bred heifers to hopefully bring a little bit more stability to this area of the business,” she said.
The yearling operation sparked a direct-to-consumer beef business, which started when the family was looking for ways to capitalize on outlier steers that didn’t make the truck.
“We’ve grown the direct beef business over the past couple of years, and now we are actually going beyond the animals that may not fit the bill and keeping more animals in order to provide for a growing customer base,” she explained.
Outfitting and agritourism
Four years ago, the Hamlins were presented an opportunity to obtain outfitting permits, which ultimately kickstarted many of the Little Jennie Ranch’s current agritourism ventures.
“It’s probably one of the best decisions we have ever made,” Hamlin stated. “We have been able to build our entire ranch holistically while supporting the beef cattle business and being an advocate for agriculture through the outfitting business.”
Today, the ranch offers snowmobiling tours, guided hunting trips, overnight pack trips, sleigh rides and ranch tours, as well as a venue for a variety of events.
Another unique opportunity offered at the Little Jennie Ranch are authentic cowboy day experiences, which provide intimate, genuine Western experiences for individuals across all skill levels.
Hamlin admitted this venture was one she struggled to implement at first.
“I really did not want to host people being a cowboy with us for the day,” she confessed. “For lack of a better way of explaining it, it was almost sacred to me. It is a really special part of our operation, and to share it with complete strangers all the time felt like we were going to get taken advantage of.”
But, after working with several clients who Hamlin believed “fit the bill” and creating a program her and her team felt comfortable with, the Hamlins started hosting small groups of people to help with everyday tasks on the ranch.
“Frankly, I made it really expensive to keep it exclusive and ensure only people who really want to do it can do it,” she explained. “I also only made it available for small groups of people – maximum three people per day – so it is very intimate.”
Hamlin further explained, with the help of a guide, these guests go out with the ranch’s cattle crew and do whatever work they have planned for the day. The guide talks them through each task, explains why they are doing it and helps them understand the values of cowboys and cattlemen.
In turn, the Hamlins’ outfitting business grew, as well as their platform for agricultural advocacy.
“I brought in more clients because they were specifically looking for this sort of experience – one with a little bit more authenticity than other folks were able to provide,” she shared. “And, I was promoting the ag and cattle industry in line with our values.”
She continued, “What was super cool about building something I really did not want to do is these clients are some of our best and most loyal. They are selling my business and my brand all of the time because they have had one of the more intimate and special experiences at the ranch. So this has been a really big success.”
Additionally, the ranch has become known for its popular skijouring event, held each year in March.
Considerations
As Hamlin alluded to in her own experiences, diversifying an operation can be a scary change for producers.
She encouraged those interested in pursuing new ventures to ensure their ideas or opportunities align with their mission and values, support current operations and use their resources well.
Individuals should also evaluate what additional resources and expenses are needed to grow the business and if the endeavor is worth the change and/or inconvenience.
“If you can’t build the project to be worth the inconvenience, you’ll never be happy with it, and you’ll never be successful doing it,” she said.
“There are a lot of crazy ideas out there that will probably never work for my operation or for other businesses,” she noted. “But what I find to be really important is to have an open heart and an open mind.”
With this, Hamlin further noted saying no to the wrong opportunities is just as important as saying yes to the right ones.
“I get really excited and want to say yes to everything. But over time, I’ve learned saying no is just as powerful,” she said
Hamlin also explained it is important to promote a growing business venture, encouraging individuals to stay connected to friends, neighbors and the community, as well as to build a strong online presence.
“Use social media to talk about what you are doing and tell your story,” she suggested. “Post random, mundane things throughout the day. This sells your story a lot better than a staged photo. People want to know you are a real life human and to see what you do in a day.”
To conclude, Hamlin mentioned those interested in diversifying their businesses don’t have to go at it alone.
“There are companies and programs out there that are already doing the work for you, and this is where I recommend a lot of people get started,” she said.
Hamlin encouraged individuals to work with the Wyoming Tourism Office and their local Chamber of Commerce and to look into programs like Farmstay or Harvest Hosts to scratch the surface of what is available when it comes to diversifying an operation’s revenue stream.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
