Ranch Work, Relationships, and New Perspectives
#bfrdpwy #aginternship #RightRisk
This week I wanted to write about our irrigators and how I get the opportunity to learn from them about another culture and work ethic. We work together on everyday ranch chores and doctoring every day, but the conversations we had throughout the day ended up being the most valuable part of the week. Even with a language barrier at times, we always found a way to communicate and get the job done.
As my internship continues here, I learn more about where they came from and what ranching is like in Mexico. Some of the guys grew up around dairies in Mexico. Some others weren’t involved in ag at all. It was interesting to hear about the similarities and differences between the way they grew up working livestock and what I have experienced. I also enjoyed sharing stories about my own background and learning a few new Spanish words along the way.
Juan is one of the guys here, and he helps almost daily with the doctoring and movement of the steers on top of his irrigation responsibilities. He’s handy with big loop roping and rides very well. Day-to-day, we have been able to communicate more and more. We can understand what the other is looking at or for as I learn more about his style of doctoring and roping.
I will use this ability to learn from people from other cultures for the rest of my life. Getting to know my coworkers and learning about their culture made me appreciate the opportunity to work with people from different backgrounds. It was a good reminder that ranching is built just as much on relationships as it is on hard work.
Submitted by: Sean Frost
Edits by: GrowinG Internship Team
