By Julie Tomascik
Editor
All he wanted to do was drive a tractor and farm and ranch. Now, Brian Nielsen is living that dream full time and has been for 12 years.
The Caldwell County Farm Bureau member grew up on the outskirts of Austin with a dream of being involved in agriculture.
In high school, he enrolled in every agricultural science course he could, and he was active in FFA.
But it wasn’t enough.
He wanted to be in the tractor, working the soil, growing crops and raising livestock. It was a seed his grandfather, who lived in Kansas, planted deep in his soul.
“Ever since I was a kid, it’s all I wanted to do,” Nielsen said. “The only ag experiences I had growing up were centered around driving up to Kansas and helping my family. After I learned how to drive, I’d spend all summer up there and work.”
But to Nielsen, the work was enjoyable. It was an office with a view, and one he couldn’t get enough of.
Back in Texas, he worked as a mechanic at Caterpillar, but Nielsen was always looking for farm and ranch jobs.
That’s when he talked to his wife’s employer. His wife, Rachael, works as a veterinary technician, and her boss owns a ranch.
One night, an extra hand was needed at the ranch. Nielsen was ready to help.
“I started cutting hay and cut hay until 10 or 11 that night,” he said. “From that point, I helped here and there whenever he needed anything.”
Then, Nielsen was unfortunately laid off from his job. But he kept helping at the ranch. It was supposed to be temporary until he could find another job.
Twelve years later, he’s still there.
Now, Nielsen manages the 2,000-acre commercial Angus cow-calf operation in Caldwell and Gonzales counties. He assists the ranch owner with the day-to-day operations, including managing the ranch’s hay production.
The Nielsens moved the family to the ranch in 2018.
And Nielsen said their daughters have grown to love for the outdoors as much as he does.
“They have spent a lot of time riding in the tractor with me and checking cows,” he said. “I hope they consider having a career in agriculture one day.”
Being together as a family is important to Nielsen. That’s why he encourages his daughters to spend time outdoors with him, and he goes back to Kansas twice a year to help his family with wheat, sorghum and corn harvest. Nielsen continued to help after his grandfather died about 13 years ago, and he’s thankful his job allows him to help his family.
“It was tough to lose him. He was only in his 70s, and I felt like we weren’t done yet. I had a lot to learn from him,” Nielsen said. “I wish he was around now so I could talk to him, but I think he’d be quite proud of me and what all I’ve accomplished just learning from him and others around me.”
Nielsen has met many farmers across the state and nation thanks to his involvement with Texas Farm Bureau (TFB).
He’s a current participant in TFB’s AgLead program, a two-year leadership program that takes participants across the state, the country and the world to discover agriculture from a new perspective.
“I’ve met so many people through Farm Bureau and learned a lot,” Nielsen said. “I’m looking at installing an irrigation system, which is almost non-existent in the area I live and work in. But because of AgLead, I’ve met many farmers in the Panhandle who can help me understand the different options and teach me so much.”
Nielsen continues to learn new techniques and implement new strategies on the ranch. And he hopes his story inspires others to follow their dreams.
“This is all I ever wanted to do,” he said. “I didn’t grow up in agriculture, but I’m following my dream.”