By Jennifer Whitlock
Field Editor
Sometimes, being a farmer or rancher just runs in the blood. The call is so strong, there’s never any question as to what that person will grow up to do.
That’s the case for Austen and Rachel White, who co-own Angus, Red Angus and Sim-Angus cow-calf herds, run stocker cattle and farm dryland cotton, wheat and hay with Austen’s father and uncle in Wilbarger County.
From a young age, Austen knew he wanted to be involved in the family farm and ranch. As soon as he graduated from Tarleton State University, he eagerly returned home to help run the family business.
Rachel was also raised on a family farm in Nebraska but moved to Texas to attend college and follow her dream of rodeoing at the professional level.
She met Austen at Tarleton. They were married in 2015 and are now raising their family on the same land Austen grew up on.
“My great-grandparents established this farm in 1919, and I knew I wanted to follow in their footsteps to help preserve the lifestyle they built for their family,” Austen said.
He’s proud of the progress his family has made in marketing their beef cattle since he joined his dad and uncle.
Their cattle are Source and Age Verified, and they use marketing programs like the Global Animal Partnership (GAP) beef standards and certification to maximize profitability. They also retain ownership of their cattle in the feedyard.
Austen and his family concentrate heavily on genetics to raise more efficient cattle that have outstanding carcass grades.
“While our cow-calf herd has become the main focus of our ranch, we remain committed to growing the same crops that served as the foundation of our multi-generational farm over 100 years ago,” he said.
During the day, Rachel works at Vernon College as an instructor and is the tutoring center coordinator. Weekends and spare time go to pitching in around the farm and riding horses with their daughter, Macy.
“We’re privileged to raise our family on the land that we love so much and to enjoy the lifestyle that it provides us,” Rachel said. “To us, there is no better job in the world, and we are fortunate we get to wake up every morning and do what we love. We feel blessed we’re able to raise Macy this way, too.”
Whether it’s checking cows or riding in the tractor, Macy loves being on the farm.
Austen and Rachel want her to achieve whatever goals she sets later in life, but they both hope she wants to be the sixth generation involved in the family business someday.
But managing a family business, while enjoyable, is also challenging at times. Volatile markets, the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on supplies and weather add stress for the young couple, but together, they make it work.
“If I could share anything with a consumer, I’d want people to know what it’s really like out here—how hard we work, how much we care. I wish I would have had someone riding around with me during that winter freeze, because the pickup cab was full of calves I was trying to keep warm,” he said. “And I knew there was no way I was going to get to them all, and it was just a really sick feeling, to have no control over the situation and lose those animals. That storm was a very hard time for all of us.”
The couple stays busy managing the farm and ranch while juggling family responsibilities, but it’s a life they both love and embrace.
“We’re blessed to be able to continue to farm the land we have and to help provide our neighbors with high-quality products, whether it’s a ribeye steak or a cotton T-shirt,” Rachel said. “A love for farming runs deep in our family, and we enjoy being a small part of what feeds and clothes our great country.”
Their roots are firmly planted in Wilbarger County and the family farm, where they hope to continue to provide for their family and others through the crops they grow and the cattle they raise.
Click here to watch a video interview with Austen and Rachel White.
They are finalists in Texas Farm Bureau’s 2021 Outstanding Young Farmer & Rancher Contest. Click here to learn more about the contest and other young farmer and rancher opportunities.