South Dakota's DX Ranch Focuses on Growth and Community
TPOY-South Dakota-DX Ranch REVISED2- Music
Established in the 1930s, the DX Ranch began with beef cattle and draft horses. Today it includes quarter horses and a direct-to-consumer, grass-finished beef operation. Their mission is simple: Provide beef that is local, nutritious, and that improves their communities.
"Our focus is to find a way that we can leave the resource better than we found it," said Kelsey Ducheneaux as she stands among a herd of cows at the DX Ranch in north-central South Dakota, near the town of Gettysburg.
The Ducheneaux family was honored this week as a finalist for Top Producer of the Year at the 2021 Top Producer Summit.
Located on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation, today Kelsey and her father, Zach Ducheneaux, and their entire family raises quarter horses and 250 head of beef cows in a regenerative production system.
"We've really focused on ensuring that we're not just thinking about the livestock above ground but we're also thinking about the livestock below ground," said Kelsey.
That's helped the family produce high-quality cattle for four generations now, but they realized they weren't getting the true value by selling their cattle like a commodity at the sale barn.
"Our entire year's livelihood depends on three people in that building, and if that buyer doesn't have a good day he's not going to make the next bid," said Zach. "It just drove home the point that we've got to try to find a way to do something different than that because we're all captive to that system."
That was the birth of DX Beef, a direct-to-consumer business featuring their 100% grass-fed beef. Zach said they're capturing a larger share of the food dollar by selling more beef in the box last year than live at auction.
"Any of those steers that we're able to keep and sell in the meat next year are going to sell for around $2,500, $2,600 a head," said Zach.
"From 2019 and 2020 we saw a 1,300% growth in our sales," explains Kelsey.
That was during the pandemic. However, profitability isn't the main goal with DX Beef or the DX Ranch.
"Our focus is being able to provide a quality product to the local community," said Kelsey.
"Family comes before the dollar in this operation," echoes Zach. "We're not solely about monetizing the value of that product, and we realize there are other values to our beef."
DX Beef sales are primarily internet-based, and they're committed to keeping costs low for food-insecure families on the reservation. That's accomplished in part by leasing and properly managing 7,000 acres of tribal land.
"We are going to price this meat affordably to our community members because without them, and without the ability to affordably use tribal resources, we wouldn't be able to do this," said Zach.
However, reasonable processing costs and family support also help.
"They believe in the mission of figuring out a way to heal our food system, and they contribute and they pitch in wherever," said Kelsey.
This holistic model keeps them from having to expand like many other operations. So, they can continue to refine their system to again double production.
"As we continue to enhance our market for our beef, we want to use more of our highest producing beef cows," said Kelsey. "That would allow us to keep 100% of our calf crop back home to be able to market in the form of beef as a two-year-old."
Kelsey said that will help the family continue to connect to consumers and their community in the future.
"That's what really drives me as a producer, as a business owner and as a part of my nation, is finding a way to help others and to feed others," Kelsey explained. "That's the goal with DX Beef."
Congratulations to the Ducheneaux family for being named a finalist for the 2021 Top Producer of the Year award. Meet the other finalists:
Sponsored by BASF and Case IH, the Top Producer of the Year contest began in 2000 and represents the best in the business of farming. Three finalists are chosen from numerous applications by a panel of judges based on entrepreneurial originality; financial and business progress; and industry and community leadership.
The three finalists received all-expense-paid trips to attend the Summit. The winner also receives sessions with a CEO coach, courtesy of BASF, and the lease of a Case IH tractor for 150 hours of use on their farm.
For 2021, the Top Producer Summit will feature both a small in-person event, which was held Feb. 15-17 in Nashville, Tenn. An online program launches Feb. 23-25. With the theme, “Breaking New Ground,” producers will hone their money, marketing and management skills.
Learn more about Top Producer Summit at TPSummit.com. Sponsors include:
- Presenting: BASF, Beck’s Case IH, Nutrien, Farmers Mutual Hail, Fendt, Indigo, Pioneer and Pivot Bio
- Supporting: AgCredit, CLA, Lincoln Financial Network
The online Top Producer Summit, happening Feb. 23-25, will feature 25 sessions (ranging in length from 30 min. to 1 hour). Several recorded sessions from the in-person event will also be featured. Just a few of the online speakers include:
- Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien Ag Solutions
- John Phipps, Top Producer Columnist
- Dr. Temple Grandin, Colorado State University
- Esther George, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
- Seth Meyer, USDA Chief Economist
- Angie Setzer, Citizen's Grain
- Stephen Nicholson, RaboResearch Grains
The registration fee is $125. To receive 50% off, use the code: TPS50
