The Casual Cattle Conversations Podcast: Embracing Risks in Ranching: CJ & Calli Thorne’s Journey
Thursday, January 23, 2025
Reference: Podcast Corner
Embracing Risks in Ranching: CJ & Calli Thorne’s Journey
January 20, 2025 | Written By Shaye Koester
What some view as risks, other view as opportunities to lift up the system. CJ and Calli Thorne are an example of a ranching couple who embraces the challenges of production agriculture and are willing to take on risks that others don’t. From ranching to feeding cattle to selling direct-to-consumer and owning a local beef locker, Thornes have fully embraced the opportunities in the beef industry.
“Even when we first moved up here, it seemed like the whole big picture was about filling a gap or a void,” says CJ.
Thornes moved to Calli’s home place around 2008 when the calf market wasn’t great. To fill this gap, they built pens on the home ranch as a marketing tool which resulted in backgrounding calves for themselves and their neighbors. This grew into custom feeding and eventually taking calves to finish and selling direct-to-consumer....
Click Here to listen to Shaye's Podcast