Advancing the Legacy

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T. Wright Dickinson, managing partner at Vermillion Ranch Limited Partnership and former president of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, grew up learning ranching from his dad—so early his younger brother signed a loan at age four. He and Terry built a working friendship, challenging each other for the betterment of the cattle industry.  T. Wright shares what it takes to run a multi-state and multi-generational operation, preserve the land, and carry forward a family legacy.

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Matt Perrier is a rancher from Eureka, Kansas, where he helps lead his family’s Dalebanks Angus Ranch.  His roots in the beef industry run deep. He and Terry were both in county 4H together.  Today, along with ranching,  Matt shares those lifelong ranching experiences and insights through his Practically Ranching podcast, a space where he explores the challenges, opportunities, and everyday realities of the cattle industry. 

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Preston and Jeanna Beeman own and run Beeman Backgrounding, continuing a growing ranching legacy. Preston, who was Terry’s college roommate for a year at Kansas State, shares how he’s blended tradition with innovation in ranching—navigating challenges, adapting to change, and preparing the next generation.

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Ross T. Hendrickson of Hendrickson Cattle Company shares what it means to carry forward a family legacy. He reflects on the lessons passed down from older generations, the responsibility that came with starting young on the ranch, and—something he returns to again and again—the importance of transparency and communication in family operations. At the heart of it all, Ross talks about the legacy he hopes to leave for his children.

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Jo Stanko has been part of Colorado’s ranching community since 1974, continuing a family legacy that began in 1907. Ranching just outside Steamboat Springs puts her in a unique position—balancing the pressures of urban growth with the traditions of agriculture. In our conversation, Jo reflects how conservation easements have helped protect their ranch as development has steadily encroached around them.

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Lance Woodbury is a trusted voice when it comes to family agriculture business and legacy. 

Lance is a principal with Pinion. He’s worked with families for years, helping them face the hard conversations that come with passing on the business.

I met Lance through a peer group organized by the Kansas Livestock Association, and I’m grateful to KLA for sponsoring this succession program. It creates a space where families can openly share what has worked—and what hasn’t—as they each plan for the future. The support and perspective from others in similar situations has been invaluable. Lance leads these sessions with clarity and a deep understanding of both the personal and financial sides of succession.

Lance joins me today to talk about the process, how to break through common barriers and what it means to truly prepare the next generation.

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In this conversation, Cody Wright, a professor of animal science at South Dakota State University, shares his journey from growing up in South Dakota to becoming an educator. He discusses the diverse agricultural landscape of South Dakota, the demographics of his students, and the importance of succession planning in farming families. Cody emphasizes the need for communication between generations in agriculture, the current challenges facing the industry, and the significance of sustainability and conservation practices. He also shares humorous anecdotes from his teaching experiences and highlights the deep care that farmers and ranchers have for their land and livestock.

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I realize I’m breaking the rules  by interviewing Jim Smith phd,—he’s not a beef producer—but I couldn’t imagine leaving him out. Jim is a swine nutritionist and a longtime friend of Terry’s. They met in grad school at Kansas State, and as Jim likes to say, their paths never should have crossed. That friendship lasted a lifetime. Jim stood up with Terry at our wedding, and his wife, Kim, even caught my bouquet. These days, Jim shares reflections and stories through his podcast Patio Pondering, offering the same thoughtful perspective that made him such an important part of our lives

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Today, we’re talking with Kenny and Jody Rogers of Wagon Wheel Ranch in Yuma, Colorado. They run a successful Angus Seedstock operation and both have served in numerous leadership roles across the beef industry.

They recently won the Leopold Conservation Award, and together, they’re pushing the envelope on conservation.

Kenny was on the Colorado Cattlemen's board when Terry was hired. Kenny has been in our lives since we first moved to Colorado, and he and his wife Jody have been a special part of our family‘s lives.

Let’s listen in. 

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REPEAT

Janie VanWinkle is a fourth-generation rancher from south of Grand Junction, Colorado. She and her husband, Howard, own and operate VanWinkle Ranch, a Charolais cow-calf operation that runs about 600 head. Together, they’ve spent decades building their ranching business, starting in the early 1980s with just a small herd and growing steadily over time.

The VanWinkles transitioned to full-time ranching in 2015, and today manage a mix of private land and public grazing allotments in the region. Their work is focused on responsible land stewardship, herd health, and maintaining strong relationships with their community and partners. They’ve also expanded into direct-to-consumer beef sales, offering locally raised ground beef to families and food banks across Colorado and Wyoming.

Janie has long been an active voice in Colorado’s agricultural community, having served as president of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association and most recently recognized as the 2025 U.S. Livestock Industry Leader of the Year at the National Western Stock Show. She’s known not just for her leadership, but for her commitment to practical, hands-on work in the industry.

At the heart of it all is family. Janie and Howard are proud to work alongside their son Dean, his wife Tayler, and their granddaughter Paisley—continuing the ranching tradition into its fifth and sixth generations.

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