“Financially right now in agriculture, it’s so expensive to get going. I have no idea how first-generation people do it and I have nothing but respect for them and what they go through to get going.”   

In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Kendel Hofer. Kendel is the third generation on her family ranch and keeps it going with help from her husband and two boys. Kendel dives into her family history of the ranch and how her father was able to expand it with hard work and help from her grandfather. Kendel shares about what the transition to owning the farm from her father looked like. Kendel talks about the financial feasibility of farming and ranching and how difficult it can be to get into agriculture. Kendel also shares about some methods they use on the ranch, that aren’t without challenges to figure out and overcome.    

About our guest: Kendel Hofer, K and L Barrel Horses - North Dakota

Kendel is the third generation on their family ranch. Her grandparents purchased the ranch after WW2. Then her dad took the ranch over and he was able to double the size of the ranch. Due to health problems, Kendel and her husband purchased the ranch from her dad, where they are now raising their two sons, Kaston and Kannan. The boys have the opportunity to grow up on the ranch like Kendel did; it is one of the things she is most proud of. Not only do they have cattle on their ranch, they raise and train barrel horses. They see their horses as another business on their ranch. The ranch makes it possible for the horses to have life experiences that make them better in and outside of the arena. Kendel’s family has a deep passion for their ranch and their goal is to make their ranch a strong business. They definitely have had challenges along the way from years of drought, equipment breakdowns, and more. It seems like they always have a new challenge to overcome. But luckily they are very stubborn people so they carry on. Kendel got into regenerative ranching 3 years ago.  She has been using those practices to improve the ranch and make it more profitable. Kendel’s hope is one day to not only see the ranch grow but for it to be able to support two families without someone working in town to make it work. 

If you are interested in connecting with Kendel, check out her website. 

At a glance:  

• Kendel’s operation and how they got started.  

• The family history of the ranch and the expansion.  

• Methods Kendel uses and some of the challenges she has faced. 

• Financial aspects of farming.  

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#24 The Financial Planning and Grace that Makes Multi Family Farms Possible with Lydia Hiesterman

#51 Looking ahead at Ag Finance with a 4th Gen Farmer and Ag Lender

About the Host of Farming on Purpose, Lexi Wright: 

I’m your host, Lexi Wright. I started the Farming on Purpose Podcast from a passion for sharing  the future of production agriculture. 

I’m so glad you’re here and I hope you’ll take a moment to join the conversation with me and other listeners on social media.  

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