From soldier to rancher: Brett Kenzy's unique path

Brett Kenzy is part of the fourth generation to farm on his family’s homestead, but he wasn’t always certain about returning to the operation. Kenzy enlisted at age 17 and served three years as an Army mechanic.

“When I went to the Army, I had to leave agriculture to appreciate everything that makes it great,” he says.

Today, Kenzy runs a permitted feedlot and farms for feed with his brother, George, near Gregory, South Dakota. He also serves as president of R-CALF USA, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the American cattle industry.

SF: How did your time in the Army influence you as a farmer?

BK: I think I really took this lifestyle for granted until I left it. When I was in high school, I always enjoyed working on the farm, being outside, building things, growing things, but I didn’t have a real clear sense of direction then. The Army helped me out big in that respect. I’ve met a lot of people who didn’t even have a lawn and were far removed from nature. The Army really gave me an appreciation for that. I enjoyed seeing how they grew up and they enjoyed hearing how I did.

SF: How did you get involved in R-CALF?

BK: My parents were always somewhat politically active. It seems like a natural extension of the business to be involved in the politics that guide the business. It’s been an organic growth for me to go from member to a regional director, and then the board elected me president last year. We’re a different kind of organization. We really are grassroots. We work for the membership and to keep agriculture independent and profitable.

SF: What are your duties as president and what have you learned in the role?

BK: My duties are to keep R-CALF’s initiatives according to our member-driven policy. I try to keep the board energized and to continue outreach to our members. We, more than any other organization, really try to drive member engagement because we think that Congress and the USDA need to hear from real producers. It’s our job just to inform and then to turn people loose to help us work together toward what’s truly good for production agriculture.

What I’ve gotten out of this role kind of parallels what I saw in the military. There are so many good people from all over the country. There is such a diversity in this nation and that really is our strength. I don’t think the push toward this one-size-fits-all approach serves our nation well.

SF: What issues should farmers be thinking about?

BK: R-CALF has always pushed for market competition and transparency. We think value discovery is the foundation of this industry because we are a multi-segmented industry, from the cow-calf to the backgrounder or feeder cattle producer to the actual cattle finisher and ultimately the meat packer. We feel that those handoffs are best guided by competition, not necessarily the government or concentrated industry.

I think maybe the No. 1 guidepost that we need to remember is that we all work for the consumer. We have to keep the food safe, we have to keep it affordable, and we have to make sure labeling is transparent.

SF: What’s the best advice you have been given?

BK: My dad always said, “You can’t work a man harder than he can work himself.” I think the independence of agriculture needs to be maintained as much as possible. To be productive is good for the soul, but we also have to be profitable, and in that pursuit we also have to find balance.

Background

Brett Kenzy and his brother, George, took over their family’s South Dakota feedlot in 2012 after the death of their father. 

Working with R-CALF has given him tools to advocate for the agriculture industry.

“We roll in good times and bad,” he says. “We want the consumer to have that idyllic image of the countryside, but it’s not always that way, and we need them to recognize that.”