Meet NCBA president, Mark Eisele

Anyone looking to get a start in the cattle business would do well to follow the story of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s 2024 president, Mark Eisele, who ranches near Cheyenne, Wyoming. 

While he grew up on a farm in that area in the 1970s, there was limited opportunity to take it over. If he wanted to be a rancher, he would have to do it from scratch on his own.

And he did. 

As a teenager he worked for neighbor ranches, often helping bale or stack hay, or work cattle. One of them was the nearby King Ranch (no connection to the famous King Ranch in Texas). 

“Ann and Jerry King liked me,” says Eisele now. “I think they saw something in my work ethic. They had no heir to take over, and they offered me a job. I saw it as a rare opportunity. They needed someone to help run the ranch, and I needed a job. We connected.” 

Eventually the job became a partnership, and when the Kings retired Eisele bought them out and took over. He’s added additional land in more recent years, and the King Ranch (he kept the name) now encompasses several thousand acres and about 700 Angus and Red Angus cows and stockers. “The stockers are our cushion herd,” he says. “In a dry year, we cut back as needed.”

We recently spoke with Eisele about the ranch and his NCBA leadership journey.

Successful Farming: Who works on the ranch with you?

ME: It's me and my wife Trudy, our son Colton, and our daughters, Kendall and Kaycee. Colton works off the farm but helps on the ranch often. Kendall and Kaycee are full time on the ranch, and they do it all — pull calves, build fence, work calves, there’s nothing they don’t do.

We have two other full-time employees, and seasonal help as needed.

SF: How did you get involved in cattle industry leadership activities?

ME: It started in the early 1990s when I took over the ranch on my own. Some of our land is public lands and we lease it under a grazing permit from the National Forest Service. Back then, there was a lot of pressure building from different environmental groups about water use, endangered species, eminent domain issues, and others. They wanted us off of public lands, and would have put us out of business 

I needed help to fight this, so I went to the Wyoming Stock Growers Association and got involved with several other ranch families facing the same thing. We fought the environmentalists and showed that we had the records and the science on our side. By working together, we were able to keep ranching here, and even to expand ranching and farming opportunities for other families.

From there, I went on to get involved in other state cattle organizations and the NCBA, and eventually to leadership there. 

That early experience with those other ranchers is what drives me today as president of NCBA. The contacts I made along the way, all the networking and partnerships and friendships, literally saved our ranch. I consider my leadership work as payback to other people who did something for me along the way.  

SF: What is the strength of your ranch?

ME: I think we take care of the land and the grass really well. Kendall has taken the issue of grassland management to heart, and Kaycee has joined her. They learned from the Kings how to make the ranch work with nature, rather than against it, to enhance the habitat for cattle and native wildlife. They’ve mastered that topic way beyond me. I know Kendall would say she is really proud of the bird populations that are thriving on our ranch - raptors, waterfowl, owls, and many others along with lots of game animals.

Out here, it takes about 30 acres to run a cow-calf pair, so they use drones to study and monitor our pastures for weeds and overall health. Thanks to them, we were a finalist in the Environmental Stewardship Awards a few years ago. We didn’t win, but it was very nice to be recognized.

We manage the ranch as three separate herds: Our personal herd, a trust herd, and a research herd. The research herd is part of a project we do with the USDA Agricultural Research Service to study good grazing management techniques on public lands. It’s been going for about 40 years.

SF: What’s your favorite part of cattle ranching?

ME: I really like everything about the business, but I’d probably say I especially enjoy watching healthy cattle out in a healthy environment. Even on a cold winter day, I like that. Few people outside of the agricultural world get to experience that joy, and I get it every day. It’s a great blessing, and I never take any of it for granted.

SF: What’s on your agenda for NCBA this year?

ME: We have several issues, including staying on top of the Waters of the U.S. regulations, disease traceability issues, and beef checkoff issues. One of the biggest issues for me is going to be tax legislation that will come up in 2025, including inheritance taxes and transitioning a ranch to the next generation without having to sell it. If you lose the farm or ranch to taxes, everything else you do is meaningless. 

My message to all ranchers is that NCBA is your partner, and we want to help you promote the beef industry and survive the challenges ahead of us at every level.

SF: Back to your own start in the cattle business, what’s your advice to young people today?

ME: Hard work is the main ingredient to get yourself known in a community. I started in a niche business with a hay stacker, and that got me through college and let me buy my first cows. Then I could look around for ground to lease. 

I would also say you’ve got to go out and ask established ranchers about opportunities to work with them. I think in most areas you will find people who would like to help you get started, but you’ve got to search them out.

I’ve watched young people put together a cattle crew to go out and work calves, or weigh cattle, or maybe build fence. That’s how you show your real determination. Do that, and I believe opportunity will find you like it did me.