Raised in Dillon, Montana on a cow-calf stocker operation, King has been involved in ranching his entire life. Every summer he and his brothers worked on the ranch alongside their father. “The ranch facilitated a place to learn and grow in an environment that was challenging. As the ranch strived for perfection in a sustainable way, we were able to be observers and participants in a very productive system,” recalls King.
King graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho in 2021 with a degree in Agricultural Economics. While attending college he had the opportunity to intern for Deseret Cattle and Citrus (DCC) in Florida where he returned to after graduation as a full-time employee in their leadership program. “I learned the power of different leadership styles, how to live in a budget, manage a crew, manage grazing, and the value of economic diversity,” states King. Since the start of his time at DCC in 2021, he managed the day-to-day production side of three different units of the ranch; a commercial cow-calf unit, a heifer development unit and the grow yard. Each unit allowed him the opportunity to manage a variety of full-time employees, day workers, and interns while also gaining exposure to different sectors of the industry.
King was interested in pursuing his masters at KRIRM even before starting his college career. In 2017, alumnus Hank Willemsma [’18] became manager of the Matador Ranch, a neighboring ranch to where King was raised. “After learning about his story and how he was propelled in his career by the Institute, I was intrigued and tried to create my own path to KRIRM.”
KRIRM alumni often talk of the expansive professional network they gain as a student. During his time at the Institute, King strives to continue that experience, “I would like to create a network of good people that I can look up to and council with when problems arise in my future career.” With business acumen in mind, he also hopes to develop the analytical skills necessary to generate concise and accurate reports of ranch progress as well as hone his ability to evaluate financials and implement changes that make the difference in being profitable.
When asked what his long-term goals are King states, “I would like to be in the ranching industry where I can be challenged doing what I love, while working with good people and raising my kids in a way that they can succeed. I feel the Institute will allow me to take my career, and ultimately my family, to a higher plane.”
King and his wife Shiley, who works for a marketing agency, have been married four years and enjoy riding and being on the ranch as a family. They have two children Quincy (3) and Carter (1).
King holds the Tio Kleberg Endowed Fellowship as a graduate student at KRIRM.