The Clawson’s Family Commitment as Caretakers
Feature story appearing in the KRIRM Fall 2018 Newsletter
Story by Ashley Patterson, Photos by Denise Cleckler
KRIRM Fall 2018 Newsletter Cover Photo by Connie Mitchell
Driven by a fierce commitment to be the best caretaker of the land, livestock, and most importantly family and employees, David Clawson will be the first to tell you the lessons learned from hardships. But amidst everything that comes with owning and operating an agricultural business, the Clawsons are dedicated to continue their God-given purpose to “Sow, Nurture, and Grow”.
Four Divisions, One Purpose
Under the umbrella of Seed Sowers, LLC, lies the agricultural divisions of dairy, farming, ranching, and land management owned by brothers David and Dan Clawson. The dairy division is located in southwest Kansas, while the farming and ranching divisions span four locations across the states of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. David and Dan manage the family farm and ranch ground, which comprises the land management portion of the business. Both take great pride in this particular job responsibility; the brothers oversee tenants (some of whom are family members) and all coordinating details.
“We feel blessed that the family has the confidence in us to be able to oversee the management of this property,” says David.
Each division operates on a dedication to “sow, nurture, and grow”, based on the Sower parable in Matthew 13. David, a fourth-generation rancher raising the fifth generation, strives to be a steward of the land and people under his management.
“Our operation couldn’t be where it is without the dedication of our employees,” explains David. “They are really partners in this journey we are taking.”
David understands that communication is essential in order for the operations to run smoothly and in the right direction. He and his team members work hard to have open and frank communication to meet the goals across one or all of the divisions, he says. As a way to encourage and enhance the team, David says they worked hard to develop their purpose to “sow, nurture, and grow” so that everyone would be proud supporters of their vision.
Building a Better Cow
Through many trials and lessons along the way, the cow/calf operation of Clawson Ranch took some significant turns as David and Dan realized the so-called industry standards were unsustainable for the ranch’s ultimate goals.
“When we got out of college in the mid-80’s, frame won about every livestock contest around. Bigger was better. More pounds weaned meant more dollars in your pocket. Calving earlier meant bigger weaning weights…” explains David.
By the mid-90’s, says David, the ranch operated with huge-framed Gelbvieh and Brangus cattle that took a ton of winter feed and didn’t breed back in a short time period. They soon realized that the cost of running after these standards was unsustainable, thus the philosophy of “building a better cow” was developed.
This “better cow” is an easy keeping, moderate framed, fertile cow (breeds back early every year on low inputs), and she weans a nice calf year in and year out. Sustainability achieved. But getting there took time, effort, and patience as they began to purchase smaller-framed, lower-milking bulls (primarily Angus). The decrease in frame size allowed for more livestock to be run on the same number of acres, increasing their profit per acre.
Observing Mother Nature more closely and noting when the grass started to green up in the spring led them to change calving season from January and February to April and May. This in turn gave way to improvements and increased profit as they let nature take its course; while decreasing their winter feed needs, the cows were on an increasing nutritional plane as they calved. The profit increased because the cows were not fed so long before calving, neither were they fed intensively after calving while waiting for green grass in the spring. This syncing with nature made it much easier to manage their cowherd, says David.
First-calf pairs after branding on Clawson Ranch.
Even through these changes that made the operation more sustainable and enabled one person to oversee 800-900 cows, David says that problems still arise. However, these can usually be pinpointed back to a management error.
“We have to be humble enough to admit we don’t know it all and we are constantly learning.”
Over the years, the ranch moved toward Red Angus, polled Hereford, and an Angus cross on the base cow herd. A number of irrigated and dryland acres of wheat are used to wean calves onto in the fall. Replacement heifers are pulled off the wheat in January and put onto dry grass and some protein supplement. By doing so, development costs were cut and nature helps decide which heifers are the most fertile. All other calves are left to graze until March and usually sold right off the wheat. Clawson retains ownership through the feedlot on some calves and markets them through U.S. Premium Beef.
The ranch operates on a spring and fall calving season. In the spring, heifers and cows are calved at the same time through the 60-day period from April to May. The open two-, three-, and four-year-old cows are put into the fall calving herd, kept mainly in eastern Kansas at the Sedan location. They have enough cows to have a terminal herd, which are kept in the Oklahoma/Texas panhandle location, using Charolais bulls or high growth and good carcass Angus bulls.
Hardships, Recovery, and Regrowth
The Clawsons have not been without hardships that would have pushed some to the breaking point. But they did not give up. Their faith only grew stronger, their purpose more meaningful. They persevered through two recent droughts (in 2002 and the 2011-2013 drought that dismantled much of the nation’s cow herd) learning from the first drought to be more systematic and patient.
“We saw whole irrigated circles of corn burn up to nothing in front of us. To our recollection, this had never happened before,” says David. “This helped us realize we can’t rely on the insurance of irrigation to raise a crop…we just know we have to put our faith in God and believe He will provide. This provision will be His decision, not ours.”
March 6, 2017, was a day that David, his family, and the people of Clark and Meade county Kansas watched helplessly as the Starbuck fire ripped through the land. The Clawsons lost some cattle and many miles of fenceline, but the spirit of the agricultural community shone in the aftermath. Everyone came together to help neighbors recover sooner than David thought was possible.
David plowing land near his house during the Starbuck Fire last year.
“I think there is something to the spirit of those of us in agriculture. We don’t quit.”
The family was also shaken in October of 2017 when Dan suffered a brain aneurysm. By nothing short of a miracle, Dan survived. After spending four months in rehabilitation in Denver, Colo. he is now completely recovered and working full days on the ranch. David witnessed his team coming together and stepping up during that time of need, facing the new responsibilities and decision making head on.
Looking to the Future
Even through the successes and setbacks, the mindset of Seed Sowers looks to the future with the promise of opportunity. This opportunity is seen through new thinking and an openness to accept new technologies. Marketing of cattle has changed so drastically since they began their operation in the 1990’s that David realizes this trend will continue as they try to find the true value of their product. The ranch also looks to implement management-intensive grazing and recently provided King Ranch® Institute for Ranch Management graduate students the opportunity to visit the ranch and the challenge of developing a water distribution, storage, and cross-fencing plan to facilitate a more intensified grazing system.
As David reflects back on his life, there are two people who stand out as the guiding force behind it all. His parents, still actively involved in giving advice on the ranch, have a wealth of knowledge that David does not take for granted.
“We wouldn’t be where we are without the guidance of our parents, Kirby and Mary. Dad has been the most important advisor in understanding people and business. It is too bad that we, as kids, don’t listen better to our parents when we are younger. I guess this gives us the opportunity to learn better from our mistakes,” he says.
The Clawsons will continue their mission to “sow, nurture, and grow” the business and the people who work beside them, always keeping their eye on the goal and raising the bar to get a little better each day.