Tom Davis was born and first introduced to cattle and farming on a dairy farm north of Ft. Worth, Texas. This environment gave him the opportunity to learn about every aspect of cattle, not just the beef cattle business. Davis was able to witness as his grandfather, J. Fred Davis, took a small family-owned dairy and turned it into a lucrative business. His grandfather’s ingenuity and legacy continues to influence Davis’s life today. In 1999, Davis and his family moved to a beef cattle ranch near Boyd, Texas, where they ran registered Charolais cattle and a cow-calf herd of Angus crosses. It was here that his father, Robert Davis, enstilled a drive for hard work and demonstrated the importance of continually diversifying one’s skill set. After the move to beef cattle, Davis was able to develop a variety of skills and a passion for horses, cattle, wheat farming, and grass management.
Davis graduated from Boyd high school and attended Texas Tech University (TTU) to study agriculture and to work and learn from the ranches in west Texas. While studying at TTU, Davis received the opportunity to intern at the R.A. Brown Ranch in Throckmorton, Texas, where his ranching education was greatly enhanced. After graduating from TTU, Davis became a full-time welder and heavy machinery mechanic for a wind energy company in Lubbock, Texas. The job provided him a look into a different industry, and it also gave him a different perspective on the future of agriculture. Davis then went back to the family ranch and continued farming wheat and looking after the cow-calf herd. Tom would also day work at Fort Worth area Bonds Ranch and Walsh Ranches. These ranches, their cowboys, and his father contributed most to his skills as a working cowboy and a manager.
During Davis’s early twenties, he became involved with Camp John Marc, a summer camp for children with chronic illnesses and special needs. For two summers Davis worked with the horse program at the camp allowing children to ride and develop a relationship with horses. It was here Davis met his wife who is a certified child life specialist from Snellville, Ga.
Directly prior to entering the King Ranch® Institute for Ranch Management, Davis was farming wheat in north Texas, and developing a commercial herd in Boyd. While at the institute, Davis hopes to further develop his business skills and to learn more about the diversity within the ranching industry.
Davis is now the ranch manager for Cibolo Creek Ranch in Texas.