Customer Spotlight: Rusty & Julie Foster
Rusty Foster got his start in ranching back In 1989, when he bought his first cows. Borrowing money from the bank and driving truck for the first year, he worked hard to help pay the bills. In the spring of 1990, he moved back to the family ranch he grew up on. He worked with his dad and mom until his dad’s untimely death in July 1990. He stayed on helping his mom with the ranching and Foster Trucking.
Rusty and Julie value ranching together as a family, especially spending quality time while teaching their children the value of ranching and caring for the animals and land. Something they’ve learned over time is to make sure you have a jug of water along for the kids when going out on horseback on summer days.
Now that their children are grown, they have moved on. However, Cassie has recently moved back to be part of the operation. Rusty and Julie are grateful to have her on the ranch and working together.
When asked about advice they could share with younger couples starting out in ranch, the Fosters said, “You’re going to make mistakes in the ranching business, but don’t dwell on them. Try to learn from them and don’t be afraid of change even though how things are done now might not be the way it was always done before.”
Looking forward, their operation goals include using bulls from a producer that will stand behind their product. “I look for calving ease, growth and fertility, along with the confirmation of the bull,” Rusty said.
When it comes to the big picture, it’s the love of going out and putting in a hard day’s work and seeing the fruits of their labor that drives them in their passion for ranching. “Through the good and bad times, we have our foundation of knowing Jesus and that is primary,” they said.
Like I said at the sale, we really are privileged to have so many top commercial cattlemen come to our sale. Hope you enjoy the spotlights of two of them, the Fosters and the Kleins.
Some of the projects that we plan to accomplish around here, along with daily routines and chores, are freeze branding heifers and bulls, working on cattle records, and taking in some of Lindsey’s basketball games.
Let’s not let this time of year slip by without fully enjoying the Christmas season.