Owning a ranch you don’t live on is a balancing act.

You want visibility, not micromanagement. You want trust, but verified. And you need professionals who can operate autonomously without ever leaving you in the dark.

You won’t see “Poor Management” as a line item on a balance sheet, but you’ll sure see its effects: lower revenue, higher costs, more unplanned-for expenses and issues, and opportunities missed.

More than 90 percent of farms and ranches in the United States are family-owned. Does this matter?

Lots of ranches function just fine. Fences are okay, cattle are fed, employees are working. And for some, that’s good enough.