What happens when a lifelong cattlewoman marries a guy who didn't grow up with livestock but decided he wanted to build a ranch anyway? Calli Williams, the Millennial Rancher, joins Farm4Fun to share how she and her husband Tate built TW Angus, grew a direct-to-consumer beef business, and are creating something their boys may someday choose to carry forward.
Calli Williams, the Millennial Rancher, joins Farm4Fun to share the story behind TW Angus and what it takes to build a first-generation cattle operation in South Dakota. Calli grew up around cattle, 4-H, and FFA, while her husband Tate grew up without a livestock background and got his start by taking out a loan to buy a couple of heifers.
Calli explains how TW Angus balances an annual online bull sale with a growing direct-to-consumer beef business. After deciding in 2020 to stop selling calves through the sale barn, they began finishing cattle themselves and eventually expanded from freezer beef into individual retail cuts, local markets, restaurants, and now beef sticks.
The conversation also gets much more personal as Calli recounts Tate's frightening 2023 baler accident, eight surgeries in ten weeks, and the long recovery that followed. It's a powerful reminder about fatigue, farm safety, and the consequences that can come from trying to squeeze in one more job at the end of a long day.
Calli also shares how becoming one of ten members of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Trailblazer Program opened doors for media training, a CNN appearance, and even a trip to the White House. Through social media and agricultural advocacy, she's using those opportunities not only to tell agriculture's story, but to build recognition and opportunity for TW Angus and the next generation.