Gerrish is a rancher, author, speaker, and consultant with over 40 years of experience in grazing management research, outreach, and practice.
In last month’s column, I had talked about where the best place in the U.S. to be in cow-calf production might be. I had made the comment that if my only ambition were to be in the cow business, I never would have left Missouri. So, why did we leave Missouri?
I grew up a flat-land Illinois crop farmer. When I was 15 years old, I went to Colorado and Wyoming camping with two of my older brothers. I immediately fell in love with the Rocky Mountains. Hiking a rugged high-country trail or along a flowing mountain stream was my idea of being in heaven.
A good number of Hay & Forage Grower readers probably own one or more of my books about pasture and grazing management. What most don’t know is my real writing interest does not lie in those particular books. Since I was a teenager, I have dabbled in fiction writing as well. I have written several hundred pages of an epic fantasy novel. If you don’t know what that means, think Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately, that writing direction stalled out about 40 years ago as professional writing tasks took priority.
When I was 20 years old, I knew exactly who I was and what I wanted to do in life. That was to live in the Rocky Mountains and write stories. In between writing stories, I envisioned myself hiking on high, rocky ridges.
Like so many other people, I had a dream, but I got married, had a family, had a professional career, had a successful grass farm, and did a host of other things along the way. All of that was good. I have had a truly wonderful life. I would like to believe that I have helped a couple generations of fellow graziers to be more successful, profitable, and happier in life.
Like so many other people, something called “mid-life crisis” struck me in my mid-40s. I came to the realization once again that what I really wanted to do in life was to live in the Rocky Mountains and write stories. Hence, the move to Idaho.
We have lived in Idaho for almost 21 years now. I have hiked thousands of miles and climbed numerous mountains. Among my goals for 2024 were to hike over 300 miles with net elevation gain over 100,000 feet. I ended the year at 321 miles and 112,000 feet elevation gain. It was the first year I had exceeded 300 miles hiking. That pushed my goal for 2025 to 350 miles hiked with 125,000 feet elevation gain.
As this column goes to press, I am 69 years young. I am not fully retired, but I have greatly reduced my travels away from home and the work I do within the grazing industry. I am looking for more days on the mountain in these later years of my life, with fewer days on the road. I would like to settle into writing my novel again. I am not sure if that spark can be rekindled, but I need to give it a try.
For those reasons outlined above, this is the last column I am writing for Hay & Forage Grower. I want to thank Mike Rankin and his staff for the opportunity to share my thoughts and views with you readers over the last five or so years. It has been a good gig in my view. I hope you think so as well.
As a few of you may know or, at least, now suspect, I also write poetry.
I will leave you with the simple farewell thought, which can be found at the bottom left of this page.
This article appeared in the March 2025 issue of Hay & Forage Grower on page 9.
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