LE SILLON
A John Deere PublicationLS Ranch
Winter 2024
Roots Run Deep
Big Dreams for Family Cattle Ranch
4 MIN READ
Olivia Lewis Carl remains grounded in rural tradition as she pursues big dreams for her family cattle ranch.
At dawn at the LS Ranch in Aliceville, Alabama, Olivia Lewis Carl calls the cattle. They amble slowly toward her, knowing her call means feeding time.
Carl is in her element. Relaxed. Present. A cow whisperer. Doing what she was always meant to do.
"I grew up loving animals," she says. "I've always been around cats, dogs, horses, and cows. I've never been afraid.
Being able to interact with and understand animals — to know stockmanship and horsemanship — is a big deal."
Golden Opportunity
The sun peaks over the horizon, casting a golden hue over the ranch. The pastoral setting would make the ideal venue for a wedding. In fact, only weeks earlier, Carl hosted her wedding reception here. She met her husband, Reynolds Carl, at Auburn University, where she recently graduated with a degree in Agricultural Science.
Café lights are still strung across the open machinery shop. On Carl's wedding day, the shop provided plenty of space for a buffet, tables, and a deejay as family members dined, toasted the bride and groom, and danced the night away. Her father, Brian Lewis, plans to put up walls in the shop. But for the moment he is content to allow a few remnants of the wedding to linger.
"I loved growing up on this farm," says Carl. "My earliest memories are of all of us riding around in old work trucks and going fishing or hunting. We're so blessed that my great-grandfather left all of this and we're able to continue farming on family land for generations."
Carl's great-grandfather built the ranch in the early 1960s. After World War II, he constructed a hardwood mill in town, which is still in operation today. Her father ran the farm until 2013 when he started a logging company. Today her dad and brother, Josh Lewis, continue to run a successful logging business while she manages the cattle ranch.
Previous generations raised Brahman, which are more heat tolerant. But Carl is shifting the focus to Angus, which is what the public demands. "Brahman don't have the marbling Angus do. Angus makes the perfect steak."
Carl is passionate about the beef industry and expanding the cattle operation. Today the ranch has over 100 head. Calves are weened when they are 8 to 10 months old and weigh from 650 and 700 pounds. They are then sent to stockyards before being sold to feedlots out west.
She plans to grow LS Ranch into a direct-to-market producer, selling beef to local restaurants, grocery stores, and consumers. Raising beef cattle is a more involved process. They are separated and put on a feedlot until they reach approximately 1,300 pounds. Carl plans on finding a local USDA-certified processor to process the beef. Eventually she envisions doing the entire process on-site.
The backbone of America
Carl embraces the slower rural life style. "Many people believe that rural areas and agriculture are dying," she reflects. "But it's very rich and the roots run deep."
These roots provide solid footing for Carl, who inherits wisdom passed down from generations and possesses a deep perspective beyond her years. "The people in these areas are our country's backbone. We depend on their hard work and determination as well as their ability to grow with the times and technology. That's what feeds and shelters America and keeps us going."
Being a woman in the industry is "tricky," according to Carl: "Some people may assume you don't know much because you are a woman. But others accept that you are capable and are willing to coach and guide you. That's huge."
To develop the resilience and attitude required to succeed, women need positive reinforcement beginning at a young age, she believes. "Life will throw you curveballs. If you look at everything as a problem instead of an opportunity, that's where things get a little gray."
Instead Carl advises women to assume it will be hard work but to never lose sight that the rewards are great. "You can't beat the quality of life. You're outdoors doing something that matters, feeding the world and getting resources to people."
"The 2D slope control allows you to automatically maintain the position of the blade and hold grades. It's crazy easy."
The Natural
"On a farm, you're constantly thrown into new situations and have to figure things out," she says. "But running a machine was second nature."
Recently she demoed a John Deere 333G Compact Track Loader (CTL), which works comfortably within tight spaces in a barn or along a fence line. She immediately set about checking off a list of chores, using the CTL to move hay bales, shuttle pallets of fertilizer and other materials, handle dirt, pile brush, and grade roads. On her first day with the machine, she ran it long into the night and began using it again early the next morning.
"They are simple to run," she says. "The 2D slope control allows you to automatically maintain the position of the blade and hold grades. It's crazy easy. And CTLs are so versatile too. I can quickly change attachments in the cab and switch to another job. As a woman in agriculture, I'm not always as physically strong as men, so it's nice to be able to change attachments myself without the extra hand."
LS Ranch is serviced by Warrior Tractor and Equipment, Northport, Alabama.
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A John Deere 333G with a grappling attachment approaches a pile of felled tree trunks.
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A John Deere 333G with bale spears angles in on a bale of hay.
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The John Deere 333G powerfully handles dirt with ease.
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