A John Deere Publication

A herd of bison grazing in a field of hay

Bringing bison to the ranch feeds a passion for Jayce and complements other ranch enterprises.

Agriculture, Farm Operation April 01, 2025

Stacking Enterprise

From brewery to bison, this ranch taps every income stream possible.

by Martha Mintz

Jerry and Renae Doan hit a wall. They were 5th generation North Dakota ranchers on the plains southeast of Bismarck. At some point in the early 1990s, living the lifestyle no longer felt like living the dream.

"My dad and our long-time hired man passed away. The kids were off in school. I was in the barn in the middle of the night pulling calves in freezing temperatures. We weren't making money and we weren't having fun. I told Renae we need to figure this out or quit," Jerry said.

They didn't quit. Instead they embarked on a journey of change. It started with holistic management practices and blossomed into three of their four children returning to the ranch, each with their own business ideas to expand opportunity and build something together.

Their sons Jeremy, Jay, and Jayce each eventually made their way home. With them came a growing list of enterprises that complemented each other, the Black Leg Ranch, and the brothers' individual strengths and interests.

Jeremy, the oldest, paved the way. He'd long been told he'd take over the family business.

Coming home from North Dakota State University most weekends to help wasn't encouraging. It was lonely and earnings were slim. Meanwhile his classmates were graduating and pulling big wages right out of school.

Jeremy always enjoyed hunting and had dreamed of guiding, so he proposed charging for hunts.

"Dad was open to it. He's always been an entrepreneur. But as it progressed there was a lot of head butting," Jeremy says. There was pushback if he was working on a hunting lodge when there was fence to build or other ranch work to do. "I dug in my heels."

Rolling Plains Adventures made it through the growing pains and flourished. Old ranch houses and bunk houses were transformed to guest quarters. Guides were hired, and customers returned year after year for a unique hunting experience. Within a few years, there was room for more family.

As the middle son, Jay never thought he'd return to the ranch. He got a business degree from Arizona State and worked in brand development at one of the nation's largest beermakers in Texas.

While corporate America's appeal was cooling, things were heating up at home. With his brother's encouragement, he returned to the ranch.

Within a few years, the growing family team added agritourism with Black Leg Events, then corporate events, weddings, and eventually Black Leg Brewery.

When Jayce, the youngest, was ready to return he settled into managing the livestock ventures including custom grazing. He helped bring bison to the ranch. The herd feeds into the hunting operation and Black Leg Ranch Meats.

All the businesses meld together. On a fall day the ranch is bustling with hunters dressed in orange headed to walk dense cover crops in search of pheasants.

Those same cover crops build soil organic matter and will provide valuable winter grazing. Ranch visitors are educated on how cover crops fit into their holistic management practices.

After tours, guests can cool off back at headquarters with a Black Leg Brewery microbrew.

Above. Jerry Doan adopted holistic land management, his son Jeremy brought hunting, Jayce manages cattle and bison operations, Jay helped launch agritourism and a brewery. Everyone helps where needed. Diversity is a guidepost for managing rangeland, farm ground, and family businesses. A ranch brewery alone makes no sense. A ranch brewery with a built-in customer base of hunters, agritourists, and event attendees does.

Growing pains. The Black Leg Ranch has grown and thrived where other farms and ranches have faltered or failed. They now face a new problem. Transition.

There was no crystal ball when they started adding enterprises. Business structures now need revamped, management rethought.

Jerry and Renae have their concerns for the future. They want everyone on the same page.

That can be difficult, as the brothers each have their own distinct personality and preferences.

Jayce isn't a fan of all the people and commotion. He prefers a more traditional ranching lifestyle.

"I don't envy my dad's position," he says. "He's still the parent. Still the owner. He's having to figure out how to appease everyone."

Jay thrives in the structured meetings they've started having as they work with business consultants to plan for the future.

"Having someone initially oversee those meetings helped neutralize the emotions that come with family and family businesses. It helps us put that aside, communicate, and make good business decisions," Jerry says.

"You can't let communication lapse. A big part of our continued success has been ongoing communication," Jay says.

It's a challenging time, but Jeremy has enjoyed the journey.

"We've created something that's fun and successful. Without hunting and all that came with it, I don't know that I would have stayed," he says.

"I've learned if you want to bring the next generation back you have to create some excitement and get the heck out of the way," Jerry says. It's a work in progress, but they're in it together. ‡