Sometimes, things turn out differently than what we initially expect. Learning to see things differently changed everything for a North Dakota couple who journeyed back to the ranch.

Joshua and Tara Dukart of Seek First Ranch, Hazen, N.D., told the story of their paradigm shift within the business and livelihood of agriculture during a presentation last fall in Albion, Neb., at one of eight stops in the annual Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition road show.

Tara, who didn’t grow up on a farm or ranch, admitted that her underlying assumptions about the ranching lifestyle ran deep. “I wasn’t connected to the land,” she said. “Early in our relationship, when Joshua and I discussed our future, I hadn’t connected the dots yet to understand how the health of the soil impacts the health of humans. I didn’t know that we could have so much influence over soil, plant, animal and human health. I purchased things off the store shelves without thinking about the farmer.”

She also shared her earlier fears about ranch life and potentially feeling isolated by living in the country, away from a community.

Joshua, on the other hand, grew up on a family ranch. “Growing up on the ranch was wonderful,” he said. “I was in 4-H, FFA, got to cowboy for the neighbors and had all of those opportunities. Even though my parents worked jobs off the farm, the farm itself meant so much that raising a family and staying connected to the land was important. They wanted to keep it all together and be available for the next generation. So, the land and the animals were a big deal to me.”

However, during high school, Joshua worked at the local grain elevator, where many producers advised him to not pursue a career in production agriculture. Through this lens, he began to see his family’s ranch as too small to financially support a future wife and family. The couple made the firm decision that moving to the ranch and making a living in production agriculture would never be their reality.

What changed?

“I had some health issues,” Tara explained, “and when conventional methods weren’t working, I started to explore alternative options. Oddly enough, that’s when I found my appreciation for soils, plants and animals.”

She began to understand the importance of ecosystems and everything working in harmony and balance with other organisms. “Nature is designed to send us ‘red flags’ when things are off balance,” Tara said. “We had to learn how to spot the red flags, explore the root cause of the problem and seek solutions. I was no longer interested in merely masking or worsening problems with Band-Aides.”

Because of the lingering influence of the farmers and ranchers who told him to get a day job, Joshua went to college and pursued an engineering degree. But when he scheduled classes with his college adviser, he always wanted to take more animal science, agribusiness and agronomy classes. “I started thinking more about my agricultural interests,” he said. 

His first job out of college was with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, working on soil and water engineering projects, and later on grazing and cropping management systems. At that job, he met colleagues who were involved in holistic management. Through their influence and his own ag interests, he began exploring this regenerative type of agriculture. 

2 approaches to ag

“Two things popped up,” Joshua said. “There seemed to be a significant difference of vision in the types of farmers and ranchers I talked to.” One faction fell into the victim mentality and spent considerable time commiserating about weather, prices and the government.

“But there was another faction within those groups of producers who seemed to have an opportunistic type of mentality,” Joshua said. “It wasn’t because the weather, prices or people around them were much different, but they had a different approach toward management and were in a better place and had a better mentality.”

The two phrases used by these more positive producers were “holistic management” and “soil health.” It wasn’t until Joshua became a holistic management certified educator at classes offered in Nebraska that he learned how intertwined those two phrases are.

The folks Joshua saw who were practicing holistic management seemed excited about what was going on with their farms and ranches, not just biologically, but financially and socially as well. “I saw older producers with a renewed form of energy because of different things they were trying and results they were experiencing,” Joshua said.

By asking themselves the hard “why” questions and seeking balance through holistic management in social, biological and financial components of their lives, the Dukarts made the decision — a decision that flew in the face of long-held paradigms — to move back to the family ranch where Joshua grew up.

New start

That was six years ago. With a mission in their lives to seek God’s will above their own, and with holistic management principles that encourage asking “why” questions, the Dukarts chose to name their ranch “Seek First Ranch.”

In addition to speaking and educating others about the principles of holistic management, and telling their story, the family also raises and markets their own home-raised grass-fed beef, among other enterprises.

The couple feels blessed to be raising their three children near grandparents. “As we navigate this multigenerational transition, we think it’s important that each person has a role, and that everyone sees both value and purpose in their role,” Joshua said.

“Everyone on our team brings unique knowledge, skills and experience to the table,” Tara said. “There have been challenging circumstances for us in this journey, but we’ve chosen to work hard on our communication and relationships, and we’ve chosen to put a lot of effort into maintaining balance. We are finding the quality of life and deep-rooted sense of community that we’ve always wanted.”

The couple credits finding a balance in life and work, biologically, financially and socially, to their newfound outlook for their ranch. The home ranch may not have been the place that either Joshua or Tara had planned on landing, but in hindsight today, they are glad that they did.

Learn more about their operation, family and journey online at seekfirstranch.com.