McCoy's Farm & Ranch Family: The Koehn's
Congratulations to the McCoy’s Farm and Ranch Family of the Month, the Koehn’s! Rory and his two kids, Garrison and Kennedy own and operate Koehn Cattle Company located in Weimar, Texas. While the ranch has been operating since the 1920s, Rory and his family have been running it full time for about 32 years.
“We do a little bit of everything,” Rory said. “Our operation is not centered on one item.” The family’s operations consist of crossbred cattle, stocker cattle, raising bulls and replacement heifers, and buying and selling roping calves. The family also make their own hay and sell some as well.
As one can imagine, ranch work is dependent on the season, what type of herds you might be ranching and a number of other variables. While the hours might vary from day-to-day, one thing is for certain: the day doesn’t finish until everything on the ranch has been tended to. “There are no set hours on the ranch,” Rory said. “I have lights in my working pens for a reason.”
The family has one full-time ranch hand who tackles anything that comes his way. His job is dependent on the tasks that need to be done a daily basis, and “he goes where he is sent to work,” Rory said. When the time comes for serious cow-working, Rory said he brings in some great hired help to team up and make the cattle working process go smoothly, but when it’s not serious cattle work, Rory, Garrison, Kennedy, and their ranch worker are the ones who keep the operation going.
Garrison is currently rodeoing on the collegiate level, but before that, he was a member of THSRA all four years of high school competing in the calf roping and team roping, while Kennedy is a sophomore THSRA member competing in the pole bending and breakaway roping. There are countless responsibilities that come with running a ranch spanning further than buying cattle and operating expenses. From fertilizer, to medicine, equipment costs, and feed the list can go on. “Every day I start with making a list, and everyone has to step up and do their job,” Rory said.
Even though Garrison is at college, he comes home on the weekends he isn’t rodeoing to help out where he can, and Kennedy helps every day where she’s needed once she gets home from school.
As time goes by, Rory said the Koehn kids continuously get more involved in the ranching business. Both Kennedy and Garrison own cattle and interest in yearlings. “It gives the kids a sense of accomplishment, and it encourages growth,” he said.
When the family is not ranching, Rory said they enjoy rodeoing together, going to church and visiting with rodeo friends. “I was involved in rodeo in my younger years, and my kids have stepped up to keep that tradition alive,” Rory said. In addition to tradition, rodeo has a way of bringing people together. “Rodeo brings families closer and creates a strong bond,” he said. In September of 2018, the Koehn’s tragically lost a big part of their family, Patricia Koehn. She was a mother and a wife, and “was just a major part of our rodeo life,” Rory said. “She loved being there to work and have fun with our rodeo family.” In the midst of hardships, Rory said Region 7 has been a true blessing to each of the Koehn clan.
The Koehn’s said they are honored to be chosen as the McCoy’s Farm and Ranch Family of the Month and they are thankful for the partnership and support they provide to the THSRA.
