BLACKDUCK 鈥� Rachel Gray of Blackduck has been named one of five finalists for the Farmfest 2023 Woman Farmer of the Year Award.
Gray and four other Minnesota women were selected by the producers of Minnesota Farmfest. The winner will be announced during the 2023 Farmfest event Aug. 1-3 at the Historic Gilfillan Estate near Redwood Falls, Minn.
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Award judges selected the top five women whose nominations demonstrated a high level of commitment to the farm or ranch in terms of hours dedicated, positive impact on income, yield, diversification or challenges, community involvement, and passion for her farm and the agriculture industry.
In essence, Rachel Gray has been farming her entire life, as a child working alongside her parents and grandparents. Now the former teacher is one of Minnesota鈥檚 premier cattlewomen, still working with her father and uncle, and now with her son as well.
鈥淥ne thing I鈥檝e learned since changing careers is there鈥檚 no such thing as a typical day," Gray said. "You set your goals for the day, then walk outside and see what really needs to be done.鈥�
For Gray, it鈥檚 all about the cattle. She maintains a consistent herd of 450 to 500 head of cattle and her day revolves around making sure that each and every one has all their needs met before moving on.
鈥淎 heifer development organization is a unique situation,鈥� Gray said. 鈥淚 buy calves at 650 pounds in November each year and they have to meet certain parameters.鈥�
She added that the calves must have genetics she knows, specifically a first-generation cross between a Hereford and Angus.
Gray鈥檚 operation, named Little Timber Farms, ships cattle to Tennessee, West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and both North and South Dakota, as well as operations around Minnesota. They are sold and marketed as bred heifers, then Gray and her team are immediately ready to bring in a new group.
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In addition to maintaining a consistent herd of 450 to 500 cattle, Gray plants acreage with enough hay for 2,500 round bales a year as well as acreage of corn, and barley 鈥� all for the care and feeding of the cattle and keeps 1,000 acres of pasture for grazing. She has a dog and a plethora of barn cats plus five horses.
鈥淚 have one that is a true cattle horse, and I will use them with cattle but they are mainly for pleasure,鈥� Gray said. 鈥淭hey are how I relax at the end of a long day, to take a nice ride and check the cattle one last time before turning in.鈥�
She also keeps two horses for her grandchildren, Audrey and Jackson, ages 5 and 2 respectively. They鈥檝e both been riding since they were 1 year old, a generational tradition in Gray's family.
Changing demographics
鈥淚 am so honored even to be nominated,鈥� Gray said. 鈥淛ust read the bios. These ladies are amazing and that鈥檚 my favorite thing about this is the diversity. What a range of women 鈥� from very young to age 83. It鈥檚 so great that we have 14- and 15-year-old girls who are farming.
"We find cattle women at events in their teens up to their 80s who have been doing this their whole lives. The demographics of farming are changing. There are more women farming each year, and more women farming independently than ever.鈥�
Despite the honors she鈥檚 already received and the honor of being a finalist for Farmfest 2023 Woman Farmer of the Year, Gray remains humble and expressed her gratitude for those who continue to help and support her in all that she does.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 be here without my dad, Murl Nord,鈥� she explained. 鈥淭his business wouldn鈥檛 have happened without him. Sometimes it鈥檚 hard to transition to something new, but he always encouraged us to think outside the box, to try new things and he let me buy the place from him.鈥�
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Since her mother Suzette鈥檚 death following a long battle with cancer in December 2020, her father has been working alongside Gray full-time.
鈥�(My older son) Nick came home about that time, too and stepped in so that I had the opportunity to spend the last couple of months in the house with my mom,鈥� Gray said. 鈥淣ow Nick works full time with us, which allows his kids to spend a ton of time on the farm, on the tractor, riding their horses. The stock tank is their swimming pool. They鈥檙e learning a lot and encountering a lot. It will make them well-rounded and independent.鈥�
Gray's husband, Al, helps out too whenever he is home from his regular job.
鈥淚 think the job is very, very hard sometimes,鈥� Gray detailed. 鈥淭he fluctuating market, the weather, and other things are just out of our control. Still, it is so worth it. Especially when I see how my grandkids are growing up, with the extended family 鈥� who are always willing to step in to help out with the kids. It鈥檚 a great place to grow up. Hard. But the benefits are innumerable.鈥�
As a senior in high school who dreamed of running her own farm, Gray was discouraged by well-meaning adults who didn鈥檛 think it was a realistic or economically sound goal for a young girl, so she pushed down her own ambitions and followed the path of her mother and what was recommended by others to become a teacher.
Today she says that she meets so many young girls through the Cattleman鈥檚 Ambassadors Program and other farming organizations and she tells them of the risks and rewards.
鈥淚鈥檇 say, 鈥楪et a business degree, take marketing classes, agriculture and crop science,鈥�" Gray said. "I would never discourage someone from pursuing their goals, no matter how hard they may seem.鈥�
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