Meet Ron Wilson

From the family farm in Manhattan, Kansas, to Washington, D.C., and back, Ron Wilson knows a thing or two about ranching, agriculture policy, and even cowboy poetry.

In 1968, Ron’s parents bought the Lazy T Ranch, located in the Flint Hills of Kansas, where Wilson grew up and raised his four children, making it a three-generation ranch. This commercial cow-calf operation has expanded, and Ron embraced the spirit of agritourism. On the Lazy T Ranch, you can find a slew of farm animals for their petting zoo, pony rides, hayrides, and other entertainment throughout the year.

“Our family has been in agriculture for generations on both sides,” Ron said. His wife, Chris, is involved in the ranch’s daily operations.

As Ron reflected on his childhood, he remembered the farmers and ranchers like his father who were hardworking people that took great care of the land and livestock.

“People talk about animal welfare. I think about my dad going out in the middle of the night to check cows that are calving, and I think he did a lot for the real welfare of animals with his personal time and care,” Ron said.

Ron is confident that this mindset will be instilled in his own children, and that whether they remain involved in agriculture or not, they will always have an appreciation of the hard work farmers and ranchers do and will keep the values they grew up with.

Ron spent more than six years working in Washington, D.C., as a staffer for the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

“In those days, in a way, the agriculture community in Washington was a family,” he reflected.

No matter what side of the political line they were on, commodities seemed to stick together.

“The wheat people got together on wheat policy, and cotton had their group, and a lot of us had an interest in livestock,” Ron said. “On agriculture policy, people came together and crossed the partisan lines.”

While there, he saw firsthand how senators and congressmen try to use the allocated dollars to do the best they can for urban and rural areas. It’s challenging work.

“I think agriculture can be something that unites people,” he said.

Being a part of the political process and an active member of NCBA, Ron believes it is vital to have representation at the state and national levels.

“Look at the impact policies have on producers’ bottom lines — on the dollars and cents of our cattle operations,” he said. “From my own experiences in D.C., I saw how important it was to have that voice at the table. Ranchers out here don’t have the time to be at the state House, but to partner with fellow cattlemen and support a team of folks who work on those issues every day is extremely important.”

After six and a half years there, Ron and Chris were ready to move back to the Midwest. His current role is with Kansas State University as the director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development.

One day, at a meeting in Colorado for rural development, the entertainment for the evening was a cowboy poet. Humored and inspired, Ron decided to try his hand at writing poetry. Now, he travels to various events and conferences to perform his own poetry. He even performed at NCBA’s Stockmanship & Stewardship Tour in Leavenworth, Kansas, in June 2022. Some of the other places Ron has performed are the American Royal, the National Agriculture Hall of Fame, John Wayne’s birthplace, and the Academy of Western Arts gathering. In 2003, then Kansas Gov. Bill Graves proclaimed Ron the official Poet Lariat in Kansas.

“It is so much fun to capture the authentic life of a rancher or cowboy and express that in a creative way,” he explained of his passion for rhymes. “It’s great fun to connect with an audience in a way they can really relate to and reflect on these crazy, humorous situations folks get into sometimes.”

Below is one of Ron’s favorite poems about a cow dog with a big heart, a story that may sound familiar.

Ron has a passion for agriculture, but it is equally matched by his love for history. One of the projects near to his heart is his work to get the Chisholm and Western Trails designated as National Historic Trails while protecting private property rights. The Chisholm and Western Trails are historic cattle trails running from south of San Antonio, Texas, up through Oklahoma and Kansas to points north.

To get these historic trails recognized requires an act of Congress, something Ron, with the International Chisholm Trail Association, is working extremely hard to achieve. The Association’s two key goals are to designate the trails nationally, and to protect private property rights of landowners. Ron’s background in legislation and his dedication to preserving the history of the American West equip him to present this request before Congress.

Through his work on the Chisholm and Western Trails, and his unique cowboy poetry, Ron strives to preserve the ranching traditions and values he was raised with and has instilled in his own children.

The Stockdog’s Ride
by Ron Wilson, Poet Lariat

Part I

A cowboy has his favorites, as they come along in life.
One of my great favorites was a present from my wife. 
We were takin’ cows to pasture, just delivered the last load.
My wife says, “Just for fun, let’s turn here, right down this road.”

She says, “Well, here’s your present.” I wondered what was up.
Here at this neighbor’s farm was an Australian Shepherd pup.
“I got no time for pets,” I snarled with a smirk.
She said, “This one is different.  These dogs are bred to work.”

So in spite of all my protests, and the reasons I supplied,
We put her in the truck and I gave Bonnie her first ride.

Part II
I put her in a pen, and she whimpered that first night.
But when I went to chore, she went with me at first light.
She followed me at every step, and then she learned to mind.
She loved to herd the cattle, and I knew I’d made a find.

We took her to a trainer, on a ranch by Council Grove.
He taught her how to gather ‘em. She was a treasure trove.
She learned to heel the cattle, and she learned to bring ‘em by,
She listened to my voice command, and watched her master’s eye.

She had a lot of vigor, and I swear that dog was smart.
I found that she was loyal, and she had a lot of heart.
She had a herding instinct that never seemed to end,
And Bonnie Shep the stock-dog soon became this cowboy’s friend.

At night she was a watchdog, which also helped our luck,
But what she really wanted was to ride in my old truck. 
She’d hop up on my flatbed every time we’d go to pasture
And hang her head around the cab, just wantin’ to go faster.

And you could count on Bonnie. Every time I’d go outside,
I knew she’d be right at the truck, awaitin’ her next ride.

Part III
The years have come and gone, since my wife got me that gift.
We still use ol’ Bonnie’s offspring, and that thought gives me a lift.
But ol’ Bonnie was my favorite, with all her grit and pluck.
Even in her later years she loved to ride my truck.

One day we went to pasture, to pick up an old bull.
We’d used him enough that he was one we had to cull.
We got the bull up to the pens.  He stopped right at the gate.
There the mean old bull resisted, and it sealed our Bonnie’s fate.

Bonnie saw we needed help. She came in on the run.
She nipped right at the old bull’s heels, just like she’d always done.
That brought a strong reaction from the mean and cussed bull.
With all his force he drove a hoof right into Bonnie’s skull.

Bonnie dropped right on the spot. The bull went in the pen.
But I sat there in shock, ‘cause Bonnie never moved again.
She’d dodged a lot of kicks before, and maybe she got slow,
But I know my Bonnie stockdog: This is how she’d want to go.

It’s kinda hard to tell it, but I must admit I cried,
As I laid her body in the truck, and I gave Bonnie her last ride.