Sioux Falls’ Elaina Lanson Sees What Farming as a Family Truly Means

Having open conversations about food and farming with South Dakotans and the farmers who grow it is what we do. In fact, that’s what Hungry for Truth is all about. We had an exciting opportunity to connect Elaina Lanson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota with farmer Chad Schooley of Castlewood, South Dakota to chat about farming, tending to cattle, and what a day on the farm looks like for his family. Below, Elaina is sharing her perspective of her recent South Dakota farm visit. 

Family is usually at the core of every successful farm, and I found this to be especially true during my visit to Cabin Still Cattle Ranch in Castlewood, South Dakota. Five generations have worked the land and cared for the cattle here over the years, and learning how each generation used their expertise in their approach to farming made it really special.

During my farm tour, I had the privilege to spend the day with Chad Schooley, the First Vice President of the South Dakota Soybean Association board and the fourth member of the family tree to run the farm, and meet his father and son. 

The first thing we did was mix the food for the cattle and take it out to their troughs in the field. During our tractor ride out to the fields, Chad told me one of the biggest things he focuses on is sustainability, a key lesson he learned from his father.

Chad explains the reason they have the farm today is because his father persevered through the 1970’s and 80’s when the country saw the cost of fuel and seed go up, while the value of the land went down. The land value helps farmers receive loans to operate, and when that diminished, it resulted in many farmers losing their land.  His dad worked hard to take good care of the land they had and did not try to increase their acreage during the adverse times. 

I could tell how proud he is of his father by the way he told me the story. As we head back towards the silos, Chad smiles when he tells me that even in his 80’s his dad is still on the farm every day. 

Taking his father’s methodical approach into account, Chad continues to expand the farm in a sustainable way, which he’s been doing since the 90’s. The health of the land is of the utmost importance, and with the knowledge and technology they have, I can see how they can keep the land at its best.

Chad showed me that in each tractor, planter, and combine, there is an electronic system that tells farmers exactly what, where, and how much to plant. All of the information is sent to iCloud, so they can measure year to year and soil conditions, which I thought was truly remarkable.

Using these systems Chad successfully produces soybeans, corn, oats, alfalfa, cover crops and more throughout the growing season. Even the grinder mixer (which I learned is the machine we used to mix the cattle feed together) uses a computerized system to weigh each ingredient, mix and distribute the correct amount of food to the cows. 

When Chad showed me the different ingredients, he told me that 5-10% of the crops they grow go to feed their cattle. Knowing that they have 500+ cows, goes to show how much the Schooley farm produces, and further shows how important it is to take good care of the soil.

Chad says this where we can really look to the future. He said his son Beau is great with the technology and plays a huge role in applying the technology to how they farm. He explained the sky's the limit for the next generation in terms of implementing sustainability in farming. 

With each generation bringing a different quality to their farming style, Cattle Still Cattle Ranch has every base covered. With no days off, you’ll see the motivated trio on the farm every day, nurturing their crops and tight knit relationships. 

Check out other recent Hungry for Truth Ambassador Programs like Vaney Hariri visiting Jordan Scott’s farm or Casey Boerger exploring Brent Greenway’s Mitchell farm.

Elaina Lanson is a Sioux Falls, South Dakota real estate agent and hot yoga sculpt coach at local studio AMT. She has a true passion about the Sioux Falls community. To learn more about Elaina connect with her via:

Instagram: @elaina_lanson

Facebook: Elaina Lanson

Website: Dream Home Vision