When Sarah Anderson graduated from the University of Alberta, she and her soon-to-be husband decided that they wanted to get a ranch of their own.
Sarah, who is from Penoka, AB, and Jim Anderson, who hails originally from Kelvington, SK, arrived in the region early in 2010.
"We decided we wanted to get into farming, and after shopping around, we decided to look in the Â鶹ÊÓƵeast," Jim said. "The land we ended up with cost us half of what we would've paid per-acre in Alberta, and the number of cattle around this area told us this would be a good area to make a go in."
Buying a spread south of Kisbey, the couple set up the new Right Cross Ranch.
"We are doing a lot of different things to make sure both Sarah and I can stay and work on the farm," Jim said. "We ended up with this ranch because it had a lot of the stuff we needed, like an auction ring, so we can have a number of different options on how to make a profit."
Recognizing that the ag business isn't a get-rich-quick venture, the Anderson's have big plans for their ranch.
"We will be holding bull auctions here on the farm," Sarah said. "We are also building more feed lots, and we have plans to expand some other parts of the farm."
The size of the couple's plans are evident from their expansion efforts.
With already 250 head, the majority of which they shipped in when they purchased the farm, they are expecting more than 200 calves this season.
"The new feedlot should hold around 700 head," Sarah said. "We are housing 25 head right now for another producer, but we are expecting to fill that space with our own herd."
Dealing with black and red Angus, the two feel that the market for their bulls will be good in the area.
"When you look at Saskatchewan, you see most of the cattle centred here in the southeast," Jim said. "That was one of the reasons why we wanted to relocate out here."
Economy of cattle aside, the two have discovered one of the other great treasures that makes Â鶹ÊÓƵeast Saskatchewan a place to be.
"We are really impressed with how nice and supportive everyone in the area has been," Sarah said. "Jim and I got formally married in October, but with all my friends and family back in Alberta, it didn't look like it was going to be a big wedding."
"Then a bunch of the women in the area got together and had a [wedding] shower for me," Sarah continued. "All these people I barely knew, they came out for the shower and made me feel very welcome."
"It was really special to see people so supportive like that."
In an industry where the median age of producers is up in the 50's the young, twenty-something couple are a rarity in the ag business.
"We know a lot of people have to have jobs off the farm, but we're hoping we can both stay to work here," Sarah said. "If I were to go off and get a job, and a bunch of bulls managed to break out of a pen, Jim would be hooped."
"It would take him all day to do something that, if we were both here, we could do in an hour," Sarah said. "That is why we are coming at the business from a number of different angles."
"Like doing custom bulls, on top of other things," Jim added. "You have to come at it with a whole bunch of different sources of income."
"Sarah trains horses for example," Jim said. "That can be another source of income for us that will help keep the farm self-supportive."
"You get those big payouts at certain times of the year, but it is in-between when you have to make sure money is coming in," Sarah said. "It is like any business - the money has to flow in and out regularly."
As things move ahead, the couple hope their ranch will continue to grow.
"It is a work in progress still," Sarah said. "We have a lot of big plans for this place."
"We know that this isn't something you can just walk into and make money at," Jim said. "Ranching is as much a lifestyle as it is a job, and we are both happy that we were able to have the opportunity to make a go of it out here."
"I'm looking forward to what the future is going to bring us."
The Right Cross Ranch will be holding their first bull auction on April 13 of this year, on their farm.
Ward Cutler will be the auctioneer, and their auction ring can seat up to 150 people.
For more information about the Right Cross Ranch, the couple also maintain a website at www.rightcrossranch.com
