Preserving the Values of Cowboy Culture: A Heritage of Wealth Through Generational Wisdom
The following article is the full text from an interview with Ken Nash, my grandpa, that was featured in the 2025 Winter Solstice issue of The Art (of) Living newspaper. The cover image of this article was taken by @jinnykphoto as part of her 'Life As It Happens' series and captures three generations: My Great Grandma Janie, my Grandpa Kenny, and me.
Question No. 1: What is the biggest influence the heritage of cowboy and ranch life has had on your personal life?
Grandpa: Everything that I grew up with was based on cows and horses and cowboy life. It gave me a direction of how to take care of animals before yourself, to get up early and do your chores, and to take care of their [the animal’s] needs...
It has given me the ability to work hard and to know that when you start a task, you can finish a task. If you work with others, you can encourage them on how to succeed. What comes to mind is working with cattle. You start with very few and you slowly build up your herd. And as you do this, your objective isn’t just to make money, but to make a better quality animal that, for generations to come, will be a credit to the industry.
If you’re doing it for yourself and the quick gain, it doesn’t have that effect. But those who have had an effect on the cattle industry, they have the longer vision of what they’re trying to do. Because the people who have the genuine vision to better the industry also better the quality of life for their families and communities. It takes a longer view – a view with more patience and seeing what the outcome can be from the fruits of your labor – and down the road, you’re going to be able to turn your gains into gains for your family. You get to construct a base for your family inheritance and make it a little easier for each generation so that they have a foothold and aren’t having to reinvent the wheel or start it all from scratch.
Question No. 2: How has the heritage of cowboy, farm, and ranch life made the world a better place?
Grandpa: The values of ranch life are something that the world needs to see and understand. To be an honest person doing an honest day's work getting an honest share for what he does…that is a great reward, and not only for an individual but for a whole country or for the world.
Question No. 3: For you, why is it so important to preserve the small-town, farm life tradition?
Grandpa: So it is about communities that come together to help one another. In our past, a lot of the farming and ranching was done by neighbors helping neighbors, and as we grow in mechanization, we also grow in debt. In growing in debt, we lose the unity we had with our neighbors. And what’ll happen in the bigger situations is that neighbors won't help neighbors if you’re all part of different, big conglomerates. But if you’re a small farmer or rancher, you know people, you know their stories and their names. You are real humans, neighbor to neighbor.
I had a really good friend that was killed, left his wife and children. And I’ll bet there was 20 or 25 different neighbors who showed up with all their equipment and helped put up all the rest of his hay, helped do the cows, and got everything done for his family that needed to be done. And it’s those small-time neighbors and rural agriculture that have always pulled together to help each other and show what God’s love is really about.
Question No. 4: What do you love about the American heritage and legacy of "The Cowboy"?
Grandpa: Knowing the true value of the cowboy heritage is love of the family and togetherness. It is sharing and helping one another.
Whether you go to a sorting where you’re sorting cattle off, showing livestock for FFA, or keeping chickens like Gram, the older ones have a knowledge that needs to be passed on to the younger ones, and it’s done by working together. The horsemanship, knowledge of cattle, knowledge of livestock…it’s all being shared.
In the ranching world, we have a structured education system of generational wisdom. When you’re working with family and friends, everyone is trying to pass on the best qualities they have or know, hoping that each generation can improve upon that and go on to better the whole country and the world, and that’s pretty special.
Ken Nash is a cattle rancher, heavy machine operator, and dearly loved husband, father, and grandpa. He lives in Wallowa County, Oregon with his wife Annie and his herd of well-loved cows.
The following article is the full text from an interview with Ken Nash, my grandpa, that was featured in the 2025 Winter Solstice issue of The Art (of) Living newspaper. The cover image of this article was taken by @jinnykphoto as part of her 'Life As It Happens' series and captures three generations: My Great Grandma Janie, my Grandpa Kenny, and me.
Question No. 1: What is the biggest influence the heritage of cowboy and ranch life has had on your personal life?
Grandpa: Everything that I grew up with was based on cows and horses and cowboy life. It gave me a direction of how to take care of animals before yourself, to get up early and do your chores, and to take care of their [the animal’s] needs...
It has given me the ability to work hard and to know that when you start a task, you can finish a task. If you work with others, you can encourage them on how to succeed. What comes to mind is working with cattle. You start with very few and you slowly build up your herd. And as you do this, your objective isn’t just to make money, but to make a better quality animal that, for generations to come, will be a credit to the industry.
If you’re doing it for yourself and the quick gain, it doesn’t have that effect. But those who have had an effect on the cattle industry, they have the longer vision of what they’re trying to do. Because the people who have the genuine vision to better the industry also better the quality of life for their families and communities. It takes a longer view – a view with more patience and seeing what the outcome can be from the fruits of your labor – and down the road, you’re going to be able to turn your gains into gains for your family. You get to construct a base for your family inheritance and make it a little easier for each generation so that they have a foothold and aren’t having to reinvent the wheel or start it all from scratch.
Question No. 2: How has the heritage of cowboy, farm, and ranch life made the world a better place?
Grandpa: The values of ranch life are something that the world needs to see and understand. To be an honest person doing an honest day's work getting an honest share for what he does…that is a great reward, and not only for an individual but for a whole country or for the world.
Question No. 3: For you, why is it so important to preserve the small-town, farm life tradition?
Grandpa: So it is about communities that come together to help one another. In our past, a lot of the farming and ranching was done by neighbors helping neighbors, and as we grow in mechanization, we also grow in debt. In growing in debt, we lose the unity we had with our neighbors. And what’ll happen in the bigger situations is that neighbors won't help neighbors if you’re all part of different, big conglomerates. But if you’re a small farmer or rancher, you know people, you know their stories and their names. You are real humans, neighbor to neighbor.
I had a really good friend that was killed, left his wife and children. And I’ll bet there was 20 or 25 different neighbors who showed up with all their equipment and helped put up all the rest of his hay, helped do the cows, and got everything done for his family that needed to be done. And it’s those small-time neighbors and rural agriculture that have always pulled together to help each other and show what God’s love is really about.
Question No. 4: What do you love about the American heritage and legacy of "The Cowboy"?
Grandpa: Knowing the true value of the cowboy heritage is love of the family and togetherness. It is sharing and helping one another.
Whether you go to a sorting where you’re sorting cattle off, showing livestock for FFA, or keeping chickens like Gram, the older ones have a knowledge that needs to be passed on to the younger ones, and it’s done by working together. The horsemanship, knowledge of cattle, knowledge of livestock…it’s all being shared.
In the ranching world, we have a structured education system of generational wisdom. When you’re working with family and friends, everyone is trying to pass on the best qualities they have or know, hoping that each generation can improve upon that and go on to better the whole country and the world, and that’s pretty special.
Ken Nash is a cattle rancher, heavy machine operator, and dearly loved husband, father, and grandpa. He lives in Wallowa County, Oregon with his wife Annie and his herd of well-loved cows.
The following article is the full text from an interview with Ken Nash, my grandpa, that was featured in the 2025 Winter Solstice issue of The Art (of) Living newspaper. The cover image of this article was taken by @jinnykphoto as part of her 'Life As It Happens' series and captures three generations: My Great Grandma Janie, my Grandpa Kenny, and me.
Question No. 1: What is the biggest influence the heritage of cowboy and ranch life has had on your personal life?
Grandpa: Everything that I grew up with was based on cows and horses and cowboy life. It gave me a direction of how to take care of animals before yourself, to get up early and do your chores, and to take care of their [the animal’s] needs...
It has given me the ability to work hard and to know that when you start a task, you can finish a task. If you work with others, you can encourage them on how to succeed. What comes to mind is working with cattle. You start with very few and you slowly build up your herd. And as you do this, your objective isn’t just to make money, but to make a better quality animal that, for generations to come, will be a credit to the industry.
If you’re doing it for yourself and the quick gain, it doesn’t have that effect. But those who have had an effect on the cattle industry, they have the longer vision of what they’re trying to do. Because the people who have the genuine vision to better the industry also better the quality of life for their families and communities. It takes a longer view – a view with more patience and seeing what the outcome can be from the fruits of your labor – and down the road, you’re going to be able to turn your gains into gains for your family. You get to construct a base for your family inheritance and make it a little easier for each generation so that they have a foothold and aren’t having to reinvent the wheel or start it all from scratch.
Question No. 2: How has the heritage of cowboy, farm, and ranch life made the world a better place?
Grandpa: The values of ranch life are something that the world needs to see and understand. To be an honest person doing an honest day's work getting an honest share for what he does…that is a great reward, and not only for an individual but for a whole country or for the world.
Question No. 3: For you, why is it so important to preserve the small-town, farm life tradition?
Grandpa: So it is about communities that come together to help one another. In our past, a lot of the farming and ranching was done by neighbors helping neighbors, and as we grow in mechanization, we also grow in debt. In growing in debt, we lose the unity we had with our neighbors. And what’ll happen in the bigger situations is that neighbors won't help neighbors if you’re all part of different, big conglomerates. But if you’re a small farmer or rancher, you know people, you know their stories and their names. You are real humans, neighbor to neighbor.
I had a really good friend that was killed, left his wife and children. And I’ll bet there was 20 or 25 different neighbors who showed up with all their equipment and helped put up all the rest of his hay, helped do the cows, and got everything done for his family that needed to be done. And it’s those small-time neighbors and rural agriculture that have always pulled together to help each other and show what God’s love is really about.
Question No. 4: What do you love about the American heritage and legacy of "The Cowboy"?
Grandpa: Knowing the true value of the cowboy heritage is love of the family and togetherness. It is sharing and helping one another.
Whether you go to a sorting where you’re sorting cattle off, showing livestock for FFA, or keeping chickens like Gram, the older ones have a knowledge that needs to be passed on to the younger ones, and it’s done by working together. The horsemanship, knowledge of cattle, knowledge of livestock…it’s all being shared.
In the ranching world, we have a structured education system of generational wisdom. When you’re working with family and friends, everyone is trying to pass on the best qualities they have or know, hoping that each generation can improve upon that and go on to better the whole country and the world, and that’s pretty special.
Ken Nash is a cattle rancher, heavy machine operator, and dearly loved husband, father, and grandpa. He lives in Wallowa County, Oregon with his wife Annie and his herd of well-loved cows.
