Howdy, friends—
I’m Connor McCauley. I work at the Harrell Ranch in the Texas Panhandle. Now, you’ll notice my last name isn’t Harrell—that’s because I married into this fifth-generation ranch through my wife, Helen. I didn’t grow up in ranching or with generational ties to cattle, so stepping into this legacy has been a humbling, eye-opening experience. Every day I get to see what it means to carry on a tradition, and I want to share some of that perspective with you.
Before we dive into this week’s ranch work—baling hay and weaning cattle—I want to touch on something bigger: legacy. TriTails, rooted here at the Harrell Ranch, is about more than ranching. Yes, it’s about being a fifth-generation operation, but it’s also about you—our customers.
From your reviews and messages, we’ve noticed something special: a kind of symbiotic relationship between us and you. When our cowboys come home after a long day, nothing beats gathering around the table over a great steak. Around that table we see three generations, stories, and laughter—that’s legacy in action. And while not every family gathers every night (or even every month), every person still leaves a legacy, good or bad. Our mission is to help you feed yours.
That’s why you’ll hear us say two things often: Feed Your Legacy and Bring Them Home. Whether it’s kids home from college, a summer picnic with neighbors, or just a weeknight family dinner, we want to be part of those moments. We believe the beef we raise and share is worthy of being at the center of them.
I also want to say thank you. Truly. We’ve been blessed with some of the best customers anyone could ask for. Even when we’ve had to work through shipping hiccups—or when folks just call us up to say hi—we’ve found that once we get talking, we really enjoy the people behind the orders. You’ve given us the chance to share our legacy, and we’re honored to be part of yours.
Watch this weeks newsletter by clicking below
Ranch Work This Week: From Calves to Yearlings
We’re in our second round of weaning. The calves are moving into that “teenage” stage—becoming yearlings. At the same time, hay out in the field needed baling. Since yearlings rely on square bales for feed during this transition, it was time to get to work.
My week started on a Wednesday morning. I headed out to the ranch around 7:30. It was one of those perfect Texas mornings—cool air, humidity just right, the sky stretching horizon to horizon with the moon still hanging bright as the sun came up in fiery oranges and reds.
We started with round bales, but soon it was time for something new for me: square baling. Unlike round bales, where you stop and unload each time, square baling runs continuously, dropping about 30 small bales per row. By the end, the field was scattered with them.
Of course, square bales don’t move themselves. That’s where our accumulator comes in. It attaches to the skid steer and groups the bales into bundles of ten. Then, with a grapple attachment, we load them onto a trailer and haul them to the barn. It beats the old-school method of hand-stacking every bale as you go.
Why square bales? These yearlings are just learning how to eat hay after being on milk. Small, manageable bales let us “fluff” the hay in their pens, like tossing a salad, so they can figure it out. It’s a key step in their growth.
The whole process ran smooth—except for one runaway twine incident that turned into a spaghetti mess across the field. Thankfully, we got that fixed quick. All in all, a good week of baling and weaning. We’ve still got two more rounds ahead.
One of the really cool, unique aspects of the ranch is that it’s a lot like California, where you can drive from the mountains to the beach in the same day. Out here, you can be farming and ranching all in the same day—running hay equipment in the morning, then working cattle by afternoon. That blend of work is part of what makes ranching exciting.
A Final Note
One of my favorite parts about ranching is that no two days are the same. There’s always something new, and every bit of it adds up to legacy, one bale or one calf at a time.
I put together a video on this week’s work, and I’d love for you to check it out. Even if you only watch the first three minutes, I promise it’s worth your time. [YouTube link here]
Thanks again for being part of this journey with us. Until next time—keep feeding your legacy.
—Connor
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