TriTails Weekly Newsletter
From Connor McCauley – Colorado ski hound turned Texas ranch hand
Watch The Combine Interview Here
From My Perspective
Hey y’all, I’m Connor McCauley—Colorado ski hound turned Texas ranch hand. These stories are from my perspective.
I didn’t grow up with cows, crops, or anything close to this life. I married into it. And every week out here, I learn something new—usually with a little dust in my face and a good story on the other side of it.
This week was no exception.
A Prayer in the Packing House
We always start the week off in the packing house, boxing up TriTails beef for folks across the country. But behind every shipping label is someone special—Mary, the matriarch of this whole operation. She’s Sam’s wife, and one of the strongest women I know.
Mary doesn’t just print packing slips. She prays over every box we ship—asking that the beef inside blesses your home and glorifies God’s name. That might sound old-fashioned to some folks, but out here, it’s how we live. We believe ranchers aren’t just here to feed people—we’re here to serve. And when you buy from us, you’re helping that message reach a little further.
So—thank you. Truly.
Tractor Trouble & Milo Missions
This week we were getting ready to plant our milo crop—a summer grain we use for feed. But the tractor wasn’t having it. New battery or not, it kept draining like it was binge-watching Netflix overnight. After some head-scratching and wire-checking, we installed a battery disconnect and finally got her holding a charge.
While we were fixing that, our aerial sprayer was out hitting the fields—not spraying crops, but clearing weeds. We’re prepping for no-till planting, which means we won’t plow before seeding. If the soil’s right, you can drop the seed straight in. It keeps the moisture locked in and the nutrients intact. It's good for the ground—and good for the cattle that’ll eat that feed later on.
The Great Mosquito Ambush
Of course, no week on the ranch is complete without a little chaos. We had some yearlings to sort—both heifers and steers—so Roger, Faith, and I saddled up and headed into the pasture.
Everything was going fine... until it wasn’t.
We rode straight into what I can only describe as a mosquito nightmare. I’m talking clouds of them. Biblical levels. It was like riding through a plague. They were on us, the horses, probably forming organized battalions as we moved. We pushed through, made it down into a playa lake bed (fewer bugs down there, somehow), and got the cattle penned and sorted.
No one got bucked off. Barely. Call it a win.
The Combine Ride That Changed Everything
The next day, I figured I’d take a breather and grab some drone shots of the contract harvesters working wheat on the ranch. I hopped in the cab with Shannon, one of the combine drivers, just to capture some footage.
But something happened.
Shannon’s a fourth-generation combine driver. His son—sixth generation—was in the other rig. What started as a quick Q&A turned into one of the most moving conversations I’ve had since coming to this ranch. He spoke about legacy, purpose, and how we’re built—not just to exist—but to produce, create, and pass things on.
As someone who didn’t grow up with that kind of generational story, it hit deep. I’m still learning what it means to carry a legacy, but hearing Shannon talk reminded me: our ranch isn’t the only place doing this. There are folks all over America still building lives that matter, still raising families that last.
If you watch one thing from me this year—make it this video. It’s not about farming. It’s about meaning.
Until Next Time
Thanks for reading. Seriously. Just taking time out of your day to open this and follow along means more than you know. And if you know someone who’d appreciate it—someone who loves farming, or faith, or just a good honest story—feel free to forward this along.
They don’t need to buy beef to be part of this. They just need to care about the kind of life that still gets lived out here.
Until next week,
Connor
TriTails Beef
Rough hands. Gentle hearts. Steaks worth the shipping.
Leave a comment
All comments are moderated before being published.
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.