by Terry Lidral
The Black Leg Ranch in McKenzie, North Dakota is preserving its rich western heritage with innovation and a look to the future. Established in the 1880’s by George Doan as a homestead in the Great Plains of the Dakota Territory, Black Leg Ranch has been passed down to include 6 generations of the Doan family. Its current guardian, Jerry Doan, considers it his duty to preserve and pass on the ranch’s great legacy.
“Black Leg Ranch is about 20,000 acres,” said Jerry Doan proudly about the legacy ranch that has grown in size under his management. “Since I’ve been in charge, I’ve been able to add to it a bunch.”
The current Black Leg Ranch extends into three counties. Managing a ranch the size of Black Leg requires hard work and a strong sense of stewardship for the well-being of its expansive acres. In addition, there is a responsibility to safeguard the rich history of the ranch’s 140-year-old western heritage passed down through each generation.
“We have a ghost town, old historical farmsteads, wagon trails, Indian artifacts and an old railroad from the 1800’s on our land. There’s a lot of history here,” Doan told us. “It’s important to preserve that history and maintain the rich western heritage here on Black Leg Ranch.”
Black Leg Ranch is a 2020 Ranching Division inductee of the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame. Nominations were based on Black Leg Ranch’s significant contributions to the development and promotion of the livestock industry, ranching and western lifestyle in the state of North Dakota. You can find more info here: https://www.kxnet.com/news/local-news/black-leg-ranch-inducted-into-the-nd-cowboy-hall-of-fame/
Doan’s sense of responsibility was generated from being on the ranch as a kid with his grandfather. Jewell Doan, Sr., built up the ranch in the 1930’s by buying dollar-an-acre land considered by general consensus to be “worthless.” Jerry Doan’s memories include observing and participating in the highly successful ranching life his grandfather created.
“I grew up on Black Leg Ranch. I spent a lot of time with my grandfather who was an entrepreneur before the word was known. He was a very successful man and an incredible businessman,” Doan told us.
Jewell Doan, Sr. was an innovator who was not afraid to be different. And, according to Doan, he had a strong character and an independent spirit.
“In the 1930’s, my grandfather introduced black Angus cattle on the ranch. North Dakota was a red and white Hereford landscape and no one had black Angus. People hated those black cattle,” Doan said with a laugh. “My grandfather was a character and he named the ranch Black Leg Ranch just for that reason.”
Jewell Doan, Sr.’s sense of innovation didn’t stop at black Angus cattle.
“My grandfather had an airplane and he flew it to get wherever he needed to go. He used that plane to do everything,” said Doan. “He herded the cattle with that plane and it scared them crazy. He had the wildest cattle around.”
Jerry Doan prepared for his role of steward of Black Leg Ranch by obtaining degrees in animal science from North Dakota State University and agribusiness from Bismark State College. After he took over the ranch, in the 1980’s, hard times hit the ranchers of North Dakota. Like his grandfather before him, Doan looked to use innovation as a means to garner success in the ranching business.
“The times were tough for ranchers,” explained Doan of his transition to stewardship of the ranch. “I saw better management of our natural resources as a way to improve our profitability rate. So, I attended an Allan Savory holistic management school.”
Holistic management promotes innovative methods of regenerating soils and restoring ecosystems. One of these methods is planned grazing that rotates cattle to replicate the movement of native herds. Through the use of planned grazing, grasslands are eaten down by livestock and then given time to recover naturally from herd foraging eliminating the need for reseeding and forced irrigation.
Doan made the decision to implement holistic management into the operation of Black Leg Ranch. It was a decision that presented many challenges but has paid off in big bonuses.
“Our goal is to pass on the ranch in better shape than when we got it. That includes natural resources, soil health, wildlife and the business aspect,” Doan said. “I have a passion for this business and for the ranch. After the tough times in the 80’s, most of the guys I admired weren’t in business any more. It was rough and the net worth of the operations was shrinking. Debt was climbing. If I wanted Black Leg Ranch to survive, I had to make some changes. I saw holistic management as a way to positively do that.
“The cattle had grazed on the grasslands for decades and depleted the soil. The land was constantly being foraged so there was no time for the grasslands to recover. This led to poor soil and a disappearance of native grasses,” he went on to say.
Looking back through history, Doan used the grazing habits of the massive herds of buffalo that once roamed the Great Plains as an example of successful regeneration of grassland.
“Back when the massive buffalo herds came through, they would annihilate the grass. But they moved on when the grass was gone. And they didn’t come back for several years,” Doan explained. “With moisture and time, the grasslands were able to recover.”
Through holistic management, the same type of grassland recovery can be done with a large cattle operation. Planned rotation of the grazing pastures makes it possible for the cattle to feed in healthy grassland and takes the stress off supplemental feeding.
“We run about 750 cows and graze several hundred yearlings. We rotate our cattle every 1 to 7 days using 90 pastures that we created by installing more than 65 miles of high-tensile fence. I’d like to say we moved all our cattle by horses,” Doan said with a laugh. “But we use 4-wheelers. And we have interns with us in the summer to help us out with the constant rotation. Every day we’re always moving something.”
Along with the 65 miles of fencing and 90 pastures, the Doan family added new wells and a pipeline to their pasture areas.
“Making water available for the cattle in the pasture keeps them from having to roam the grasslands to find a place to drink. This prevents the wearing down of the soil into cow trails and prevents disruption of the grassland’s wildlife,” Doan told us of another of his innovations to protect the natural terrain.
As part of Doan’s commitment to preserving the history of Black Leg Ranch, he has reintroduced bison back onto the grazing lands.
“The buffalo are a very majestic animal and we have always admired them for their benefit of a grazing animal on the landscape,” explained Doan. “They handle the Northern Plains winters very well and are a good source of income through meat sales.”
Doan’s close monitoring of the soil through his holistic management program has brought about big dividends. Not only has it increased the productivity and the profitability of the operation, it has allowed the land to regenerate. And with that, the native plants are beginning to reappear.
Doan’s passion to preserve the history and traditions of the Northern Great Plains has led him to share his knowledge and experience with holistic management through workshops, conferences and by giving tours of the Black Leg Ranch operations. The family’s extensive history and their dedication to promoting ecological advancements in the ranching industry has led to many awards. The list includes: The North Dakota Environmental Stewardship Award; Region VII Environmental Stewardship Award; National Environmental Stewardship Award; Inaugural Aldo Leopold Conservation Award, Burleigh County North Dakota Soil Health Award; and induction into the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame.
Doan and his wife Renae have 4 children, daughter Shanda and sons Jeremy, Jay and Jayce. Keeping in the tradition of innovation of each added generation, Black Leg Ranch has been expanded to include modern businesses incorporated into the tradition of the family legacy. A hunting-outfitting business, an agri-tourism operation, a brewery and grass-finished beef and bison sales have joined the cattle and buffalo operation.
With the additions and innovations made to the Black Leg Ranch operations by the 5th generation, the future looks bright. And there is a 6th generation of the Doan family growing up on the ranch who may very well carry on the great legacy started when George Doan established the ranch in 1882.
