Success in ranching and in marriage boils down to similar advice, said Kathy Tokach, Saint Anthony, N.D. 

“Appreciate those good times, but realize that there’s some tough days to get you to those good days, and just work at it,” she said. 

Richard and Kathy Tokach, Tokach Angus Ranch, joined The Angus Conversation, sharing their breeding philosophy, the evolution of their annual bull sale and what’s next as the fourth-generation transitions to the fifth. Their son, Ben, and his wife, Natalie, and their children, work alongside them.  

“I still enjoy getting out there and working every day, but I was in his shoes,” Richard said. “I’m working real hard on trying to give him more responsibility, and he’s willing to accept it. Sometimes you just got to get out the way.” 

Celebrating their 50th bull sale this year, the couple said they’ve mostly stayed the course on the kind of cattle they produce.  

“You have to pay attention to what your customers want,” Richard said, noting docility is becoming increasingly important. They also target low to moderate birthweights, enough performance to weigh up at weaning and the upper 25% of carcass quality traits.  

“I think you have got to have a balanced philosophy when you go into these things,” he said. “You take all those numbers that we just talked about that we look for, but they still got to make cows.” 

They have adopted new technology and looked to ideas from other breeders they’ve met through industry organizations and board leadership roles over the years.  

“I think the exposure to other ideas, other methods of doing things, just different scenarios is extremely beneficial to us,” Richard said.  

He can share some of his own life advice, too, such as “marry well” and be a little patient in getting to your goals.  

“Work hard. It’s not going to come all at once,” he said. “It takes years and years and years to get somewhere where you feel accomplished.”