Stephanie and John Jung have lived and raised their blended family near Mina, South Dakota, since their marriage in 2009. John’s father and grandfather were known for the Lazy J Bar brand, and he became the third generation to raise cattle in Edmunds County. Stephanie purchased her first registered cows in 1988, and John started his registered herd in the mid 1990’s. Together, they continued raising their registered Red Angus under the Lazy J Bar name together.

John was raised on a farm, spending plenty of time on his family’s Simmental seedstock operation and pitching in with crop farming, while Stephanie grew up helping with her family’s commercial cattle, sheep, and grain operation. The couple’s blended family includes daughter Brooke and sons Alex, Kale, and Jacob. Now, only 16-year-old Jacob is still living with the Jungs on the Lazy J Bar Ranch on the land that John bought in the 1990s.

The Lazy J Bar Ranch is comprised of about 270 head of cattle. Most are Red Angus beef stock, yet they have included some Simmental and Black Angus over the years. While much of the nation’s cattle production emphasis and popularity is with the Black Angus breed, the couple felt that Red Angus should be the ranch’s focus because of their disposition. The breed is gaining traction, as each fall, the couple host an online cattle sale and sell Red Angus bulls in the spring each year. While the cattle are sold throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, buyers for the bulls are typically within a 100-mile radius of the Lazy J Bar Ranch, which means something to the couple. Stephanie explains, “With an ease of access and get-it-now mentality, we see customer values changing. Yet our buyers know that customer service follows the sale, and we have worked hard for a reputation that customers seek.”

Stephanie found a genuine love for small ruminants while helping to care for the bum lambs on her family’s farm near Bradley, SD. She turned back to that love in 2003 when she began to build a small herd of Boers, the breed known for a higher quantity of meat and pleasant disposition. Most of the 100-head herd of goats are registered in the American Boer Goat Registry and thus are sold mainly to producers around the country at an annual spring production sale that Stephanie started in 2010. Even though the customers may not be a two-hour drive away like those who buy their bulls, Stephanie often gets calls from all over the country to consult on goat issues, and she is happy to oblige as she says, “Customers will consistently buy from you if they feel welcome, important, and like you value them.” While returning customers can be a yearly occurrence in the world of cattle, when it comes to the goat industry, those who are particular about the pedigree line might not need to return as quickly, yet she often sees them again in three or four years.

Keeping ahead of the curve
As the times change and the livestock industry evolves, John and Stephanie adapt and modify operations at Lazy J Bar Ranch. In 2010, the Jungs decided to raise a registered herd of goats, which required some work in genetics. Stephanie embraced this move as she is interested in breeding different livestock for desired traits and watching the genetics improve. This comes full circle when the animals are marketed. Keeping in step with the livestock industry, Stephanie knows that one of the main rules to success is meeting the needs and expectations of  the buyers, as she says, “You absolutely must have a product they want. Inferior products won’t keep customers staying.”

Most goats are registered Boers in the American Boer Goat Registry and are sold to other producers to raise goats for meat. Yet, other buyers are looking for show animals or breeding programs from the operation’s cattle and goat sides. Early on, there were few interested in showing goats. Yet today, goat show rings at the state fair are full, and many families choose the animal for 4-H projects for younger kids for safety reasons.

Work, work, and more work
The daily chores and efforts put forth by livestock producers are quite a commitment. Kidding and calving seasons can be hectic and require much more time and work. Stephanie knows she will be in high demand during kidding season, as in a few weeks, around 70 goats give birth, and each average two kids. With that number of babies to tag, vaccinate, and ensure they eat well or bottle feed, Stephanie finds herself in the barn for most of the season.

In addition to managing livestock herds, Spring and Fall sales require extensive planning and extra tasks from the couple. Stephanie feels the best way to meet their various challenges is to divide and conquer. As she explains, “John handles most of the catalog work for the  spring bull sale, and I take the lead on the paperwork and details of DNA testing and genomics.”

Considering their commitment to their herds, it is hard to imagine the couple with any additional time on their hands. Yet, John sells feed full-time for the local dealer and does some crop adjusting, while Stephanie has done some accounting and office management and helped out at the local vet clinic. In addition to these pursuits, the Jungs custom AI heifers for their customers. It makes sense that their most significant challenge is getting ready for sale seasons, particularly getting all the photos and videos they need and putting the catalog together. Yet Stephanie thinks they have learned to let each other tackle projects in their different styles and approaches and advises, “His way isn’t my way, but it isn’t wrong as long as it gets done.” From experience, she also knows that it is no use to hold a grudge about things that happen during stressful times on the ranch, as she says, “Everyone gets stressed at different times and may not always express it well, and you must rise above it.”

To keep up with the variety of experiences that ranching brings them, Stephanie warns, “No two days are ever the same. It is best not to have a rigid plan that cannot be changed as you have to react quickly to cattle getting out or unexpected bad weather.” To stay ahead, she makes sure she is current with bookwork and checks smaller items off her to-do list by making the most of the few minutes she has here and there. As she explains, all share mealtime responsibility: “Whoever gets to the house first does the cooking. It doesn’t have to be gourmet: freezer meals, pizza, or a simple dish suffice.”

Knowledge, Experience, and Community
Serving customers’ needs for decades brings experience and knowledge that isn’t necessarily in books. Stephanie says business owners, particularly those in the ag industry, should know their customers and target audience and realize their company is not always a fi t for some customers. Operating with that awareness, she says you also need a strong work ethic and be ready for unforeseen challenges. “We learned early that you cannot fear long hours and hard work. Livestock and weather don’t understand schedules.”

One way the couple does this is by doing their best to be prepared for issues and to do as much as they can ahead of time so that they can pivot their priorities; as Stephanie comments, “No two days are ever the same and don’t have a solid plan that cannot be changed. You can have scheduled something, and then the weather becomes a problem, or you have cattle out and need to deal with them immediately.” As Stephanie advises, the Jungs also prioritize their workload, which is an essential skill: “Know the difference between what work can be done someday and the things that must be done today.”

With the considerable work the Jungs do on and off the farm, it isn’t a surprise that they rarely fi nd themselves with extra time to do much else. Yet, the couple feels that they must always be willing to donate their time to their neighbors and community, as Stephanie exclaims, “There isn’t a neighbor that we couldn’t call that wouldn’t be here in seconds if we needed them.” Talking about making time for others and doing it are two different things. Yet, Stephanie says, “It can be hard to give up a few hours or day or two for 4H or whatever, but in the end, you realize that when you give up your time to programs, you may not see benefits immediately, but you are making a difference.”

Community means more to the Jungs than what is close to them geographically. John and Stephanie have both been long-time members of the 4-H Leaders Association, are heavily involved with the National Red Angus Association, and volunteer for 4-H and FFA events throughout the year. Stephanie says she is personally motivated nationally to advance Red Angus cattle to be more relevant in industry and niche markets. She feels that community is what you build and is called to give back, particularly to youth-related ag ventures, because those in the ag industry molded her. She is glad to bring their kids along on trips, including the National Red Angus Association Summer Round Up and National Junior Red Angus Expo, and they have been to several different states and have been exposed to other types of agriculture in the country. Stephanie says, “The industry exposure and chance to network with people who can affect their future have been important to our kids and their success.”

Relationships and Family
The Jungs raised their blended family as a team on their ranch and quickly realized that was the only way everything would work. Stephanie admits that they had to fi nd their way of existing together and knows their definition of family time likely differs from others, particularly those living in more urban settings. The adult children all live relatively close, and everyone is excited that they will be welcoming the first grandchild into the family very soon.

Hard work, perseverance through difficult times, and a focus on the more important things in life have helped the Jungs get to where they are today. One theme that has carried them through is embracing the commitment to the lifestyle of agriculture. Stephanie has additional advice for finding the way to succeed: “We are very resilient in agriculture. You learn that you cannot let little hiccups control you. Instead, you must figure out how to adapt and regroup.”