Lee Kopriva always knew he wanted to be a cattle rancher. From a young age, he played an active role in his family’s cattle operation, Kopriva Angus. After graduating from South Dakota State University (SDSU) this May, Kopriva is now following his dream of raising quality seedstock for producers, and he is one of the few students in his graduating class to be able to pursue that route. Kopriva was a fellow classmate of mine, who graduated from SDSU with a degree in Animal Science. I spoke with him for a few minutes about his future in beef cattle production, and here is what he had to say…

It’s pretty difficult for young people to return home to their ranches,” said Kopriva. “A lot of operations aren’t large enough to support another person, and too often, families discourage kids from coming back. For our operation, there is always work to be done, and it’s nice to work alongside my family to accomplish our goals. “I understand that cattle production isn’t a get-rich-quick-career. This has always been my dream; I have never pictured myself at a desk job. While multi-generational operations can be challenging, I’m lucky that I work well with my parents. They are open to new ideas, and if something doesn’t work, we try to figure out how to improve things in the future.

I really enjoy working with cattle, and I plan to focus on building up my registered herd in the upcoming years. In addition to the cattle, we raise soybeans and hay, with our main cash crop, alfalfa. Recently, we have started converting our marginal croplands to grass, so we can expand the cowherd without trying to rent high-priced pastures.

Are you directly involved in production agriculture? Are you a next generation agriculturalist? Where are you spending your summer? What are your plans for the future? I want to hear your story!