Fall Cattle Journal 2023 | Rennert Ranch

 From Field Travel to First-Generation Ranching

Charolais cattle are known as very hardy and strong animals. As Kristian Rennert of Rennert Ranch near Elm Creek, Nebraska navigated his way from a career with more than two decades of full-time field travel to full-time ranching, one could say developed some similar traits.  

A Colorado native, Rennert grew up on the front range, around Brighton, on his family’s commercial farm and ranch. He stayed in Colorado for college, first at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling and then transferred to Colorado State University where he received a bachelor’s degree in animal science. Right after graduating college, he began his career at the Limousin World Magazine where he traveled to approximately 18 western states and Western Canada.  

After several years, the Charolais Association asked him if he’d be interested in interviewing. It was this role that brought him to Nebraska as part of his territory, and led him to put down roots in south-central Nebraska. 

“I had a college friend and former roommate who lived in Elm Creek,” Rennert said. “I found a little 10-acre place nearby, bought an 18-foot stock trailer and moved everything I owned. I grew to really enjoy this area.” 

This move was also a decision that marked the initial turning point in the journey to begin building his own cattle operation.  

From Travel to Ranching — A Humble Beginning  

Rennert didn’t jump into ranching right away, and also wouldn’t advise this. After several years at the Charolais Association, Rennert started working for a feed company as a district sales manager and continued to travel the state and surrounding area. 

“I had bought a few cows at this point, starting very small and humbly,” he said. “I don’t even think I owned an ear tagger when I first started. But I just started piecing things together as a side job, little by little.” 

In the back of his mind, Rennert said he knew he wanted to start his own operation somehow, especially after years of heavy travel. Working for the breed associations gave him an advantageous start. He had immersed himself in the world of cattle breeds, learning about their characteristics, genetics and market trends.  

“I knew the seed stock business well working in the industry,” Rennert said. “I also crossed paths with Frank Meier, a neighbor who was rooted in the industry. Frank had an existing commercial customer base, and he was running around 500-head of Charolais cows.” 

Meier wanted to retire, so he sold nearly all his cows — except for about a half-dozen. Rennert rented Meier’s pastures and utilized some of his equipment, and this small start is when Rennert started getting closer to the start of Rennert Ranch. 

“I got to know and really appreciate the Charolais breed when I worked for the association and this market wasn’t saturated either,” he said, “There was an opportunity where we were with the breed.”  

Rennert and Meier each brought a different strength to this humble beginning. 

Expanding to a Family Affair 

Ranching also brought another important addition to Kristian’s life — his wife, Becky. An accomplished cattle industry professional herself, her career in livestock communications and marketing eventually led her to a Simmental sale in Fremont, Nebraska. 

“I was working the auction ring at the sale, and she was there,” Rennert said. “She only did two sales per year in Nebraska as part of her job, and this happened to be one of them. It was by chance that we met.” 

They connected and now also have one son, Tate, who is along for the ride — growing up and learning about life in this industry. 

Navigating to Full-Time and Sales 

“As we first started working together, we found a few more females and sold private treaty for a couple of years,” Rennert said. 

“It was a bit of a struggle,” he admitted. “We realized that wasn’t the direction we wanted to go and all decided that we needed to just have a sale. We had a really good set of bulls. That’s also when Frank started buying some cows, we teamed up even more and the numbers really started growing.” 

That winter they had their first successful bull sale. Rennert also transitioned away from his full-time job. Now, Rennert Ranch is working towards its eighth year of Performance on the Platte Charolais Bull Sale, with the next upcoming on Feb. 19, 2024. They also now have a female sale, Maternal Legacies, which will be this fall in Kearney.  

Staying Competitive Means Embracing Technology and Challenges 

To stay competitive in the dynamic industry, Rennerts have embraced many technologies and modern methods.  

“As far as technology goes, we’re using DNA and trying to get to the highest level we can,” Rennert said. “We try to collect as much data as possible. For one, it’s to build a better cow herd but also to offer our customers the most information for their buying decisions. We’ve also worked hard on building strong vaccination programs, industry-leading mineral programs and are doing quite a bit of embryo transfer work.” 

Rennert said that they’ve embraced social media and online platforms as well, including TikTok, Snapchat and DV Auction, to expand reach, connect with customers and showcase their hardy cattle.  

“We’re certainly not out here doing dances in our corrals,” he joked. “But we’re taking videos of cattle and putting some music to them to continue to expand our reach and connections.”  

Leveraging the latest tools underscores a commitment to continuously improving the operation, which isn’t something that just falls into place for anyone.  

“To get started you need to have some experience and you’ve got to have a little bit of equity to stand on,” Rennert advises. “You also must be resourceful and that includes finding people to work with. We bought some of our land through a low-interest rate FSA loan. We also purchased property from our neighbor, and he’s been a great resource. We picked up a lot of hand-me-down equipment along the way.” 

He added, “There are different paces in which people can grow, but no matter what, everyone can expect challenges, especially when you’re first starting. The cash flow part of this business is extremely tough and we’re still looking at trying to find ways to bring cash into the operation. We’ve done a lot by trial and error and this dream – we’ve had it and we’re still trying to build it. It’s not always easy and it’s not always fun. It’s a full-time, 200% kind of job and a 200% lifestyle. It’s different than when I worked in corporate America and I had off-farm jobs and paychecks every month.”  

As this journey in full-time ranching continues, he remains focused on the future. The operation has grown from a handful of cows to a much larger, established herd — selling bulls from Florida to Alberta, Canada.  

The road ahead is certain to still be filled with challenges, but one thing remains constant: The number one investment and focus at Rennert Ranch has always been and continues to be on their Charolais cattle. 

“Yes, there are challenges, but there is so much I appreciate,” he said. ”I love the breeding, being around the cattle, watching the newborn calves — and getting these cattle to work well for our customers. If we’re doing our job right, hopefully, they’re able to improve their livelihoods, too.”