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Featured Replies

 

Obv. a very select few have land that would compare in scale to the 6666 or XIT.

 

I have friends with 25 acres, occasionally have 2 or 3 cows on that land & plenty of free ranging deer that pass through without any high fences... they refer to it as "the ranch" ("It wont be until 9'oclock until I get back to the ranch" type stuff).

 

I know there are real Shagger² 1%'ers here who probably own a section or more (you don't need to out yourself)...

 

To most back East, the notion of owning even ½ an acre is a vast unmanageable portion of land that would need constant tending, mowing, maintenance, etc.

 

What's the modern Texas notion of a "ranch"? Profitability? Use? Size? Location?

 

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  • Popular Post

A 3000 sqft house in Tomball where they park their f350 before their 80 mile round trip commute to an office building.

I'd say size. 150 acres minimum. 

You're not going to your 25 acre ranch. You're going to your house. 

I'm also just making shit up.

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My friends all refer to my small (24 acre) place as El Rancho but I’ve always felt kinda weird calling it a “ranch”, even when we had horses.  To me a ranch has to have some livestock related functionality, regardless of size.  Maybe I should start referring to it as a wildlife preserve, since it’s under wildlife management, and we preserve some wildlife in sausage casings.  

Edited by Judge Roybeanbag

There are people with real “ranches” in the Spicewood area, and there are some people that have some “land” in the Spicewood area.

That’s how I look at it.

Depends on the part of state.  Around Houston or East Texas, I would say you'd want a couple hundred acres to consider it a ranch.

South Texas, maybe a couple sections at least.  There isn't much ranching you can do on 200 acres in Freer.

Far West Texas, shit a lot. 

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If you have to ask, it’s probably not a ranch.

Just now, conVINCEd said:

If you have to ask, it’s probably not a ranch.

On the other hand, you can always fall back on “it was part of a ranch at one time...”

Is it still a ‘ranch’ if you do nothing but hunt / drink on it (realize those are the same thing)?

This thread hits close to home as I'm currently at the ranch while reading it.

I live in west Texas, but our ranch is in Llano county.  I think a ranch is defined by where it is.  In west Texas, a section is a small ranch.  But in central Texas, it seems like something as small as a quarter section would be considered a ranch.  

1 minute ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

On the other hand, you can always fall back on “it was part of a ranch at one time...”

I believe ranchette is the preferred nomenclature for that.

Those are termed "hobby ranches/farm".  Not a new term.  In a general sense, it's what many modern day "ranches" really are.  The owners primary source of income is not derived from the land, thus making it exclusively recreational.  

Our's is a "ranch" in the sense it has been in the family for 100+ years, serving many generations or livelihood that continues to this day.  Albeit at a fraction of it's original size.  So basically (in my little monkey mind) it's g-fathered in due to equine bloodlines having been raise at "The XXXXXXX ranch" that can be vetted.  

 

Edited by BabaYaga

Just now, conVINCEd said:

I believe ranchette is the preferred nomenclature for that.

Goddamnit.  I hate that term.   We can call ROFLs place that.

2 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

I believe ranchette is the preferred nomenclature for that.

ranchito

2 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said:

ranchito

tenor.gif?itemid=8379347

Hola moo-hair, wanna try a little despa-seeto at ma' little ranchito.....

4 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Goddamnit.  I hate that term.   We can call ROFLs place that.

Does ROFL have a she-shed?   I think you need one to qualify as a ranchette.

Just now, conVINCEd said:

Does ROFL have a she-shed?   I think you need one to qualify as a ranchette.

I’ve met his wife, I suspect the whole house is a she-shed. 

When the hell did the trend of "barndominiums" start up?

It's an overpriced structure that looks like a barn with shiplap installed.  Calling it a "barndominium" is just a ploy by developers to make you think you're living a rural/ranching lifestyle.

6 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Calling it a "barndominium" is just a ploy by developers to make you think you're living a rural/ranching lifestyle.

Or to make you think you're not living in a shed.

Quarter section, or 160 acres is a ranch imo. It’s big enough to graze a fair amount of cattle, setup hunting blinds, have atv tracks, etc. they often sold in quarter sections too.

21 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

When the hell did the trend of "barndominiums" start up?

It's an overpriced structure that looks like a barn with shiplap installed.  Calling it a "barndominium" is just a ploy by developers to make you think you're living a rural/ranching lifestyle.

It works better if you build a shouse, that way you can step out of your living room and do some welding 

My parents live on 36 acres and my dad has kept 20ish cows all my life.  Sometimes he makes money on them and sometimes not.  Definitely a hobby and not a ranch.  

To me a ranch indicates an outfit that is financially self sufficient for at least the landowners if not also some paid hands.

Edited by WBT

Regardless of the size considerations:  ranch = raise domesticated animals, farm = grow stuff.

What's the modern Texas notion of a "ranch"? Profitability? Use? Size? Location?


Are you looking for our permission to call your place a ranch?

If you can get a legit ag exemption on property tax, feel free to call it a ranch. 

People get too hung up on this type of deal. We've got a family ranch. Some people think its huge, other people think its small. Depends on where youre sitting I guess. If you own some land and wanna call it a ranch, good by me. 

1 hour ago, atomheartbevo said:

When the hell did the trend of "barndominiums" start up?

It's an overpriced structure that looks like a barn with shiplap installed.  Calling it a "barndominium" is just a ploy by developers to make you think you're living a rural/ranching lifestyle.

This doesn’t make sense to me. They are cheap as hell, it’s a metal building that’s insulated inside and might be rocked outside. Pretty cheap alternative to a house if you like a square. They are framed inside, I don’t see an issue for country living

1 hour ago, Texas_Rocks said:

Then there’s our “compound”.

My second son and two of his friends just bought some land for going off the grid and that's how he refers to it.  I'm hoping not to ever hear it referred to that way in a news story.

Edited by NeverMarryAStripper

Only have 35ac. Wildlife ag exempt. Very much an excuse to drive pickup to there, sweat my ass off, drink beer, and generally waste time. I say "I'm going up to the ranch." 

40 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Really, all that matters is that you dress the part....

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Sir please stop creeping my Facebook albums.

I grew up on a ranch* so to me it ought to be of an economical size, or at least approaching that. Your 10 cow spread could be a ranch I guess, but if you have 0 cows, well then...

 

* A very large % of the population will ask, "What kind (of ranch)?" when I say something like this.

 

"Cats. It's a Cat Ranch. I herd them. Or try to."

2 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Those are termed "hobby ranches/farm". 

 

Well then we had a 30 section "hobby" ranch in NM in that it was more of a hobby than a profitable venture.

 

Western ranchers are real estate speculators playing cowboy.

Our family ranch is 1200 acres in Jack county. By the time I inherit my chunk will be about 100-200. I'll still probably call it the ranch cuz that's just what we call it even if all the other grandkids sell their pieces off. It is sustainable as we lease it for cattle and own the mineral rights, but no family members actually "work" it at this point.

 

My grandparents had ~800 acres in N. Texas: hayfields, pecan orchards, cattle. A few hogs just because.

They always called it the farm, not the ranch.

  • Author
3 hours ago, Cheeseweasel said:

Homemade-ranch-dressing-2.jpg

The headline reads "What Is A Ranch".  Not "What Is Ranch."

 

No soup for you.

I can pull off the rancher look, but not the acreage.
16602708_10212441355294895_1590995077045378712_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&_nc_sid=85a577&_nc_ohc=G3wQLJDbTbYAX-9doqS&_nc_ht=scontent.faus1-1.fna&oh=87dbb7c2a591b253b1b1cd379a3e603a&oe=5F149888


What a jackass. Good looking donkey though.
  • Author
3 hours ago, conVINCEd said:

If you have to ask, it’s probably not a ranch.

Not asking for me - this is a general "in the wind / folks chatting @ a bar / friends hanging around the smoker" type conversation.  I don't consider our place a ranch, even though I refer to my Mom's as "the Chicken Ranch" because @ one time, we had as many as 60 Guineas & Chickens.  It's obv. tongue & cheek.

  • Author
3 hours ago, Xian said:

Square mile. Minimum. And even that is most likely for a long weekend getaway. 

Also known as a "section".  640 something acres.

  • Author
3 hours ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Goddamnit.  I hate that term.   We can call ROFLs place that.

We're less than you for my place & the Chicken Ranch on their own, but combined (even though 1 mile apart) is more than yours.  & While I don't prefer the "ette" part, it's livable.  Certainly enough that friends from HS seem to think we're 1%ers.

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