Send us a text

What does it take to keep a ranch thriving when prices swing, rain stalls, and the next generation needs a runway? We sit with Jim and Jay Hill outside Las Cruces to map a path from mules and tobacco fields to GPS tractors, custom feeding, alfalfa, cotton, seed crops, and even commercial real estate. Their story is equal parts resilience and reinvention, proving that diversification is not a buzzword—it’s a survival plan that protects both cattle and family.

Jim shares how smart buying, timely selling, and steady expansion turned a small New Mexico farm into a multi-faceted operation, while Jay recounts scaling production to 21,000 acres and two feedyards before stepping back to reassess bandwidth and balance. Together they break down how to think like a ranch CFO: hedge drought with insurance, buy feed when it’s cheap, prioritize airflow and shade to combat heat stress and parasites, and build rotational grazing that holds up when the monsoon doesn’t. They also push back on the idea that agriculture is closed to newcomers—start small, grow smart, and let partners amplify your effort.

Beyond economics, they tackle the human side of the beef industry: mental health in a comparison culture, making peace with your pace, and the hard conversations of succession planning. Their take on marketing is clear and actionable: put your name on your beef, use local processing and directories, consider co-ops carefully, and keep your face in front of your product so trust outlasts any single buyer. Through it all, the Hills return to what matters—healthy animals, honest stewardship, and a community of people you’d happily break bread with.

If you care about ranch resilience, drought strategy, animal comfort, and building a brand that lasts, this conversation delivers practical steps and real encouragement. Subscribe, share with a ranching friend, and leave a review with your favorite takeaway so more producers can find it.

Dion's is has a new menu item! Try their Green Chile Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza today.

Thanks for tuning in to Behind the Burger!
Stay connected with us — follow @NMBEEF on TikTok and Instagram, New Mexico Beef Council on Facebook and visit nmbeef.com for recipes, nutrition info, a local beef directory and more.