Rancher Success Story: Water Weary Rancher Resourcefulness

A bonus episode from the Ranch Stewards podcast, this "Success Story" features Saco, Montana rancher Paul Williams. For full story, photos, and video content, visit RSA's website or YouTube channel.Water Weary Rancher Resourcefulness

How community and the internet set one rancher’s capacity to create ablaze.

Birds chirp in no-man’s land. A tall red barn, weathered paint but no hint of a lean, stands as the beacon welcoming you into the yard of Paul Williams, military veteran and newly invested Montana landowner. For all the silence, his yard is lively. A smiling Jack Russell Terrier looks up from the seat of an old ranch pickup. The reluctant Australian Cattle Dog keeps a wary eye on a drone capturing aerial footage, eager to grab hold if it gets too close. Crisply colored chickens waddle behind the slight buzz of their electrically charged enclosure. Through the fence line, tall green grass sways in the breeze.

It is in this private sanctuary that Paul is carving out this season of life on his land north of Saco, Montana. Purchased just shy of five years ago, he immediately went to work remodeling and improving. High on that list was addressing water scarcity. 

 Cue rancher resourcefulness.

 Faced with high costs and an undersupply of tradespeople to drill a well, Paul turned to his own hands and mind to solve the problem. Following hours of YouTube tutorials and some engineering assistance from a Great Falls, Montana company, Paul built a custom drilling rig powered by a 5-horsepower motor. “It’s slow as the dickens,” he laughs, “but I’ve got lots of time.”Story continued at www.RanchStewards.org...

The Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA) is a rancher-led, grassroots organization, dedicated to improving the quality of life for rural communities throughout the Northern Great Plains. Through collaborative conservation projects, rancher education events, and local community outreach, RSA works to strengthen our rural community, economy, and culture for generations to come.For more on the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance, head to www.RanchStewards.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Your feedback is always welcome. Email [email protected]. Want to support our mission? Visit https://ranchstewards.charityproud.org/Donate.