Ron and Marsha Schilling

"A typical day on the ranch is never typical."

Ron Schilling, Angus and Limousin cattle breeder, and his wife, Marsha, would know. Settled in the northwest corner of the Kansas plains, the “strong ones,” as Ron calls them, have kept the Schilling's Ranch running for seven generations.

“The reason we're still here is because the female line stuck-through,” Ron hinted. The names have changed over the years, but the Schillings, their three sons and daughters-in-law, Cash and Amanda, Clay and Kaycie, and Chance, continue that steadfast tradition on the family farm outside of Goodland. Now that their operations have grown to span across three counties, efficiency is a top priority.

“We wake up to a new adventure every day, between checking sprinklers, fieldwork, and taking care of cattle,” Ron said. “We're not feeding cows hardly anymore this time of year, but we may have to move them to a different field or tend to other needs.”

It was during a visit to the Kansas State Fair a few years ago that Ron was introduced to the DewEze Bale Bed. He had never owned a bale bed before but immediately recognized the versatility the DewEze could provide.

“The seed had been planted,” Marsha remembered, and in 2021, she convinced Ron it was time to add to their growing operations. The Schillings purchased their first bale bed, a DewEze Extendable Arm Pivot Bed, plus a DewEze BeefCake feeder, to help round up cattle.

“Our favorite feature of our DewEze Bed is that we haven't found it yet!” Ron exclaimed. However, the ability to use the arms of the bed to lift irrigation tires for an occasional, in-field repair, he said, is a labor-saving “game changer.”

“I remember dragging bottle jacks out to the field and it taking two people to lift the sprinkler tire,” Ron chuckled. “Now all we have to do is take the pickup in there, back up, lift up, and I can put it on my pickup.” Ron said their hired hand, Chance Stout, also continues to find other uses for their DewEze bed outside of feeding hay.

Ron said the ranch plans to use the DewEze Bed differently every season of the year.

“So, let's get it,” he said, smiling.

The Schillings will host their 7th annual production sale in late March 2023.