The 2019 Rancher of the Year award goes to Rancho 1333 Ltd. which is owned and managed by Bob and Billy Wilson. Bob and Billy are both active members of their Churches, and Bob and his wife play in their Church Orchestra. Bob is self-employed, and Billy is an IT Manager in San Antonio. Both Bob and Billy commit their off time to the ranch and they also actively participate in the South West Cattleman’s Association and the Texas Deer Association.
Rancho 1333 Ltd. is managed by the family and has been passed down through the generations. Bob and Billy saw an opportunity to make the ranch a self-sustaining entity. They saw the potential of the almost 1,600-acre ranch and called upon the NRCS to help make their vision come to life.
The vision started with a 94-acre field that was cleared, soil sampled, fertilized, and sprigged with Tifton 85. Bob and Billy currently bale hay from the 94 acres to help feed their, on average 80 head of crossbred cattle during the droughts of the year.
Seeing how working with NRCS improved Rancho 1333 Ltd. and making the cost of ranching more feasible, Bob and Billy called upon NRCS again for help. This time NRCS assisted with a plan to ensure there was enough grass available to their cattle by cross fencing part of the ranch and adding water to the newly fenced area. By adding cross fencing, Bob and Billy were able to implement a rotational grazing system which improves quality and quantity of forage for their livestock. NRCS assisted with 3,390 feet of cross fencing to implement rotational grazing for their cattle.
With the new area there was also a need for a water source in which 2,943 feet of pipeline and a 1,000-gallon water trough were put into their plan, which also helps with improving animal distribution and create additional grazing areas.
In addition to these improvements Bob and Billy also saw a need to create additional grazing areas. They’re also working with NRCS to clear a 30-acre field that will be planted with native grasses to be used in their rotational grazing plan. The native grasses not only provide forage for livestock, they also provide forage, browse and cover for wildlife, which Bob and Billy also appreciate.
Bob and Billy enjoy spending time making improvements to their ranching operation and working with the NRCS. They believe that working with NRCS along with their conservation efforts will help their vision of a self-sustaining ranch will allow it to continue to prosper and be passed down through future generations. Rancho 1333 looks forward to seeing the improvements these conservation practice applications bring to their operation.
Congratulations to Bob and Billy Wilson of Rancho 1333 Ltd. for doing an outstanding job in conservation and leaving behind an improved piece of Atascosa County for generations to come.
