Cody Sturdivant

AGSD 485

ALE Reflection

Introduction

The MT7 Ranch is 22,300 acres located 6 miles east of Breckenridge on US

HWY 180, it is a family owned ranch owned by the Terry Family out of Dallas (MM Terry

Enterprises), ran by our ranch manager Ty Bartoskewitz. The ranch specializes in

wildlife management, land management, field cultivation, and run a cattle operation. The

cattle operation is still in the beginning phases, they have started with a red angus

operation, while also having stocker cows. They are hoping to become one of the

premier red angus operations in Texas. Being around so many different agricultural

concepts, have allowed me to enhance my knowledge greatly.

Why was the MT7 Ranch the best fit for me?

I feel like the ranch was the best fit for me because I had the opportunity to be

around so many different agricultural concepts, that Mean a lot to me, and that I want to

be engaged in the rest of my life. I hope to be involved in the wildlife, while using

agriculture to allow me to enhance wildlife management, all while practicing premier

land management techniques that I have learned while Interning on the MT7 Ranch. I

found that using production agriculture for Wheat, Hay, and Sorghum while, cycling

cattle through pastures to graze grasses, will allow for more quail, whitetail, and

Turkeys.

Within the Discipline

 My internship at the MT7 Ranch allowed me to gain real life knowledge from

within the discipline, I used a lot of heavy machinery such as large tractors, Bobcats,

and Sky Trak in which I learned about in several of my classes such as Ag Mechanical

Services, I also had to do a lot of electrical working on trailer wiring, and small engine

work on chainsaws and things of that nature, and lots of fencing work, which I learned

about in my Lab Techniques in Ag Mechanics class. I learned about a lot of different

plants in texas with Mr. Ricky Lennox at my internship, as well as in my crop science,

horticulture, and plant propagation class. The information I learned in class, allowed me

to expand my knowledge greatly while I was on my internship, it allowed me to take the

knowledge I already knew and expand on it, especially having been side by side with

some of the greatest plant professionals in Texas, such as Dr. Kattes, Mrs. Shockey,

and Mr. Lennox.

Beyond the Discipline

My coursework ranges largely from Agriculture, to Economics, to Criminal

Justice. Although my internship was only agriculture, I had several courses which

helped me prepare for this internship. This internship had a large amount of wildlife

experience I gained as well, although I have been engaged in wildlife my whole life, I

had taken wildlife management while at Tarleton which prepared me for a large amount

of the work I did at the ranch. Although I first was in hopes of being a Texas game

warden, and minored in Criminal Justice, I got to meet, and learn several things from

Game Warden Cliff Westbrook, He wanted to go over all hunting laws in which were to

be enforced in Stephens County. And allowed us to ask any other questions we had

about their job, and asked us to always report any suspicious activity in the county to
him. Although I never thought I would use my accounting class I took at Tarleton in the

Ag Field, Was shown I was wrong. While at the Ranch we were asked to purchase

multiple supplies for the ranch and to work with the accountant for the ranch to report all

receipts, and gas usage from the ranch. We also had to try and practice the best

purchasing practices for the ranch, trying to use money efficiently and in a way it would

have a return for the Ranch.

Beyond Academics

While at my internship i discovered, when working a full time job it is crucial to

get in a groove or everyday schedule, waking up at the same time, and getting to bed at

the same time. I realized that it allows you to relieve stress, and allows you to think

more clearly. I began the internship and remained tired for the first couple of weeks, but

I finally adapted, and have came to a point where I wake up anywhere from 6:30 to 7:00

am, even on the weekends without an alarm anymore. I used to be a student that would

schedule his classes as late as I could get my schedule to work so I could sleep in. I

realized that those semesters were not as good as the past semesters as I began

choosing classes earlier and earlier, and then having classes and my internship start at

8 am every morning. I realized if I want to succeed throughout my professional career

that I was going to have to get my body in a groove, and it has certainly paid off.

I also realized how important telling the truth at all times is, even if you may have

done the wrong thing in the first place, telling the truth will always help you in the long

run. The ranch had a full time employee when I first started that, had made few

mistakes, and had originally lied about it to our ranch manager. The ranch manager

ended up finding out the truth and had to fire that employee, because he could no
longer trust him. Our ranch manager, would have kept the individual as an employee

had he not lied about the incidents when they happened. It just really opened my eyes

about how important telling the truth is. Both honesty, and having a schedule are life

skills needed to succeed throughout your career, and I am glad i got to witness both of

them while on my internship.

Interconnectedness

This internship allowed me to practice many skills I learned throughout my

courses at Tarleton, although I switched my major multiple times through my first two

years of college I feel like all the extra courses I took also prepared me for this

internship. The staff I worked with was great, and wanted us to work hard, play harder

while working for them because if we weren't having fun, we wouldn't be hard workers

or be efficient. The life lessons I was taught, and the experience I gained will allow me

to be a efficient professional throughout my career. I have been lucky enough to be

prepared by the best professors, and staff at Tarleton, and the staff at the MT7 Ranch.

Global Awareness

This internship has allowed me to gain valuable life experience, on top of

amazing work experience for the field I hope to go into. Work experience is vital to

getting a job, but life experiences are vital to keeping that job. My internship supervisor,

Dawson Lilly, really preached that to us as interns, wanting us to become more efficient

with our work, thinking ahead, and planning ahead allowing for us to get the most done

in the time we are given. We felt like we exceeded that as we caught up on work that

had to be done in the first month we started, which they hadn't been caught up in almost

a year. I learned valuable lessons, about why things should be done certain ways, and
that if you listen to what you're told, usually things will work out best, some of the interns

made mistakes, on things they had been warned could happen if you did certain things.

For instance, while spraying on the tractor we were told to keep the cab door closed, as

it could break due to a bump or something slapping it, he believed that wouldn't happen

and left the door open. Moments later the door slapped into a tree and shattered the

door, after being told it could possibly happen, and then seeing it had already been

done. Most of our elders have been through these experiences and that is why they

inform us not to do something, and when you do it anyways, things like this usually

happen. These experiences I learned at the MT7 Ranch will follow me as I go through

my career.

Broader Implications

The Internship at the MT7 Ranch gave me a really good idea at how our world

population continues to grow, we continuously take more agricultural land away. and

what land is still available a large majority of property owners, are not deeply engaged

in Land conservation, wildlife conservation, and land stewardship, while still trying to

assist the public, and educational system in Breckenridge. The ranches allows the 5th

grade in Breckenridge, to come out and have a field day, where we educate the

students on the importance of agriculture, and land stewardship. Although this

internship felt like it flew by, and I learned tons of life lessons, I am happy to have the

opportunity to return to the ranch after graduation.