Succession Planning Critical to Regenerative Agriculture Sustainability
If you are looking for a little inspiration on how to make ranching profitable and successful, you should check out this Youtube Video about Melinda Sims from the Sims Cattle Company in Wyoming on the Profitable Ag Steward podcast. She shares how some ranches are able to stand the test of time because of the wisdom passed down through generations, and how the older generations can help current management address challenges, improve decision-making and create a legacy for future generations. Because the Sims have created a vision together that they use in their decision-making, they have not only developed an award-winning ranch, but are also successfully transitioning the ranch from the third generation to the fourth generation and bringing on the fifth generation at the same time.
Melinda will be speaking about the Sims’ story at the 2026 REGENERATE Conference to be held in Santa Fe, New Mexico on October 28-30, 2026. She will also be leading a pre-conference workshop titled “Managerial SUCCESSion Planning: Balancing Production, Resources, People, and Money.”
Melinda graduated from the University of Wyoming in 2000 with a degree in Animal Science, focusing on production. While at UW she met and married her husband, Shanon. After college they began working for the family business, Sims Cattle Company, in McFadden, Wyoming. Shanon and Melinda won the 2019 Progressive Farmers’ America’s Best Young Farmers and Ranchers Award.
The Sims have two children, a son, Kagan, and a daughter, Jentry, who are the fifth generation on the ranch. Throughout her 26 years on the ranch, Melinda has become very involved in every aspect of ranching, from daily management of animals and land to long term planning and business management.
She attended Ranching For Profit in 2020 and 2021, and was an Executive Link member for 2 years. She became a Ranching for Profit instructor in 2022 and appreciates the opportunity to see other ranchers develop profitable and resilient businesses. Melinda strives to understand holism and how it applies to Sims Cattle Company and has worked diligently with Shanon and his family to breed profitable cattle that work in their environment using Ranching for Profit and Holistic Management principles.
Registration is now open for the 2026 REGENERATE Conference, so register today!
