Besides that, his family’s herd had expanded from 100 to about 400, the old corrals tended to get too wet, and his son, Greg, was coming home to join the operation.
On June 20, the Wanner feedlot was one of four stops during the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association’s 15th annual feedlot tour.
The new corrals at the Wanner place are made of metal pipe, keeping the cattle away from the dangers of road and track.
The sunflowers they planted were coming up, but one of the rare storms that came through the area brought hail, destroying 70 percent of the crop.
They might try to utilize the sunflowers as feed, though they aren’t close enough to the ranch to make that practical.
Scott Ressler, environmental services director for the Stockmen’s Association, said struggles with drought were the story throughout the feedlot tour.
The dry conditions may be an opportunity for some of the feedlots in the area, if they have feed available, he said.
The annual feedlot tour attracts 50 to 200 people, Ressler said.
After 15 years of putting on the tour, Ressler said he’s still surprised to see how much people can learn by walking around a selection of the state’s feedlots.
"It just gives us a lot of options to make a living versus just farming," Wanner said.