Advancing the Legacy

We would love to hear from you! Janie VanWinkle is a fourth-generation rancher from south of Grand Junction, Colorado. She and her husband, Howard, own and operate VanWinkle Ranch, a Charolais cow-calf operation that runs about 600 head. Together, they’ve spent decades building their ranching business, starting in the early 1980s with just a small herd and growing steadily over time. The VanWinkle...

We would love to hear from you! The Colorado Cattlemen’s Association’s mission is to serve as the principal voice and advocate for Colorado beef production. CCA accomplishes this through its vision of “advancing the legacy” of beef production for its members. CCA’s commitment includes government affairs and issues management,  Terry envisioned this podcast entangling the stories from producers wit...

We would love to hear from you! Matt Horton: Stewarding His Fifth Generation Matt Horton is a fifth-generation Angus-cross cow-calf producer who also raises row crops alongside his wife, Stacie. Rooted in deep generational ties to the land, Matt shares how the values instilled by his parents and grandparents continue to shape how he approaches ranching, family, and the future of agriculture. His s...

We would love to hear from you! Tim Canterbury: Public Lands, Private Values Today, I’m joined by Tim Canterbury, a longtime family friend and true cattleman. My kids know him as “Uncle Tim.” He’s played Barbie dolls and many rounds of checkers with our kids, and more importantly, he was a loyal friend to Terry. Tim runs a cow-calf operation near Salida, Colorado, and currently serves as President...

We would love to hear from you! Rachel Gabel is a writer, speaker, author, and the assistant editor of The Fence Post Magazine. She’s a longtime agriculture journalist who focuses primarily on protein production. Rachel lives in northeastern Colorado, where she and her family are part of the state’s beef industry. She invited me onto her podcast, Ag Pro, to discuss my starting the Advancing the Le...

We would love to hear from you! Cliff Polk:  The Cost of Silence In this episode, we sit down with Cliff Polk of Rocky Mountain Financial Group to discuss the critical but often overwhelming topic of estate and succession planning for agricultural families. Cliff explains how his team streamlines the planning process by gathering essential information upfront, making it easier and more efficient w...

We would love to hear from you! Robert and Shari Kurtz: Family Beyond the Fences In this episode, we sit down with Robert and Shari Kurtz, lifelong farmers from east-central Kansas, to talk about what it means to steward both land and legacy. Shari, the only sibling of Terry — whose memory and impact inspired the podcast — brings a deeply personal perspective to the conversation. Together, they re...

We would love to hear from you! Brett Datteri’s roots run deep in the beef industry—even without working on a ranch full-time. In this episode, we talk about how he's passed on agricultural values to his kids, his work within the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, and the deep friendship he shared with Terry. A story of loyalty, purpose, and the many ways to make a difference in agriculture. ...

We would love to hear from you! Scott Thayer’s journey took him from Wyoming to California, Texas, and beyond during his 20+ year career with the FDIC—always working his way back to the family ranch. Now retired and home for good, Scott shares stories of ranch life, career pivots, and the quiet leadership that’s made him a cornerstone in both his family and community. A thoughtful, grounded conver...

We would love to hear from you! In this episode, we hear from Dan McCarty, a fourth-generation Coloradan with deep roots in the cattle industry. Dan shares stories about his family's history in agriculture, going all the way back to his great-grandfather, a medical doctor who also speculated on farmland. Dan also talks about his unlikely friendship with Terry, how they met through the Nationa...

We would love to hear from you! In this episode of Advancing the Legacy Podcast, we hear from Kaitlin Houck, a fifth-generation rancher from the Flint Hills of Kansas. Kaitlin shares her deep connection to her family's land and their long-standing tradition of raising registered Angus and Simmental cattle. We learn about the family's commitment to education, with Kaitlin proudly followin...

We would love to hear from you! Pull up a chair and join us for a real conversation with Robbie LeValley from the beautiful LaValley Ranch in Western Colorado. Robbie shares her story of life on the ranch, the ups and downs of keeping a multi-generational operation going, and her special friendship with the one and only Terry Fankhauser. We dig into everything from figuring out who gets the land n...

We would love to hear from you! We're diving into the world of Terry Fankhauser, a seasoned voice in the beef industry known for his straight talk about ranching, legacy, and the hard work it takes. Get ready for insights into passing down traditions, navigating industry challenges, and why asking questions is key. Terry is a rancher with deep agricultural roots. He shares his views on ranchi...

We would love to hear from you! Welcome to our podcast, Advancing the Legacy, a vision brought to life by Terry's passion for the agricultural industry!  Join us as we discuss how the idea for this podcast took shape in October 2023 and evolved into a deeply committed project by January 2024. You’ll hear stories from Terry's career at Colorado Cattleman's and our travels across the...