A Legacy Lives On
Sheyenne, ND., The Smith family ranch has been a permanent fixture of the Sheyenne landscape since
1912 when their first homestead was established. Doug Smith, who was born on the original homestead
in 1935, put his faith in the Hereford breed when he purchased five polled Herefords in 1953, and as the
old saying goes, he never looked back.
Looking to the Past
Flash forward 48 years. In August of 2001, Raylene Nickel wrote an article about Midway Polled
Herefords and the Smith family titled “Building a Hopeful Future”. At
the time, Doug and his wife Ann were running the operation with the
help of their son, Bill, and his wife, Karen. When this article was
written, Bill and Karen’s daughters, Kate and Whitney, were 11 and
eight respectively. Together, the Smiths had expanded their herd to
approximately 120 head of purebred polled Herefords and 115
commercial Hereford and Black Baldy heifers. Additionally, the family
would hold an annual private treaty sale of their top 20 two-year-old
polled Hereford bulls, and they spread the word about their sales
almost exclusively by word of mouth.
The most gripping thing about the Nickel article was the fact that
Doug Smith and his family did not build an operation with flash and
pomp. What has helped this family prevail is simple: their resourceful,
reverent use of the Hereford.
Nickel quoted Doug saying “Hereford cattle make do with the least amount of inputs […] It takes much
less feed for a Hereford to do the same amount of work as some other breeds.”
But, most importantly, it was clear that the Midway Ranch’s hopeful outlook for the future stemmed
from their commitment to working together as a family.
In a way that’s seemingly emblematic of a ranch that has been a staple in Sheyenne, ND for over a
century, Doug Smith was quoted saying “if we take care of the Midway, the Midway will take care of us”.
The Future is Now
Now almost 20 years later, you will still find a cluster of Smiths taking care of the Midway, surrounded
by about 225 polled Herefords and 150 Black Baldies. They still have their annual private treaty bull sale
every January, and aside from the catalog book they
send out, and a few ads here and there, their big,
hearty two-year-old bulls continue speak for
themselves and draw customers from all over.
Bill Smith recalls how he had a gentleman contact him
out of the blue about those “big two-year-old bulls” he
had seen on a neighbor’s place that withstood the
elements out in the badlands.
“We like our bulls to be big and long because body length means pounds,” said Smith, “and if they’re
made right they’ll be able to handle [the elements].”
And those pounds matter in their neck of the woods where the winters are frigid and unforgiving. On
top of that, the Smiths continue to stick to their roots and stringently advocate for the docility of their
cattle.
Bill stated that “if they’re not quiet, they go to town.” No questions asked.
In the two decades that have passed since the Nickel article was written, it seems as though the Smiths
have lived up to the title by building a future that has more than stood the test of time by sticking to the
things that they know. Their herd has grown and their family continues to run the operation together.
Yet, so many things have changed.
Building on the Legacy
On November 15, 2020, Doug Smith passed away. Though his hands will no longer work with the land
and the cattle he loved so much, the legacy he has built lives on with his family.
“He laid the groundwork and we’re reaping the benefits,” said Bill when asked what his father’s legacy
meant to Midway.
In 2001, it could be said that Doug and Ann were paving the way for Bill and Karen to take more of the
reins on the operation.
Bill recalls that his dad always gave him chances to apply the things he learned about selecting good
cattle while also supporting him to try new things.
“He was always willing to let the next generation give it a go,” Bill fondly remembered.
It is this mentality that has encouraged Bill to continue looking for opportunities overseas to sell their
cattle. Doug took a chance by selling to Chile back in the 70’s, and Bill has pursued opportunities to sell
to Uzbekastan and potentially Russia in the near future.
Additionally, Bill has found success with alternative, byproduct feed sources like flax screening and pea
chips.
“Fertility is unbelievable with flax,” Bill said in reference to all 39 of their bulls
that passed their semen tests on December first, “[the vet said] ‘I’ve never seen
bulls like this.’”
Now, Bill and Karen get to share the duty of carrying on the ranch with the next
generations: their daughter, Whitney, her husband Jake Burkhardsmeier, and
their two children. Karen is the “brains behind the operation” and Whitney and
Jake “do just about everything.”
“Jake is what makes things go […] we’re lucky to have him,” said Smith.
Bill and Karen’s oldest daughter, Kate Langley, married into another ranching operation not far away,
and the two families often work to help each other whenever they can.
When asked what it means to see the next generation coming into their own on the Midway Ranch, Bill
fondly stated that “that’s what it’s all about.”
In fact, Bill proudly explained that his oldest grandchild, Will (four years
old), currently has three registered cows of his own and sold his first bull
last year.
“He gets up at 6:00 a.m. every day and loves to help,” said Bill.
It’s in these moments that one can see Doug’s hand still hard at work as
the values and love for the ranch that he cultivated in his son is now
trickling down through two more generations.
Doug’s legacy can also be found in his willingness to learn and to help
others learn as well. Bill recalled how his dad enjoyed going on ranch tours,
and he and Karen have grown fond of this as well.
“Everybody has some good ideas,” said Bill as he explained how they like to travel around and go to
various ranch tours every year. “The best people in the world are cattle people.”
Doug exemplified that last statement in the way that he would take the time to encourage farmers and
ranchers who were green in their experience.
“My dad always helped other people,” stated Bill.
In this way, Doug’s legacy lives on as Bill and Karen consistently take the time to help young farmers and
ranchers in the community. Because of this hospitality, the Midway Ranch has seen a greater influx of
young breeders who are looking to dive into the purebred Hereford and the F1 cross.
“These young guys are coming in looking to quiet down their herd” with the docile temperament of the
Hereford, along with their feed efficiency.
Because of folks like Doug Smith and operations like Midway Polled Herefords, there is bright future
ahead for the Hereford breed. Time and again, the Smiths have shown that it does not take flash to
make a ranch successful; it takes practical genetics that can endure the elements, families that take
pride in future generations of breeders, whether they are blood relation or not, and it takes a
willingness to learn from and network with other breeders, and lastly, it takes someone, like Doug
Smith, who was always available provide a welcoming, helping hand to other agriculturalists.
Doug Smith’s legacy will live through his family, those he has helped find their way, and through the
Hereford breed itself.
For more information on Midway Polled Herefords please visit their Facebook page, email them at
midwayph@gmail.com, or access their bull sale catalog on the Hereford America website.
Terra C. Ochsner
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