Ranch
History
Jodie
and Warren Woroniecki grew up in western North Dakota in
agricultural communities where ranching and farming were
main parts of the economic structure. In the early
1900s, North Dakota was still open for homesteading and
both families took the opportunity to settle in North
Dakota.
North Dakota is a world leading producer
of many crops. However, much of the land is unsuitable
for farming, especially in western North Dakota, and
many people realized the benefit of livestock in
addition to farming.
The livestock (most commonly
cattle, sheep and horses) could graze where the plow
could not go. It was and is very common for people to
both farm and ranch. Even the larger North Dakota
ranches often have farm ground that if not growing a
cash crop is producing winter hay for the livestock.
The North Dakota Badlands had and continue to have a
great influence in western North Dakota and the
agricultural way of life. The Badlands and surrounding
areas made/make for hardy cattle and good strong horses,
cowboys and cowgirls. Take time to look at North Dakota
sites on the links page.
The past family histories and ongoing
ranching and agricultural experiences are what have
brought Warren and Jodie and their children to their
current places in animal agriculture and more
specifically to livestock nutrition, ranching, cattle
and quarter horses. 
Jodie’s History
Jodie grew up in McKenzie County near Watford City, ND
as a fourth generation North Dakotan. She had one family
ancestor arrive in the United States in the 1700s with
most arriving in the 1800s and all her
great-grandparents arriving in North Dakota from other
parts of the US to homestead in the early 1900s. In
addition to the agricultural life of farming, cattle and
horses that Jodie was raised in, she is proud to
recognize family relatives who were instrumental in the
early years of rodeo, grain and livestock associations
and those who earned their way as ranchers and local
cowboys for other ranchers.
Jodie used her agricultural background
to move on to experiences of teaching high school
agriculture classes, advising the FFA youth
organization, ranching, operating a livestock ration
balancing, nutrition and feed business with Warren, and
raising quarter horses. Jodie and Warren still
participate with Jodie’s mother in the cattle portion of
her home place. Other extended family members are still
actively farming and ranching in McKenzie County.
Warren’s
History
Warren has the unique experience of not only being a
third generation North Dakota rancher, but also of being
only the second generation of Woroniecki’s to be born in
the United States. Warren’s Woroniecki grandfather
homesteaded in Mercer County in 1911 after coming to the
US from Poland some years earlier. In addition to the
Woroniecki side, Warren’s mother’s family has a strong
history in the settling of North Dakota, Hebron and
involvement in local and state government. There are
numerous family members still actively involved in
farming, ranching and civic organizations.
Years of determination, hard work and
sometimes a little luck grew the Woroniecki Ranch from
that small homestead to the larger entity that it is
today. Please read more on the
Our Program page about the current size and
operation of the ranch. The physical location and
current operation of the ranch today is only one small
glimpse of the lives and expansion of the family members
who stayed and those who moved on to other areas of
livelihood. In many case, the ranch was and is only a
starting point. August 2008 found over 150 extended
family members gathered at the ranch for a reunion.

The
early ranch evolved to sheep and eventually to a cattle
cow/calf operation. Currently it is a commercial
Hereford cow/calf operation raising its own replacement
females, selling another set of replacement quality
black baldie females. Steers and some heifers find their
way to a family operated feedlot. They are fed here in
North Dakota until being trucked directly to slaughter.
Horses have always been a part of the ranch. In the
early days teams were used to do the field work, haul
hay and feed the cattle. With the rugged terrain horses
have stayed a necessary aspect of the ranch. Raising the
ranch’s own quarter horses and eventually offering them
to the public has been a natural progression.
Warren’s expertise in the operation lies
in the nutritional, rangeland management and feedlot
marketing areas. In addition to providing for the
nutritional growth and well-being of the ranches cattle
and horses, he and Jodie also operate a feed business
where Warren provides the technical work of ration
balancing, feed testing and supplementation as needed.
It is unrealistic to outline all the roles and
contributions of the entire family, but rest assured
that the ranch operates through the collective efforts
of many people and their individual areas of expertise.
The ranch was built by those of the past, is maintained
by those here now, and will be the future for some in the
next generations.
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1983
Family Picture
photo by Wallin Photography, Hebron, ND |
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