MEET NCBA PRESIDENT MARK EISELE

This Wyoming rancher brings a lifetime of cattle experience.

- Gene Johnston

Anyone looking to start in the cattle business would do well to follow Mark Eisele’s story. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) 2024 president ranches near Cheyenne, Wyoming. Although he grew up on a farm in that area in the 1970s, there was limited opportunity to take it over. If he wanted to be a rancher, he would have to do it from scratch, and on his own.

And he did. As a teenager, he worked for neighboring ranches, often helping bale or stack hay, or work cattle. One of them was the nearby King Ranch, which is not related to the famous King Ranch in Texas.

“Ann and Jerry King liked me,” Eisele says. “I think they saw something in my work ethic. They had no heir to take over, and they offered me a job. I saw it as a rare opportunity. They needed someone to help run the ranch, and I needed a job. We connected.”

Eventually, the job became a partnership. When the Kings retired, Eisele bought them out and took over. He’s added additional land in recent years, and now, King Ranch encompasses several thousand acres and about 700 Angus and Red Angus cows and stockers. “The stockers are our cushion herd,” Eisele says. “In a dry year, we cut back as needed.”

We recently spoke with Eisele about the ranch and his NCBA leadership journey.

SF: Who works on the ranch with you?

ME: It’s me and my wife, Trudy; our son, Colton; and our daughters, Kendall and Kaycee. Colton works off the farm but helps on the ranch often. Kendall and Kaycee are full-time on the ranch, and they do it all—pull calves, build fences, work calves—there’s nothing they don’t do. We have two other full-time employees, and seasonal help, as needed.

SF: How did you get involved in cattle industry leadership activities?