What does it take to turn a family farm into a business built to last for generations?

Nick Jorgensen is a fourth-generation owner and CEO Jorgensen Land & Cattle, a family business that began with a homestead in South Dakota in 1909 and has evolved into a diversified operation spanning cattle, farming, soil health, hunting, and coming soon, golf.

In this episode of Beyond Money, Nick shares how his family built the country's largest seedstock livestock operation, why he became CEO at just 28 years old, and how the business uses genetics, massive amounts of data, and AI to make better decisions.

We also dive into the family's approach to diversification, including the launch of Ideal Soil Solutions and the development of a hunting and sporting business into a future golf destination. But perhaps the most important conversation is about succession: how do you build a family business that creates opportunities for the next generation without simply handing them a job?

Nick and Adam discuss:

• Building and sustaining a 100+ year family business
• Becoming CEO at 28
• Growing a livestock business while diversifying revenue
• Using genetics, data, and AI in agriculture
• The economics of bull leasing
• Soil health and Ideal Soil Solutions
• Turning underutilized land and facilities into new businesses
• Family ownership and succession planning
• Creating opportunities for the next generation
• Nick's vision for the future of Jorgensen Land & Cattle

This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, family wealth, stewardship, and what it really means to build something that can outlast you.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro: Meet Nick Jorgensen
01:20 The 1909 Origins of Jorgensen Land & Cattle
03:31 The Family's Angus Cattle Legacy
05:29 From Farming to a Modern Business
06:45 Why Nick Always Wanted to Come Back
08:46 Becoming CEO at Just 28
10:07 Building a Management Structure for Growth
12:04 How the Business Is Structured Today
13:49 The Business of Leasing Black Angus Bulls
16:34 The Data Behind Modern Cattle Breeding
19:06 How AI Is Changing Agriculture
20:06 How Big Can the Bull Business Get?
23:00 Managing Bulls Like High-Performance Athletes
25:29 Building Ideal Soil Solutions
27:20 From a Hunting Lodge to a New Business
29:05 Building the Lazy J Grand Lodge
31:00 Why Golf Became the Next Opportunity
34:00 The Philosophy Behind Family Ownership
36:00 Creating Opportunities for the Next Generation
38:18 The Challenge of Family Business Succession
40:00 Building a Business That Can Outlast You
43:23 Growing From 15 to 80 Employees
44:10 Earning Market Share in a Shrinking Industry
44:54 What Legacy Means to Nick