Behind the Brand
“For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.”
Our traditions run deep in agriculture.
Farmers and ranchers follow a rare but significant calling, one that requires incredible grit. Perhaps that’s because our agricultural heritage doesn’t just go back to the generations who crossed oceans and ventured west in search of opportunity – it goes back to the beginning of time. The beginning, when God said:
“Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:26 (NIV)
It’s truly a beautiful thing—the desire to care for crops and livestock. There’s something about the lifestyle that weaves hard work, faith, and heart into everyday life. When we discuss generational farmers or ranchers, many tie it back to property ownership, but for most of us, our agricultural heritage isn’t just about a deed to the land; it’s about the history of values and tradition.
One of the unique traditions that ranchers hold onto is their brand. I’m not talking about the brand they taught you about in college marketing class, but the brand you place on your cattle —a mark of identity, history, and pride. Growing up on the ranch, I was taught to recognize our family’s brand on every cow and calf we owned. It was even painted on our barn.
Branding season is always an event, a time when the same families come together year after year to brand calves and reconnect, almost like a reunion built around hard work, tradition, and a great meal. It’s a reminder that in ranching, the work we do and the bonds we build are passed down just like the brands we place on our cattle.
Both of my parents have brands that were passed down to them. When they first married and began building their herd, they used the Cross Spears brand. Today, they use the Reverse L, but during my childhood, the Cross Spears was the brand I knew best.
The Cross Spears brand has been part of my family’s story for 78 years and has now spanned four generations. Recently, someone asked me about the meaning behind it, and to be honest, I had to call my Grandpa Carlos to get the full story…
Like many families in the region, our roots trace back to England, Scotland, and Ireland (big surprise — I am a redhead, I know). Our ancestors journeyed west, settling in Kansas and Oklahoma before eventually making their way to Colorado. My maternal great-grandparents were both born in Beaver County, Oklahoma. In 1947, as they began farming and ranching in Johnson, Kansas, my great-grandpa Wendell Arnold created the "Cross Spears" brand when new brand laws were coming into effect.
When the Dust Bowl made farming in Kansas nearly impossible, they packed up their dreams and moved to Colorado, registering the brand there to start again.
Fast forward to 1979: my great-grandpa sold the brand to my mother, Julie, when she was just 15 years old and starting her own cow herd. It was a gift of trust and legacy—something not just handed down, but earned.
This year, my mom officially transferred the brand to me. While I don't plan to run a large cow herd anytime soon, the brand still holds incredible significance. It represents more than cattle; it represents my family’s story, our agricultural traditions, and the values that shaped my upbringing.
It represents what it means to be a rancher's daughter.
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Sources:
Photo Credits: Hannah Craig, captured during the Livingston Branding.
Photo Credits: Kyla Livingston, captured during the Livingston Branding.
“Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness.”
