Danny and Sue Wiese and their children Dustin, Cody and Amy.

The Wieses accepted their recognition at a Farm Fest ceremony held Aug. 6 in Redwood County, Minn.

Danny and Sue Wiese's livelihood is Black Angus ranching. Both born and raised in Cass County - and from agricultural families - they do what they know and love - and their children have followed suit.

The couple, and their children: Dustin, Cody and Amy, contribute to the family business: ranching on their Flying W Ranch, southwest of Pine River.

The Wieses' community involvement and commitment to ranching were reasons that they were designated to receive the Farm Family honor by the Cass County University of Minnesota Extension Committee.

"They are always active in their communities," said Barb Frederick, extension committee member and former longtime 4-H leader. "They are not just farmers, they belong to many other organizations. They are more than willing to share their knowledge and help people, and kids - especially in 4-H with their projects," Frederick added. "They really work at what they are involved in."

Danny and Sue are members of the local Minnesota Cattlemen's Association and the Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association, as well as R-CALF, a grassroots ranchers' association.

Sue is the president of the Cass County 4-H Federation and sits on a number of 4-H committees for the Cass County Fair.

Danny is a member of the Cass County Agricultural Association - otherwise known as the "Fair Board."

The family's 3,000-acre ranch southwest of Pine River has been Danny and Sue's home for 14 years.

Ranching runs in the family: Danny and Sue are third generation ranchers. If their children carry on the tradition, they'll be the fourth.

Danny's uncle Elmer and Grandfather Louis were the first to raise Black Angus cattle in this area.

Danny's father, Eldon, started his own ranch that is just across the road from where Danny Wiese family lives today.

Sue's parents were farmers who raised cattle and pigs.

For Danny, ranching for a living made perfect sense. Since he grew up on a ranch, "It's all I've ever done," he said of his dedication to raising cattle.

Ranching has its benefits: you get to be your own boss and work independently, and you get to enjoy the rural lifestyle of wide, open spaces.

A ranch is also a good place to raise a family. "It's a good life for the kids," Danny said.

All three of the Wiese children attend school at Pine River-Backus. They're all very involved in 4-H and care for and show animals at the Cass County Fair.

The Wiese children are bright and polite - embodying the best of farming values.

"They grew up helping so they know what's expected of them," Sue said of the kids' willingness to chip in at home.

The Wieses favor Black Angus cattle. They take better care of their calves, they breed faster and nurse faster, too, Danny explained.

Their cattle have miles of pasture to graze and roam. And, there's plenty of room for the Wieses to enjoy.

"It's kind of neat to leave the house and your backyard is a couple miles long," Danny said.

They typically travel their property on 4-wheeler or truck. Dustin likes to deer hunt and has his favorite spots.

Extension Committee member and Cass County Commissioner Bob Kangas said that the Wieses were the best candidates for the Farm Family distinction.

Aside from their 4-H involvement, the fact that they are full time ranchers was appealing.

Despite the appeals of ranching, there are challenges.

The weather is one challenge. Rain is needed to keep the pastures green and full of grass for the cattle to feed on during the summer. And, wind chill can be dangerous for the cattle in the winter.

Although they bale some hay from their property, they have to buy hay bales to have enough food for their cattle in the winter.

Sometimes they battle with nature. Thistles and other weeds can spread and crowd out grasses.

Wolves and other predators can harm the cattle and fallen trees during storms can knock down fences.

After a heavy storm Danny might put 100 miles a day on his 4-wheeler to scout out and mend broken fences.

"Nobody's going to look out for you; you've got to look out for yourselves," Danny noted.

However, Mother Nature lends a hand.

There are four artesian wells on the property. The natural underground pressure produces a constant supply of water without the need for a pump. And, Stony Brook winds through their land and provides another source of water.

The majority of the cattle the Wieses raise are for breeding stock. They sell purebred registered Angus bulls and heifers at an annual May sale.

The family keeps extensive records on all of their cattle, including documenting each animal's bloodlines, birth weight, growth and more.

Danny's cattle are branded on the animal's right hip with a "W" for "Flying 'W' Ranch." The also have ear tags that distinguish the animal's mother, father and unique identification number.

The calves are born in the spring; some are sold in the first part of the fall while the rest are kept for breeding stock.

Each year that calves are born - and under the care and watchful eyes of the Wieses: another generation grows.