If not a dream, it is certainly something that many people think about in East Texas: buying some land and working it. While for most, it remains something to wonder about, or possibly even to plan, for a few folks it becomes an adventure.

Jim and Aimee Eitel are living that adventure at Eitel Valley Farms just across the county line north of Big Sandy. 

The land was purchased by Jim’s grandfather back in 1942. It is one of the higher points in Upshur County, occupying a ridge between Beech Creek and Little White Oak Creek. The original parcel was smaller than the current holdings. 

Jim’s father, while in the Army in Vietnam, left his mother a legal power of attorney and instructions to use his pay to expand the acreage. Eitel’s grandfather had worked the original property, but boll weevils decimated the cotton and the land proved not to be as fertile as hoped. 

Jet ahead 70 years, and another Army veteran, grandson Jim, is giving that land another go.

Eitel retired from a long career in the Army and originally intended to settle in Florida. The boom that is Florida, however, made purchasing land there beyond his means.

It was his wife, Aimee, who suggested the East Texas option.

“It was a dream to us, to go back and build a true homestead,” she shared.

Aimee had shown horses in her youth, so she was already connected to land and animals.

Jim, however, grew up in a military family and lived in a variety of places stateside as well as overseas.

“I am not a cattle guy,” he admitted, “I am an operations officer.”

An infantry officer by trade, Eitel’s career included significant time planning technological advances which could break an enemy’s decision-making cycle: in short, how to stay ahead on the battlefield.

Both his fortitude as an infantry officer and the technological research he conducted would serve him well on the farm. 

The original intent of Eitel Valley Farms was to raise specialty beef. In this they have been successful. The biggest challenge, Eitel said, was understanding the land.

“The land hasn’t been stewarded,” Eitel explained. “It had been viewed as a tool, but not a resource.” 

Eitel explained that historical land use in East Texas was for commercial cattle ranching; hence, the land was one of many factors in the business equation. There were a host of problems – runoff, soil compaction, and the results of long-term grazing being foremost. 

It was through the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and programs such as the Conservation Stewardship Program, that Eitel began to understand that husbandry of animals started with husbandry of the soil.

They began with two cows and a lot of learning. The cows were gifted from neighbor Henry Wilson in barter for some grazing.

The Eitels learned fast: rotational grazing, cover crops, native grasses, water proximity. It was a bit of a whirlwind. 

Added to the adventure was a new member of the team, daughter Liezel.

At one point, the Eitels had to call a time-out and take stock of their efforts with specialty cattle. They refocused and continued learning. Their persistence and willingness to learn began to pay off.

Today they have identified the manageable size for their South Poll herd, and repeat customers are calling in orders.

The Eitels visited other family farms, both in East Texas and further afield, just to learn from them. They volunteered as ranch hands with neighbors and built a considerable list of mentors.

They also discovered the kindness of others, as demonstrated by fellow ranchers Mike and Julie Rivers. 

Eitel explained, “Mike asked me, ‘Why don’t you borrow my squeeze chute? I’ll call when I need it back.’  So it was with his cattle trailer as well.”  

There were also certainly some memorable moments along the way. 

While back east for a family wedding, Jim received a call from Aimee.

“We have a stuck calf,” Aimee exclaimed.  She continued, “I was giving mouth-to-mouth to this little calf stuck halfway out the birth canal.” Eventually, she got the mama cow to stand and with the help of a calving line pulled the calf through. 

During the ‘Snowmaggedon’ a couple of years ago, the Eitels constructed a makeshift barnyard off the corner of the house just to provide refuge for the herd. It was just what had to be done at the time. 

The Eitels are now looking at paddock management and growing groves of trees, oriented north/south, to provide some shading in their pastures. Close observation of the land revealed the resurgence of native grasses, which has in turn caused the Eitels to adjust their calving cycle. 

Little Liezel is clearly a big part of the farm today. The preschooler is busy with the goats and hogs and eagerly heads to the door (often without shoes) when going to tend the animals.

For anyone considering a family farm, the Eitels had these thoughts: talk to the agricultural representatives, as they are the key to unlocking a lot of help; nurture mentors who can advise of local measures; and educate oneself. 

Regarding those days when nothing is going right, Jim and Aimee shared their thoughts.

“We just remind ourselves that we are living our dream, and are lucky to have what we have.”