Before he set out to find a partner via reality TV, Hunter Grayson was already a successful Georgia cattle and horse rancher.
Fox’s Farmer Wants A Wife puts a positive, life-affirming spin on the old dating show tropes. Anyone who’s grown weary of the backstabbing and betrayals of Bachelor Nation would likely welcome the authenticity and kindness displayed by the farmers and ranchers looking for love on Fox.
Hunter Grayson, 31, is one of four who are the focus of the inaugural season, which comes to a dramatic close later this month. He and the three other hard-working rural bachelors have each narrowed down their pool of interested young ladies to two, and the ultimate decision for all awaits after some emotional visits to the ladies’ hometowns.
In the meantime, during the course of the show’s kickoff U.S. edition, Grayson has become one of the more popular bachelors. Even if nothing worked out for him on the show in the end, he’d likely have a long line of interested suitors ready to move right into his Watkinsville, Georgia, horse and cattle ranch. He’s the right kind of charming — respectful, brooding, quiet, but also good-natured and funny. Oh, and did we mention he’s also a sweet-voiced country singer-songwriter?
Grayson’s humor and personality certainly came through when we reached out to the budding TV star to pick his brain on what happens to be his first love — ranching. The man has certainly picked up a lot of conventional wisdom in his life’s work.
Here, without further ado, are Hunter Grayson’s best ranching tips:
Your bull is half of your herd.
“As cattlemen, we need to do our best to improve our herd and our offerings to the public each year. If your herd bull(s) is genetically and genomically equal with your herd, you’re leaving pounds in the air and dollars out of your pocket.”
You can’t starve a profit in them.
“Good hay, feed, forage, mineral and clean water will trump anything on a list of important factors.”
Cull hard and fast.
“I may not have culled the dating herd as fast as I could, but when it comes to the cattle herd, productivity is key. I no longer give second chances to livestock, I let them go so others can grow.”
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it…but look at options.
“Just ’cause papaw did it this way, does not make it right, or wrong. In order to stay competitive in any market, efficiency and risk management needs to be in the conversation.”
Diversify or die … social media.
“I will insert the eye roll for all of us. I hate social media, but it isn’t going anywhere. We have to adapt to the changing markets and resource outlets and, unfortunately, that includes marketing yourself and networking on social media. We are seeing a trend where people want a relationship with the product they are buying. Be that handshake, even if it’s online.”
Find out more about the schedule and see clips from Farmer Wants a Wife on the Fox website.
