Ron Rabou is a 5th generation Laramie County resident and is the CEO of Rabou Farms, Inc. in southeastern Wyoming. At the age of 26, Rabou administered CPR to his father but was unsuccessful in his attempt. He then found himself in a dysfunctional and floundering family ranching operation and after years of planning, ventured out on his own to build his own legacy. The odds were against him as he tried to operate with 800 acres of dry crop land and limited equipment that was 30-40 years old. After several years of failing to operate successfully, his accountant recommended that he pursue other options outside of agriculture. Not ready to concede, Rabou took a deep look as his operation and made the choice to sell over 85% of everything he owned and began the long, arduous journey of starting over.
Today, Rabou Farms encompasses over 8000 acres of organic dry crop land in addition to pastureland and a commercial cow/calf herd. The farm uses modern technology, GPS, auto-steer, electronic farm activity recording, soil maps and weather reporting to raise hard red winter wheat, hard white winter wheat, yellow field peas, garbanzo beans, flax, buckwheat, proso millet and hemp for grain. Rabou’s development of his business has largely been driven by consumer demand, plant protein and the demand for gluten free food. The farm infrastructure has been rebuilt to accommodate higher levels of efficiency, long term growth, 7.5 million additional pounds of storage capacity and modern equipment that incorporates the benefits of vertical tillage, minimum tillage, reduced soil erosion, improved soil moisture profiles, and have created increased crop rotations and biodiversity. In addition, three old farm buildings were converted to a game room and bar area, commercial kitchen, office and 9 bed, 2 bath lodge. Rabou offers on-farm experiences, corporate retreats and all-inclusive big game hunting excursions.
In addition to the farm, Rabou is a nationally known author, speaker and ag consultant. He was sponsored into Rotary by George McIlvaine and states that his connection to Rotary feeds his desire to serve his community and surrounds him with people of integrity who are encouraging, uplifting leaders with a desire to make a positive difference in the world. For more information, visit www.raboufarms.com, www.ronrabou.com and www.blackcanyonwyo.com
