Pete Ferrell

So when it came up, I didn't hesitate. I said yes. And I expanded my ranching. I had already expanded the ranching operation. So instead of running the core 7,000, I was leasing a lot of additional land to create the cash flow to make my payments. But Tanner, my life was... Well, I know your listeners. In fact, you know, Connor is out there today.

He's having to put in – you know, I was working unsustainable hours. I was running 3,000 cows a year. I had a crew. The life wasn't very pleasant for me because – I just was so, you know, driven to make my payments and I was doing it. Well, imagine what, you know, and Stan always said, think 10 times bigger. Think about all of your options. And so this is the segue into in 1970.

He's having to put in – you know, I was working unsustainable hours. I was running 3,000 cows a year. I had a crew. The life wasn't very pleasant for me because – I just was so, you know, driven to make my payments and I was doing it. Well, imagine what, you know, and Stan always said, think 10 times bigger. Think about all of your options. And so this is the segue into in 1970.

He's having to put in – you know, I was working unsustainable hours. I was running 3,000 cows a year. I had a crew. The life wasn't very pleasant for me because – I just was so, you know, driven to make my payments and I was doing it. Well, imagine what, you know, and Stan always said, think 10 times bigger. Think about all of your options. And so this is the segue into in 1970.

I think it was 94, Tanner. A couple of guys come waltzing across the lawn. I thought they were feed salesmen. I was getting ready to run them off. And it turns out one of them was a retired – he had voluntarily retired from – he was an electrical engineer from Kansas State. And he had been studying the wind in Kansas for over 10 years at that point in time.

I think it was 94, Tanner. A couple of guys come waltzing across the lawn. I thought they were feed salesmen. I was getting ready to run them off. And it turns out one of them was a retired – he had voluntarily retired from – he was an electrical engineer from Kansas State. And he had been studying the wind in Kansas for over 10 years at that point in time.

I think it was 94, Tanner. A couple of guys come waltzing across the lawn. I thought they were feed salesmen. I was getting ready to run them off. And it turns out one of them was a retired – he had voluntarily retired from – he was an electrical engineer from Kansas State. And he had been studying the wind in Kansas for over 10 years at that point in time.

He was developing wind maps that nobody else had. Nobody else was thinking about. And he knew more about the Farrell Ranch wind than I did. And he proposed this idea. And my first reaction was a pretty hard no. You know, it's like, no, that's just too far out there for me to understand. But he persisted. And it took me over a year. I did my homework and they flew me to California.

He was developing wind maps that nobody else had. Nobody else was thinking about. And he knew more about the Farrell Ranch wind than I did. And he proposed this idea. And my first reaction was a pretty hard no. You know, it's like, no, that's just too far out there for me to understand. But he persisted. And it took me over a year. I did my homework and they flew me to California.

He was developing wind maps that nobody else had. Nobody else was thinking about. And he knew more about the Farrell Ranch wind than I did. And he proposed this idea. And my first reaction was a pretty hard no. You know, it's like, no, that's just too far out there for me to understand. But he persisted. And it took me over a year. I did my homework and they flew me to California.

That was the only place in the United States at the time that had wind farms on agricultural property. And I got to talk to ranchers in what they were east of San Francisco in the Altamont Pass. And they were pretty nonchalant about it. In fact, one of them said, what turbines? You know, we're still watching our grass and cattle here like we always have. There was like.

That was the only place in the United States at the time that had wind farms on agricultural property. And I got to talk to ranchers in what they were east of San Francisco in the Altamont Pass. And they were pretty nonchalant about it. In fact, one of them said, what turbines? You know, we're still watching our grass and cattle here like we always have. There was like.

That was the only place in the United States at the time that had wind farms on agricultural property. And I got to talk to ranchers in what they were east of San Francisco in the Altamont Pass. And they were pretty nonchalant about it. In fact, one of them said, what turbines? You know, we're still watching our grass and cattle here like we always have. There was like.

And that was kind of, well, it was a breakthrough. It's like, here's a guy just like me that has the benefit of getting a check, an extra check for something that's already there. And he's saying, there is no problem running our cattle and grass here as we always have. And so I came home. I did some more homework. And I signed a 35 year agreement. In 95, I signed a 35 year agreement.

And that was kind of, well, it was a breakthrough. It's like, here's a guy just like me that has the benefit of getting a check, an extra check for something that's already there. And he's saying, there is no problem running our cattle and grass here as we always have. And so I came home. I did some more homework. And I signed a 35 year agreement. In 95, I signed a 35 year agreement.

And that was kind of, well, it was a breakthrough. It's like, here's a guy just like me that has the benefit of getting a check, an extra check for something that's already there. And he's saying, there is no problem running our cattle and grass here as we always have. And so I came home. I did some more homework. And I signed a 35 year agreement. In 95, I signed a 35 year agreement.

In 98, they walked away. And I went, whoa, wait a minute. I thought this was a pretty good idea. And Dr. Johnson then was kind of out of a job. Fortunately, We retained the data that had been collected, and we retained the anemometers. Nobody's going to build a wind farm without knowing exactly what the resource is. So we had a three-year data stream, and we just kept collecting data.

In 98, they walked away. And I went, whoa, wait a minute. I thought this was a pretty good idea. And Dr. Johnson then was kind of out of a job. Fortunately, We retained the data that had been collected, and we retained the anemometers. Nobody's going to build a wind farm without knowing exactly what the resource is. So we had a three-year data stream, and we just kept collecting data.

In 98, they walked away. And I went, whoa, wait a minute. I thought this was a pretty good idea. And Dr. Johnson then was kind of out of a job. Fortunately, We retained the data that had been collected, and we retained the anemometers. Nobody's going to build a wind farm without knowing exactly what the resource is. So we had a three-year data stream, and we just kept collecting data.

And I went shopping for another developer, and I had five or six on my desk, and then – sometime in 2001, the first wind farm was built in Western Kansas at Spearville. And I decided I'm going to go tour this thing. And I'm literally on a school bus with a bunch of people that are, and here's this green horn behind me.