Former Artesia rancher Darrell Brown named Cattlemen of the Year by fellow ranchers
A former Artesia resident with decades of ranching experience was named Cattlemen of the Year for 2022 by the New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association.
Darrell Brown received the award during the Joint Stockmen’s Convention held Dec. 14 through Dec. 17 in Albuquerque, according to a news release from the New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association (NMCGA).
Born in Albuquerque, Brown graduated from West Mesa High School and attained two degrees from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. His first job after graduation was in 1983 as a fence builder on a ranch near Santa Fe.
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Brown then moved his family to Sedalia, Colorado where he showed cattle for the Cherokee Ranch across the western United States. He took a job in 1985 in Artesia as a ranch manager for Yates Petroleum's Four Dinkus Ranch west of Artesia.
While there he fostered a partnership with Artesia Public Schools (APS) allowing elementary school children to learn the inner workings of agriculture. Brown also formed a partnership with the New Mexico Cow Belles, a group of women dedicated to the cattle industry and agribusiness in general, and performed a puppet show titled “Going to the Grocery Store” after he noticed many of the children in APS believed food was manufactured at the local supermarkets.
Brown explained the workings of a cattle ranch, including branding, ear tags and vaccinations, according to the release.
John Ross Null, former APS superintendent, said the partnership benefitted thousands of Eddy County students.
“It absolutely helped students learn more about some aspects of our community that they may have not experienced otherwise,” he said.
Brown was promoted to general manager of four ranches across New Mexico owned by the Yates Corporation in 1999, while also continuing to manage Four Dinkus.
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Yates Petroleum dissolved in 2020 after it was sold in 2016 to Houston based EOG Resources. Brown was hired to exclusively manage the Cross-D Ranch in Pinon in southern Otero County. He and his wife left Artesia after 35 years to live at the base of the Sacramento Mountains, per the release.
In addition to ranching, Brown worked as a district supervisor in the Pensaco and Central Valley Soil and Water Conservation Districts for 15 years, according to the release.
Tammy Klein, district manager for the Central Valley Soil and Water Conservation District in Artesia, said Brown was active in the organization.
“He represented us all over the state, we hated to see him go,” she said.
A closer look at Cattlemen of the Year award
Per the NMCGA, the award is a prestigious honor given to a well-rounded member of New Mexico’s ranching community.
Nominated by fellow ranchers and cattle growers, the chosen cattleman not only works on the ranch but also advocates for agriculture in education and legislative issues, according to the release.
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The Cattlemen of the Year was “a person that is always there to lend a willing hand in any situation, and someone who is present in their communities serving civically, often being noted as prominent members and supporters,” read the release.
Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Darrell Brown named Cattlemen of the Year
