LOGAN, UTAH (RFD-TV) — After eight years living in Europe while her husband played professional basketball, RanchHER Chelsey Butterfield was ready for a different kind of life. With no agricultural experience, she and her husband traded city living for ranching in Utah, building Golden Hour Ranch and learning the business along the way.
Butterfield joined Market Day Report ahead of her upcoming appearance on FarmHER + RanchHER to share how she found her way into agriculture, the challenges of starting from scratch, and the confidence ranching has brought to her family.
A Dream Built From Scratch
In her conversation with RFD-TV, Butterfield said her interest in agriculture began while the couple was living overseas. With time to think about her future, she started reading about raising chickens, homesteading, and becoming more self-sufficient.
She quickly realized she wanted a ranching lifestyle. When her husband was ready to retire from professional basketball, the couple made the move to Utah.
Neither had an agricultural background, but Butterfield said her husband supported the change. He has since embraced ranch life and even become a team roper.
Learning the Ropes as First-Generation Ranchers
Starting Golden Hour Ranch came with a steep learning curve.
Butterfield said the first year was especially challenging, with the family navigating their first calving season without much experience. Utah’s unpredictable spring weather, including freezing nights and warmer days, contributed to pneumonia and the loss of several calves.
At times, the family brought calves inside their home and cared for them near the fireplace while trying to figure out what to do next.
“It was really hard on my heart at first,” Butterfield said. “But the only way to learn is to do. So we just kind of kept chugging along and learning as we went.”
She said being willing to jump in, adapt, and learn from each experience has helped the family grow into their roles as ranchers.
Building Confidence Through Ranching
For Butterfield, the rewards have gone beyond building a successful operation.
She said ranching has given her a sense of confidence and capability she did not know she had, while providing similar opportunities for her children.
Watching them develop relationships with the animals, solve problems and find their own purpose on the ranch has been especially meaningful.
Butterfield said the transition also helped her find a stronger sense of connection and independence after a difficult period of feeling isolated while living overseas and raising a young family.
She said the experience has shown her what she and her family can accomplish when they take on something new.
Connecting Consumers Through Agritourism
Golden Hour Ranch has also expanded beyond raising Highland cattle to include agritourism, including horseback riding experiences for visitors.
Butterfield initially felt hesitant about opening the ranch to guests, since agritourism was another unfamiliar part of the business. But she said it has become a rewarding way to introduce people to agriculture.
Visitors get a glimpse of ranch life while experiencing the land and learning more about the work behind the operation.
She said creating those connections has helped her share the lifestyle with people who might not otherwise have an opportunity to experience it firsthand.
Sharing the Heart Behind Agriculture
Butterfield hopes more people understand the effort and commitment that go into running a farm or ranch.
“Just how much hard work goes into it and how much ranchers and farmers truly care about the work that they’re doing,” she said. “There’s so much passion and heart in this industry.”
For her family, Golden Hour Ranch represents more than a career change. It is a lifestyle they have built together, with lessons in resilience, confidence, and the value of learning something new.
Watch Chelsey Butterfield’s story on FarmHER + RanchHER, Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET on RFD-TV and streaming on RFDTV+
