It all started as a college class assignment but the result was a new successful business for the Roseland rank in Seneca, South Dakota.

The family managed ranch was a stop on the tour of livestock operations by the National Association of County Agricultural Agents’, as part of their Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement conference in the state during mid July.

Currently three different generations of the Roseland family operate the 18,000 acre land used for ranching and diverse farming. The ranch has been in the hands of the Roseland family for five generations and was made the homestead of Sal Roseland’s great-great-grandparents in 1881. The family then were second generation immigrants from Norway.

When Sal had finished his studies at college in 2002, he brought home a business development plan he had devised as part of his course. The main aspect of it was adding a pheasant hunting side to the ranch operations.

At first, his idea was met with some resistance, namely from his father and grandfather. However, Sal didn’t yield and with the help from a bank loan he put his idea into operation under the name R&R Pheasant Hunting. Now, from Early September to March, pheasant and other small bird hunting is available on the ranch to customers.

Two lodges were built and staff hired to help accommodate hunters. After a rather slow start, the ranch now hosts over 500 hunters every year on the ranch. The lodges also cater for weddings, anniversaries and family parties during the offseason as a way to keep the revenue coming in.

Sal’s wife helps with running the hospitality side of the pheasant hunting enterprise. They specialise in serving local produce to their guests and this has helped them gain a strong reputation.

The enterprise was even successful enough that during the 2008 economic downturn, their hunting business continued to grow.

Have you been to Roseland? What were your experiences?

Let us know in the comments.