Next Gen Ag is a year long series that will run on our In The Field blog, Facebook page, Instagram page and Twitter account. Each Wednesday, we will highlight a young person pursuing a career in the agriculture industry. Individuals can be in high school, college, or recent graduates who are working to establish a career in agriculture. Stay tuned each week to meet some of our industry’s future leaders!
Learning where your food comes from has the power to change your entire outlook on life, and for Declan Halos, his entire career path. Growing up in a family that wasn’t involved with agriculture, Declan shocked many people when he decided to become a first-generation farmer. Today, he is not only successful but growing and expanding with each passing year.
At the age of 15 years old, Declan moved with his family to Oxford. As luck would have it, Oxford is a farming town and Declan’s parents had family friends in the area who owned and operated a cattle farm. “One night, my parent’s friend brought over half a processed cow, which was my first experience of learning where my food comes from,” he said. “Immediately I was intrigued and began talking with the farmer about his process, cattle and products.” From that moment on, Declan has never looked back on a career in agriculture. In fact, throughout high school he studied agriculture as much as he could and mentored under his family friend on the cattle farm. “Agriculture grabbed a hold of my heart from that initial experience because of my ability to be a steward of the land and physically see the rewards of my hard work,” he said. “Working under our family friend allowed me to gain hands-on experience in a variety of areas, including working cattle and handling vaccines. That gave me confidence that I could truly handle farming full-time in the future.” After graduating from high school, Declan started his college career at N.C. State University majoring in Agriculture Business Management.
As a rising Senior, Declan has learned a lot about the world of agriculture, raising livestock and managing a business that helped him to launch Halos Ranch LLC in May of 2023. Halos Ranch is a grass-fed beef cattle operation, currently home to 35 head of cattle, including two bulls and nine calves. While most of the cattle are Black Angus Beef Cattle, a small percentage are South Poll Cattle, which is a Southeastern breed of cattle that is crossbred between four major cattle breeds. “I truly appreciate the couple that allowed me to take over the lease on their farmland and gave me a chance to pursue my dream of farming,” he said. “Without them believing in me, I wouldn’t be here today doing what I love.”
Although there really is no typical day on the farm, Declan does have daily responsibilities that he must tend too. Each morning, he starts the day by checking on the cattle to ensure they have everything that they need, including food and water. “I have my herd of cattle as well as custom grazed cattle on the farm, which means that people who want to own a few cows can keep them here on my property,” he said. “I check on both herds every morning to make sure they are happy and well.” After checking on the cattle, Declan surveys the property to ensure there are no holes or other issues with fencing. Other projects throughout the day include checking mineral programs, cutting fescue hay, bailing hay and monitoring soil health. “In addition to all the daily farm tasks and projects, we also rotate our cattle each day,” he said. “We have sixteen pastures on this farm that our cattle rotate between to ensure high-quality grass and pasture management.” Although Declan has a strong inherent love for agriculture, he also has many talents and qualities that not only help him keep the farm running every day but also innovate and propel it forward.
Declan prides himself on having strong communication skills, a hard work ethic and a passion for the industry. He also works hard to bridge the gap between the public and the producer on a daily basis. “When I was growing up, I had several jobs in the customer service industry where I learned how to interact with the public in a way that makes them invest in and respond to the product,” he said. “Throughout the world, there is a strong disconnect between the farmer and the customer. One of my biggest missions is to help bridge that gap by networking with the consumer and teaching them why it is important to know where their food comes from.” Declan currently offers tours to the public at Halos Ranch and would like to expand his agritourism options and offerings in future years to include more tours, bull sales and holiday events. In fact, he will have his very first bull sale on-site at the farm later this year. “I hope that the bull sale will attract people to the farm, even if they aren’t looking to purchase livestock,” he said. “Simply come out to see how it works and learn more about our operation. I’m happy to educate anyone when I can!” Declan is also a member of the Granville County Cattleman’s Association and hopes to host one of their future meetings on his farm.
In the future, Declan not only hopes to expand the opportunities available to the public at his farm, but also build and expand the South Poll herd, strengthen soil health across the farm, and continue furthering the message that his farm is a grass-fed operation. “Eventually I would like for our herd to be 75% South Poll cattle and 25% Black Angus cattle,” he said. “We pride ourselves on being a grass-fed operation, however, so continuing to expand that messaging is my number one priority.”
Although he loves many things about the agriculture industry, Declan’s favorite part is the community found here. “I’ve never experienced the amount of support that you can find in agriculture, especially as a young person,” he said. “At the end of the day, people are willing to help you succeed and step out of their way to help you.” As a strong believer that agriculture is the backbone of many families and communities across the country, Declan is proud to be a part of our state’s number one industry and not only further his own operation but extend a hand to help those who will come up behind him. “Right now, we have a growth of communities wanting to know where their food comes from, as well as a huge population growth on our hands, so we have to have the means to feed those people,” he said. “I fully believe that we need to find the balance of respecting those before us and helping those who come after us, because none of us can do it all on our own. To feed the world we all need to play a part in supporting one another and helping each other succeed. At the end of the day, if I’ve done that through my operation and place in the industry, then I’ve succeeded as an agribusiness man.”
Declan’s advice for anyone seeking a career in the agriculture industry is to trust your instinct, do your research, find your niche, create a plan, and stick to it. “Find which part of the agriculture industry speaks to you and then decide how you want to run with it,” he said. “Block out negative opinions, believe in yourself, trust your instincts, and move forward towards your goals. Don’t compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 20. We are all on a different path and we aren’t meant to be exactly the same. The agriculture industry needs all of us, so just find your spot and stand strong in it.” We are so proud of Declan and all that he is doing to further our state’s agriculture industry through Halos Ranch. We can’t wait to see where the future will take you Declan!
