A simple comment during a Feed the Need delivery has stayed with Dave Shumpert for years.
A group of youth from X2D Ranch Ministries had spent the day helping deliver beef and groceries to a family facing difficult circumstances. As boxes were carried into the kitchen, a young girl spotted something among the supplies and called out to her grandmother: "We got ketchup!"
For the teenagers helping with the delivery, the moment landed differently than expected. These were kids who spent their weekends at rodeo practices, county fairs, livestock shows, and ranches — kids whose conversations typically revolved around horses, cattle projects, and competition schedules. Hearing a child celebrate something as ordinary as a bottle of ketchup offered a perspective few of them had considered before.
It was a lesson in gratitude, service, and community. One that couldn't be taught in a classroom, and one they wouldn't soon forget.
Moments like that are exactly why Shumpert has dedicated so much of his life to investing in young people. A Northern Colorado native and founder of X2D Ranch Ministries, Shumpert built the organization on the belief that the ranching and rodeo world offers something rare — a setting where young people are handed real responsibility, real work, and real community all at once. Through X2D, youth are introduced to rodeo, ranching, mentorship, leadership development, service projects, Bible camps, and opportunities that challenge them to grow both personally and spiritually. While horses, cattle, and rodeo may be what initially draw many families to the program, Shumpert believes the real impact happens in the lessons learned along the way.
"Somebody needs to tell them they are believed in," he said.
That philosophy has become the foundation of everything X2D does. Young people are encouraged not simply to attend events, but to participate in meaningful ways — organizing activities, mentoring younger participants, serving alongside adults, and taking ownership of responsibilities that many would assume they're too young to handle.
Over time, that trust begins to change them.
At many X2D events, devotionals are no longer led by adults. They're led by the youth themselves. Teenagers who once struggled to speak in front of a group now stand before dozens of their peers sharing lessons from their own lives. Others teach classes, help lead camps, mentor younger participants, or contribute talents like photography to serve the organization and the people around them. What begins as participation often develops into leadership — and that confidence rarely stays within the boundaries of a rodeo arena. It follows these young people home, into their schools, their workplaces, and their communities.
"The kids are learning it, and their parents are following the kids now," Shumpert said.
That investment in the next generation is something Chad Sanger understands well. As owner of Turnkey Cattle Co., Sanger has long believed that preserving agriculture requires more than producing quality cattle. It requires creating opportunities for young people to understand where their food comes from, appreciate the values that have shaped ranching communities for generations, and develop a sense of responsibility that extends beyond themselves.
Alongside Project Coordinator Jasmyn Walker, Sanger has found a natural partner in X2D Ranch Ministries. While the organizations serve different roles, they share a common belief: that young people are capable of far more than they are often given credit for, and that the best way to prepare future leaders is to give them meaningful opportunities today.
"Most importantly, it's keeping this way of life alive," Sanger said. "It's a matter of influencing children, influencing families, and building these kids up."
That shared vision comes to life through the partnership between Turnkey and X2D. Through its support of Feed the Need and other ministry efforts, Turnkey helps connect young people to agriculture in tangible, hands-on ways. Youth have participated in selecting cattle that support the program, learned how replacement heifers are evaluated, assisted with cattle workdays, and gained a firsthand understanding of the daily responsibilities that keep a ranch operating.
For some participants, those experiences provide their first real introduction to agriculture. For others, they deepen a connection that already exists. Either way, the lessons extend well beyond cattle. Young people learn the value of showing up, working hard, paying attention to detail, and contributing to something larger than themselves.
The impact extends well beyond Turnkey Cattle and X2D Ranch Ministries. A growing network of ranchers, volunteers, businesses, and community supporters have helped create opportunities for youth to learn, lead, and serve.
Among them is Steve Wells, whose donation of 10 replacement heifers through the Ranchers Club helped establish and grow the X2D herd. The donation created a valuable learning opportunity for youth from both X2D and Turnkey while helping ensure the program can continue for years to come.
Feed the Need began with a straightforward goal — helping families navigate difficult circumstances — and has grown into a community-wide effort supported by ranchers, local businesses, volunteers, and families across Northern Colorado. The program delivers high-quality beef and groceries to families dealing with illness, unexpected hardship, and other challenges that can make the basics feel out of reach.
But its impact reaches further than the families it serves.
Rather than simply hearing about generosity, the youth involved in Feed the Need get to practice it. They help with deliveries, meet the families receiving support, hear their stories, and witness firsthand how a straightforward act of service can change the course of someone's day — or week, or month. Those experiences have a way of reshaping perspective in ways that stick.
"These kids get to see what other families are going through," Shumpert said. "It's changed their lives as well."
That's the through line connecting everything Turnkey Cattle and X2D Ranch Ministries are building together. Agriculture provides the setting. Faith provides the foundation. Service provides the lesson.
Preserving a way of life, it turns out, isn't just about raising cattle. It's about raising the people ready to carry it forward — and in Northern Colorado, that work is already well underway.
"Somebody needs to tell them they are believed in. When that happens, young people begin doing things they never thought possible." - Dave Shumpert
"It's a matter of influencing children, influencing families, and building these kids up while keeping this way of life alive." - Chad Sanger