Leaving Washington D.C. Behind—and a More Wholesome Life

“I think people want to know the story behind things. And I think part of what they’re buying into is the story of our family on our ranch. And so it’s beautiful to be able to share that in some small way.”

A former staffer in President George W. Bush’s White House, Britt Fisk has since left Washington D.C. behind. Now married with seven children, Fisk lives in Northern New Mexico, where she and her family raise cattle. Although she grew up as a fifth generation rancher, she temporarily left that lifestyle behind. However, her husband, who had no previous agricultural experience, suggested they raise their family closer to the land. As Fisk writes, “We have been blessed with the opportunity to work hard in good weather and bad in order to care for God’s land while providing a life a bit more simple than most for our children.” In this interview, Fisk joins Merion West and Kambiz Tavana to discuss her approach to life for her and her family, the values she hopes to instill in her children, and how they navigate the business of ranching.

I first noticed your account on Instagram based on the business model you have for selling beef. But as I went through more and more of what you share, I saw it’s more than just that. You project a kind of life as we knew it before the time of social media and modernization, but the irony is that you are on social media. Let our readers know more about you, your family, your work, and what you are sharing on your social media.

Sure—what we do and the kind of life we are living. I grew up living here [in New Mexico]. Then, I moved away for college, and then I was actually in D.C. working for a little bit and then went to grad school, and I honestly never thought that I would move back. I mean I loved the life growing up, but it was so dependent on nature and markets that it scared me as a young girl. And I didn’t want that for my family some day, but, as fate would have it, I married Jeremy, who actually had never been a part of agriculture before. He was studying to be a geo-physicist. Right before his master’s graduation, he thought that maybe he would like to live a life which wasn’t behind the desk all the time. He finished school, and my parents actually needed extra help on the ranch. So we moved here ten years ago, and he just started learning.

Quickly, where in New Mexico exactly are you?

In Northern New Mexico, outside of a little town called Clayton. It’s just kind of an area of grasslands in the northern corner of New Mexico.