From the time Nick Jorgensen’s great-grandfather claimed a homestead in Tripp County, there was a commitment to ensuring the family’s ag operation endured.

“It was always part of the ethos of the family to make sure it gets to the next generation. The vision of success, longevity and transitioning has been there since day one,” Jorgensen said. “It wasn’t always maybe planned out with clear roles and responsibilities, but ultimately, the family was able to make it work.”

Without intentional planning, though, “eventually, it stops working,” he acknowledges. “You can’t fly by the seat of your pants forever because it comes back to bite you, and by the time you deal with it, it can be too late.”

The Jorgensen family has grown Jorgensen Land & Cattle over four generations into an industry leader, topping Beef Magazine’s Seedstock 100 list every year it was published, most recently in 2022.

Jorgensen became CEO in 2018 after joining the business a few years earlier, following his graduation from SDSU with a master’s degree in economics and then an MBA.

“In our family, the older generation consistently has made room for the next generation, including involving them in management and decision-making,” he said. “I always knew I wanted to come back and have a part in management.”

The fourth generation saw opportunities to further evolve the business, he said.

“For 70 years, it was Dad and Grandpa in the combine, so breaking that paradigm can be painful, but it’s so worthwhile,” Jorgensen said.

“We started by engaging with a consultant through Keep Farmers Farming, which is now part of the South Dakota Ag Foundation, and he helped us set up an organizational structure that helped us scale. We started getting serious about growing the team so we could start working on the business and not just working in the business.”

He and his cousin Cody work alongside their fathers, Greg and Bryan. There’s a seven-person leadership team of both family and nonfamily members.

The core business is bull leasing, which took off in a big way in the past decade, doubling in size. There’s also a large farming operation that supports the cattle operation, sales of cereal grain seed, a fertilizer company, a trucking division and a consulting division. In 2012, the family opened Lazy J Sporting Club on part of its property east of Ideal, offering all-inclusive pheasant hunts.

The Lazy J Grand Lodge there often hosts events, including weddings, corporate meetings and family reunions.

“We have the space and the staffing to support a wide variety of events, and when you come to the lodge, you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere,” lodge manager Karrisa Bartels said. “There are no distractions, and you’re just surrounded by land and beauty to focus on what you need to do.”

Fittingly, the lodge will host the 2025 Prairie Family Business Retreat on Aug. 5-7.

“Lazy J is a great location for our Family Business Retreat. It’s away from the busyness of daily life; it’s a beautiful, peaceful setting; and it’s a family business,” said Stephanie Larscheid, executive director of the Prairie Family Business Association. “The Jorgensen family will be tremendous hosts for the fellow family businesses at the retreat.”

Guests are hosted in 22 rooms, including two king suites. There are multiple dining spaces that can accommodate groups, ranging from a few dozen people to more than 200.

“We have a full-time chef and generally offer a South Dakota-inspired menu. We often use our own beef from Jorgensen Land & Cattle, so we’ll do our own burgers and steaks when we can,” Bartels said. “There’s a bar that’s open every night and staffed. We’ve enjoyed hosting people from all over the country and even as far as Saudi Arabia.”

To unwind, there’s a 10-station sporting clay course, “which can be a fun team-building activity and is geared toward families, along with walking trails and firepits,” Bartels said. “We also like to give visitors a tour of the farm side, which will probably be especially interesting to family businesses.”

The retreat will be facilitated by Betsey Fortlouis, director of development and partnerships at InnerWill Leadership Institute, who will deliver high value and several tools families can take back to their businesses, Larscheid said.

InnerWill was founded by the Luck family of Luck Cos. and delivers values-based leadership for families in business together to strengthen leadership capabilities and drive results.

“This retreat is geared toward families who are new to a family business retreat and new to facilitated meetings, as well as those who are seasoned in family meetings,” Larscheid said.

“If there is an inflection point ahead for your family or business, the retreat is right for you. Whether that is onboarding new family members, transitioning family out of a day-to-day role, a change ahead for your industry or combating third-party sale offers your business is receiving, the retreat will sort through these issues in a productive way.”

Families are grateful for the time to focus on one another, their goals and creating a path forward, she said.

“When you are away from the business and home in a retreat setting, your mindset shifts. The lodge will help the families focus on one another and will help break down communication barriers. Each family will have their own dedicated facilitator for three days to walk them through opportunities and challenges.”

Jorgensen said his family is excited to share their story with others. They recently joined the Prairie Family Business Association, and “I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.

“We’re going to attend the Annual Conference, and what interested me most is getting to expand beyond ag-related groups and talk with people who aren’t industry-specific. A family business is a family business, and running it well is running it well, whether you’re selling cattle or steel, so I’m looking forward to networking with other families.”

The retreat is held every two years and has brought significant value to those who have participated, Larscheid added.

“There are several businesses that were considering our last retreat in 2023 and did not attend,” she said.

“There are a few of those businesses who are in a vastly different position today than they were two years ago. Whether business has declined or they considered selling the family business, I believe their path would have been more secure and certain if they had invested in the Family Business Retreat. Families who say yes to the retreat are investing in the future of their family and their business.”

Space at the retreat is limited. To learn more and register, click here.