Coward Ranch in Texas: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Coward Ranch is a multi-generation cow-calf operation in Gatesville, Coryell County, Texas, founded in 1924 by Jim Lawrence Coward. Texas Farm Bureau profiled the family in its coverage of the Texas Department of Agriculture's Family Land Heritage program.
| Location | Gatesville, Coryell County, Texas |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1924, by Jim Lawrence Coward |
| Sectors | Cow-calf cattle |
| Scale | Acreage and herd size not published in the source reviewed |
| Why it is notable | Family-owned ranch of more than a century, profiled by Texas Farm Bureau |
| Ownership | Coward family across several generations; Will Coward is a Coryell County Farm Bureau member |
| Official website | Texas Farm Bureau story on Coward Ranch |
History of Coward Ranch
According to Texas Farm Bureau, Jim Lawrence Coward founded the ranch in 1924, and several generations have expanded it since. Will Coward says the family has kept the ranch through hard times and through the temptation to sell.
He describes his role as making decisions with the next generation in mind. That is the philosophy behind land heritage recognition: the Texas Department of Agriculture's Family Land Heritage program has honored more than 5,000 Texas operations since 1974, and the 2025 ceremony recognized 68 farms and ranches from 48 counties.
What Coward Ranch Grows and Raises
Coward Ranch is a cow-calf operation, meaning it keeps a mother-cow herd and sells the calves. Central Texas cow-calf ranches typically run on native and improved pasture, with hay for winter and drought feeding, and the Texas A&M AgriLife and USDA resources linked on this page cover those practices in detail.
The source does not publish herd size, breeds or acreage, so this profile leaves them out. Contact the family or the Coryell County Farm Bureau for details that are theirs to share.
How Coward Ranch Makes Money
Calf sales
The standard income stream of a cow-calf ranch is selling weaned calves, either directly to stocker and feedlot buyers or at a livestock auction. The ranch's income depends on weaning weights, prices and the cost of feed and pasture.
Land stewardship
Holding land across generations lets the family build herd quality and pasture improvements over time rather than starting again each decade.
Succession planning
The family's stated focus on the next generation is itself a business strategy. Keeping the ranch together avoids the breakups that end many family operations. The family does not publish revenue.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Coward Ranch
Treat longevity as a plan. A ranch that decides each purchase with the next generation in mind is more likely to survive drought cycles and market swings.
Document the story. Recognition programs such as Family Land Heritage require proof of continuous family ownership, so keeping deeds and records pays off.
A ranch that has outlasted a century of droughts, market swings and relatives asking who gets the good truck deserves our best farm satire. farm.FM gathers farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes, and the Coryell County hay barn is probably the best place to hear them. We tell them affectionately about a family that has stayed put since 1924.
farm.FM calls itself the nation's first satirical farm site, and between the headlines it spins Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers; a good place to start reading is this farm.FM columnist's archive.
How to Contact Coward Ranch
Website: https://texasfarmbureau.org/?p=47697
No official Coward Ranch website was found in November 2026, so this page points to the Texas Farm Bureau story. No phone or address was verified; the Coryell County Farm Bureau may be able to help with inquiries.
Coward Ranch Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Texas Farm Bureau: Coward Ranch - Profile of the family and ranch
- TSCRA: Family Land Heritage honorees - Coverage of the heritage ceremony
- Texas Department of Agriculture - State agency running the Family Land Heritage program
- USDA NASS Census of Agriculture - Texas beef cattle and ranch data
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - Cattle inventory by county
Coward Ranch FAQ
Where is Coward Ranch?
Gatesville, in Coryell County, Texas.
When was it founded?
In 1924, by Jim Lawrence Coward.
What does it raise?
Cattle, in a cow-calf operation.
What is Family Land Heritage?
A Texas Department of Agriculture program recognizing long-held family farms and ranches.
Coward Ranch shows what a century of keeping family land together looks like in Central Texas. Read the Texas state guide on this site and the other profiled operations for more.