hArdwork ANd commitmeNt buiLd LAstiNg LegAcy At JeNseN trActor rANch

by cara clark with photos by andy dossett

When Dave Jensen began Jensen Tractor Ranch in 1986, he was mission-driven to provide service to farmers, ranch owners and neighbors, many of whom he had grown to know. At 85, Jensen has retired from running the business, but he still keeps an active pace.

Jensen turned the tractor company over to his son, Barry, who began working at the tractor ranch in 1987. He now runs it with business partner Rex Brown. But the family legacy is still very much alive. Barry’s wife Kim and son Jared are also active in the enterprise. And every day, the company founder stops by to pick up his mail and check in with the crew.

“He taught me an ethic of hard work,” Barry says, when asked about the secret to the success of the business, an integral part of the community. “I grew up working on cars and tractors with him. He taught me ranching and how to interact with longtime customers and make an honest living.”

Jensen learned his own strong ethic when he was in the construction industry as a young man building grain elevators, a career he stayed with for 20 years. When the company he worked for went through layoffs, Jensen began working on tractors, a familiar chore since he had always worked on cars.

“One thing led to another, and I took on the tractor dealership,” he says. “When I was in construction, I learned to work hard. I was brought up with a good work ethic, and in construction, you have to follow all the rules and regulations and get the job at hand and in good order. And then you have to leave a clean place when you get done.”

When Jensen began selling tractors, they were Fords, now branded New Holland, and he said over 36 years, it wasn’t always easy. Determination and a commitment to his customers helped him forge a path through the tough times as he built up his company’s name and reputation.

The company is now a full service dealer for New Holland Tractors and equipment as well as Skidsteers, Balers, Mowers and Rakes. The business sells and services Bush Hog, Rhino and Alamo Boom Mowers, Exmark ZTR mowers and Echo trimmers, blowers, chain and pole saws.

Establishing A Legacy

As a young man, Jensen was drafted in 1960 and spend two years in the military. He met his wife Jean in 1964 and the two married the following year and raised three children. After 53 years of marriage, his wife died in 2018. She had been an active part of the business as well.

Born and raised on a farm, Jensen knows the daily labors farmers face, making him a kindred spirit to customers. At one time, he ran cattle on his 80-plus acre property, and he still cuts and bales his own hay on 35 acres of the ranch.

“Having this land, we can try out the equipment right here,” Jensen says. “That’s really important on the used equipment. My grandson, Jared, is a mechanic at the business, and he knows all about how these machines.”

Now, Jensen concentrates his mechanical talents on his antique car collection, a longtime passion for the mechanic turned entrepreneur.

“I started working on cars in high school,” Jensen explains. “I had an old car I worked on over the years, and now I have gotten into Model As (1928-31 make). I restored four or five of those, then got into early V8s — the 33, 34, 35 models. That’s what I’m working on now I have

five cars restored here.”

Jensen shows his cars in the community and throughout the United States with other collectors. Barry said he actually drives them to most of the shows himself, rather than hauling them as many car owners do, illustrating his affection for the antique vehicles.

Jensen said the build of one of his favorite Fords makes it difficult to access, at times.

“The Model A’s are good cars, but they’re really compact,” Jensen says. “It’s getting hard for me to get in and out of them, but I drive them all the time when the weather is fit.”

Jensen is an active member of the Early Ford V8 Club of Tulsa, one of about 100 auto aficionados. The purpose of the club is to preserve and maintain Ford Motor Company vehicles for the model years 1932-1953.

“I think it’s just my nature to work on cars,” Jensen says. “I love making them run right and restoring them back to the original condition, or as near as I can. I like going to meetings, and our club has tours and get-togethers to talk about cars and go to shows.”

Tractor purchasers are looking at a serious commitment when they buy a durable good to work for the land for years to come – or even just a reliable mower to do the job. One of the things Jensen has passed on to his son is helping find exactly the right match for a customer.

“It’s getting them the right product that’s going to do what they want it to do, and it will last them a long time,” Barry says.

Jensen says the greatest reward is keeping the tractor ranch in the family and leaving his children and grandchildren a lasting legacy.

“It’s good to be able to compare notes when we have questions,” he says. “The best way to fix a problem is to help each other. And it’s important to be acquainted with what you are going to sell and what you represent. You need to believe in your product. It’s got to be a family affair really. It takes everybody working together to build up your reputation as a dealer.”

Jensen says he’s also appreciative of the community — a sort of extended family that has supported him and his business over the years.

“I like being involved in the community I’m part of, and I’ve been blessed over the years,” he says. “I’m going to bless my family and all my friends in my later years. Without them, I would never have made it. The store is in good hands, and I have some good help. That means a lot to me.”