How One Family Found Happiness By Swapping City Life For A Ranching Adventure

If you ask Brittany Johnson to explain how her family got into cattle ranching, she might give you a beautiful poetic answer like, “We packed up our kids, moved four hours East across the State, and left everything we had ever known to start a life we had never lived."

Or she might say, “My husband Keith got me a Highland heifer for Mother’s Day 2020.”

That heifer was just the beginning; this gift set in motion a series of events leading Brittany and Keith Johnson to realize that the life they wanted was much different than the one they were living. As it turns out, happiness was waiting just four hours to the East on a ranch where they would create a new life, a place they lovingly deemed Hillside Highland.

Ranching life has fully captivated the Johnsons, and their decision to embrace this unconventional path has turned their lives into a grand adventure. Brittany’s eyes sparkle and a smile dances across her beautiful face as she explains to Scary Mommy that this unconventional life provides her children, daughter Landyn and son Sawyer, “the freedom to be kids.” Peace radiates within their home. The family is truly happy here.

Of course, their commitment to living off the beaten path and immersing themselves in the world of cattle ranching is not without challenges. As a matter of fact, it would be truly impossible without the right equipment. Every morning, Brittany and Keith load their powerful Ford F-150® Truck with the tools and equipment necessary to keep Hillside Highland running smoothly.

The Ford F-150 Truck is designed to get things done. During calving season, the truck transforms into a capable cattle nursery cart. Brittany can swiftly reach a heifer in labor, equipped with everything she needs to tag, photograph, and ensure the safety of the newborn calf.

For the Johnsons, cattle ranching is a family business. With its unique design, the new available Pro Access Tailgate* on the 2024 F-150 pickup offers more accessibility to the truck bed than a conventional tailgate. Being able to load and unload tools, firewood, or hay quickly leaves more time for Brittany and Keith to show Sawyer and Landyn the ranching ropes.

Keith and the kids are often found patrolling their land’s perimeter, ensuring the integrity of their fences. The Ford F-150 Truck’s innovative available Pro Power Onboard** serves as a built-in generator with enough power to run all the tools needed for the fence repairs. With the 2.4kW Pro Power Onboard and a full gas tank, the Johnsons can bring along everything they need to tackle repairs on the spot. No cattle can escape the ranch on the family’s watch!

Surrounded by the beauty of Hillside Highland, the Johnson family has found not just a livelihood but a way of life. Not just a source of income but a source of joy. The decision to leave the familiarity of city life for the unpredictability of ranching has given the Johnsons a chance to create the life they’ve imagined, growing closer to their dreams with each sunrise on their new horizon.