A rancher is more than the open range. Being a rancher is more than a horse, saddles, ropes and jeans. Ranching is his passion for being in the pasture despite a relentless sun beating down on him under the shelter of his brimmed hat.

It’s using his iPhone to check on the status of his calves. It’s the wisdom of generations behind his eyes that will sustain the land and future generations that will hope to call these wild field homes.

He'll use these fields and cattle to teach his children to be good to the land. And they’ll be better for it. Because after all, he is a rancher. He doesn’t just work on the land. He’s committed to it. His cattle aren’t just his paycheck, they’re his heartfelt responsibility.

Being a rancher is so much more than what you do on the ranch. It’s about who you are and what you become as you work the land and livestock.

For people like Matt Perrier from Greenwood County, ranching could never be his job description. It’s much more. Ranching is woven into the very fabric of who he his as a man, husband and father.

This story is part of Scott Stebner's "Kansas Farmer" coffee-table book featuring the folks who grow our food, fuel and fiber. To learn more about the project, go here.