S

ince its inception in 1909, 44 Farms has been built on values such as faith, backbreaking work and a powerful sense of commitment to family and community put in place by founders Sherwood and Josie McClaren.

These values have served as family watchwords for four generations of McClarens, including 44 Farms CEO Robert “Bob” McClaren.

Born in College Station, TX and raised in the Dallas suburb of Grand Prairie, Bob had a connection to his family agrarian roots from childhood. Though his life consisted of the usual suburban activities of American youth – school, sports, chores and church – Bob also grew up reading the Angus Journal and drawing inspiration from his time spent over several summers at both sets of grandparents’ home in Cameron, TX.

Displaying an interest and aptitude in business, Bob pursued a career in corporate law and professional sports management after studying accounting at the University of Texas at Arlington and receiving his law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law.

After working several years with his legal mentor Toby Goodman, Bob became the General Counsel for McLane Company, Inc. in 1989. McLane Company, led by Texas entrepreneur and business legend Drayton McLane, provided Bob the opportunity to pursue one of his strong interests – the grocery business in an high energy environment and with a company led by a strong leader. Shortly after arriving at McLane Company, Bob played a key role in the company’s merger with another famous entrepreneur, Sam Walton and Wal-Mart.

In 1994, Drayton McLane asked Bob to take on another position of leadership – the President of Business Operations for the Houston Astros Baseball Club. He quickly became a leader in the campaign to build a new ballpark in downtown Houston. Once campaigning was complete in 1996, the work began to design, construct and finally the open Houston’s downtown retractable roof ballpark. Bob was quoted on Opening Day 2000 to say, “this is absolutely a wonderful day. Seeing our fans look around at this beautiful new ballpark with such astonished looks on their faces is priceless. Just look at the boys and girls pointing out to their parents the different areas of interests. All who are here will forever remember this amazing Opening Day.”

Minute Maid Park continues to be credited with revitalizing Houston’s downtown. Today, more people live, work and shop in downtown Houston than ever before. And the Astros have a great home for decades to come.

After experiencing record attendance and continued success on the field, Bob’s role turned more consultative in 2002. He left the day-to-day activities with the club to become a key leader in the formation of a television joint venture between the Astros and the Houston Rockets, which was later sold to Comcast. His consultative work continued all the way through Drayton McLane’s 18-year ownership until the sale of the franchise in 2010 for $680 million – the second highest selling price for a MLB club in history.

It was during these years consulting with the Astros and representing NBA players, professional baseball players and coaches that Bob’s focus began to turn back to his ancestral roots and the Little River farmlands in Cameron.

A

 professional life dedicated to the advancement and promotion of the Angus breed. From showing cattle as a youth; to becoming a top herdsman; to running a large Angus operation; to operating his own sale cattle management & real estate business, to his present position at 44 Farms… Doug’s life has inspired and helped many along the way. 

Doug and his wife, Gracie, have two children, Drew and Will. Upon graduation from college in 2011, Drew joined the Peace Corps and was immediately dispatched to the rural Kolomo District of Zambia as a Rural Agriculture Promotion Volunteer. 

T

racy Woods is a cow man. A cowboy devoted to his calling and craft. Fueled by an admiration of cattlemen who have gone before him and a passion for the land and livestock, Tracy lives his life with a unique sense of adventure and wonder of God’s creation on display. 

He lives and works in tandem with nature in an honorable partnership. He seems undaunted by the heavy morning air in Central Texas, the blistering afternoon sun or even the blinding dust. The only thing he enjoys more than spending the day on horseback and caring for cattle is teaching his young boys the same.

I

f you are familiar with Luke Jenkins of 44 Farms, you’ll know that he is “The Doctor of Agronomy.” Luke has earned accolades for his ability to bring life and performance to athletic playing fields, corn fields, hay pastures…

Right from his beginnings on a farm in rural southern Louisiana, the path of Luke’s life alighted on touchstone after touchstone of Americana. He was a gifted athlete. He put his great communication skills to work as he persuaded his sweetheart, Becky, to be his wife. He took his university education right back where it belonged, his beloved LSU. The Doctor of Agronomy was entrusted with all of the athletic playing fields at LSU, including that stretch of hallowed landscape known as Death Valley.

From LSU, he became the steward of the turf that carries the load for the multi-million dollar NFL players of the New Orleans Saints. If the turf isn’t perfect, “NFL” can mean “Not For Long” for players. Accountable to famous coaches like Jim Mora and Mike Ditka, he quickly developed a reputation for athletic turf innovation and management.

I

n 1989, Gus McCrae, one of the most engaging and brave characters of the Old West, walked off the television and into our lives. Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call, two former Texas Rangers in Larry McMurtry’s miniseries Lonesome Dove, organized one last adventure, a 2,500 mile cattle drive from Texas to Montana. They battled the environment, thieves, Indians and many other dangers, yet they accomplished their goal and their friendship remained strong.

Many people wonder where men like Gus and Woodrow are today. Well, one is James Burks, the General Manager of 44 Farms. James is constantly asked if he is Robert Duvall because he looks so much like Gus McCrae. The resemblance to Gus is amazing, the toughness of each man is a perfect match and they each faced many of the same dangers and trials.