Adam Felesky
When Adam Felesky’s fellow classmates left the University of Lethbridge with their finance degrees, it’s likely a significant portion of them ventured into a world of suits, ties and briefcases.
Felesky, on the other hand, went straight home to don a pair of blue jeans, some cowboy boots and pretty much anything he doesn’t mind seeing extremely dirty.
Felesky is a rancher. He’s been a rancher all his life, and when he left home several years ago to further his education, he did not do so with the intention of moving on for good. He left in order to better himself so that when he came home, he could become the best possible rancher he could be.
“I just wanted to get a little different perspective and maybe bring in a bit of my own knowledge into the operation,” says Felesky. “I think sometimes ranches get handed down and then people don’t really get off of them to see what the real world is like.
“They maybe just assume that because they were taught something one way that that’s how it should work and how the ranch should be managed. But my parents always encouraged me to get out there and do something other than ranching for a period of time. For me, that was going to school.”
But when that was over, Felesky was itching to get back to doing what he knows best. He moved home to Medicine Hat, built a house and then went back to work on the family ranch, Poker Cattle Inc.
City dwellers may not realize it but a truckload of finance knowledge is a perfect fit for a rancher. Felesky is able to utilize both the skills he’s spent a lifetime acquiring as well as the tools he acquired in university.
A typical workday at this time of year consists of waking up early, checking cattle and tagging any calves born in the night. Then Felesky heads into the office to spend a couple of hours studying various markets and futures, takes care of a little stock
27
trading and then heads right back out to check cattle.
“I love it. My job’s not repetitive at all,” says Felesky. “There’s always something different. Maybe at certain times of the year it can be the same thing over and over but after a couple of months, you’re done haying or done calving. It’s kind of nice that way.”
At just 27 years old, Felesky has already secured himself an education, a home and a solid business. With his dad starting to phase out of the ranch, it won’t be too long before the young Felesky takes over for good.
His goal is to see the ranch grow in both size and in profits, a vision he has put himself in a great position to see to fruition. Until then, he’ll just continue to enjoy the good life.
TOP 40 UNDER FORTY | 31
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44