Ben Gotschall is the Policy and Research Director for the Organization for Competitive Markets, and brings with him a lifetime of agricultural experience as well as a background in organizing, research and writing.
Ben was born and raised on a cattle ranch in the Sandhills of southwest Holt County, Nebraska, and is a 5th-generation rancher who spent many hours as a child guessing cattle weights at the Atkinson Livestock Market where his grandpa Dean was the order buyer. Although most of his occupations have been agricultural, he has also published a full-length book of poetry and taught college English. Ben previously worked as the Energy and Agriculture Director for Bold Nebraska. He has been a past county and district president of the Nebraska Farmers Union, where he now serves on the board of directors.
Ben currently lives near Raymond, Nebraska, with his wife Tammy and their daughter Charlotte. Together they own Davey Road Ranch and operate Holt Creek Jerseys, a dairy cattle and genetics business. Ben is a founding owner of Lone Tree Foods, a local-food wholesale and distribution company serving the Lincoln and Omaha areas.