“A beautifully photographed portrait of a ranching family and their life in the Texas Hill Country, Hillingdon Ranch chronicles how one family has worked together over many years to keep their ranch intact. In learning about the family’s successes and challenges, readers will gain a greater appreciation of what the Giles family’s efforts mean to the rest of us: food, fiber, clean air, wildlife, healthy land, peace and quiet, and, perhaps most important of all, clean and plentiful water.” Texas A&M University Press

Hillingdon Ranch: Four Seasons, Six Generations is packed full of quotable text.  Content from the book is used throughout this website as indicated by the blue italicized font.  These are a few of the author’s favorite quotes not used elsewhere on this site.

Hillingdon Ranch Book Quotes

“The health of our natural resources depends on stewardship.  And stewardship needs stewards.  As our population shifts toward almost complete urbanization, keeping open spaces open and productive will become increasingly difficult.  As citizens, we must recognize the contributions of places like Hillingdon Ranch and people like the Giles family to the well-being of everyone.” David K. Langford

“Whether or not a ranch remains profitable and in production hinges on a million ever changing factors, ranging from livestock genetics and international markets to local weather and the national economy.  Decisions made in Austin and Washington play out in the pasture and ranch families must manage it all if they are going to continue living the life they love.”  David K. Langford

“We pay attention to what is going on around us and trying to work with nature’s rhythms instead of against them.” Grant Giles

“This land means more to me that I can put into words.” One of Langford’s cousins  

“When it is all said and done, ranching comes down to managing relationships. In this business, you’ve got to maintain the relationship between family and friends, you’ve got to sustain the relationships between you and the land, you’ve got to recognize the relationships between all of the natural resources, and you’ve got to balance the successes of the past with the challenges of the future. It’s not easy, but it’s rewarding when you get it right.” Robin Giles

“To be successful in ranching, you have to contend with the forces of nature, finding and striking a balance wherever you are. Conception, birth and death aren’t abstract concepts in the natural world, but the stark reality, every day.” Robin Giles