Community Innovators: EP.1 - Buck & Lindsay of Cattle Craft

At US Caster & Wheel, we’ve always believed business isn’t just about parts — it’s about people.

The thinkers, the doers, and the builders who wake up each day determined to create something that matters.

Few embody that spirit better than Buck and Lindsay, founders of Cattle Craft — a husband-and-wife team reinventing the cattle chute and showing what it means to build with purpose.

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Innovation Born on the Ranch

The idea sparked on a ranch one ordinary day.

Buck watched a veterinarian — a woman weighing maybe 130 pounds — struggle to adjust a 150-pound steel arm on a traditional Hydraulic cattle chute. Every movement demanded her full body weight. The machine roared with the constant growl of a gas engine, so loud it rattled the metal panels and drowned out every word.

And that wasn’t even the worst part.

If something broke, it couldn’t simply be repaired. Ranchers had to cut into the steel frame, grind through welds, and rebuild the section from scratch — all just to replace one worn component. After a few hundred thousand head of cattle, those same critical parts would wear out again, restarting the exhausting, time-consuming cycle.

It was heavy, loud, inefficient, and built for a time long past.

To understand the problem, it helps to know what a cattle chute really is. A cattle chute is a critical piece of equipment used to safely hold and restrain cattle for vaccinations, branding, or medical care. Traditional chutes are built from heavy-gauge steel and powered by loud engines, operated through bulky valve blocks on arms that can weigh over a hundred and fifty pounds. They’re built tough — but not always smart.

For decades, these machines have prioritized strength over usability, leaving ranchers and veterinarians — especially women entering the field — to battle unnecessary weight, noise, and complexity. The technology hasn’t changed much since the 90’s.

Buck stood there, watching, thinking:

“Why hasn’t this been made better?”

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From Idea to Innovation

Over the next 5–6 weeks, Buck couldn’t shake the question. He sketched, researched, and experimented — determined to find a smarter solution.

His digging led him to a patent filed in West Texas over 20 years ago — one that had since been abandoned. The concept was similar, but the execution had been impossible at the time because battery technology was still in its infancy. Power packs then were massive and wouldn’t have even fit in the cattle chute. 20 years ago batteries were also very expensive, and inefficient.

Today, everything has changed.

Advances in several industries have driven battery costs down from $5,000 to about $1,500 — small enough to fit in a cattle chute, and strong enough to power it.

That realization marked the beginning of Cattle Craft’s R&D journey.

Buck and Lindsay spent the next year refining their vision. The first prototype took two and a half months to complete. The second? Just two and a half weeks. Each iteration brought them closer to the perfect balance of strength, simplicity, and performance — and they’re still working to iron out the final details before bringing their design to market.

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Smarter by Design

Their patent-pending, battery-powered, solar-assisted portable cattle chute eliminates many pain points ranchers and livestock vets have been living with for decades.

It runs quietly — no deafening engine. The 150-pound arm is now set to move effortlessly by remote control, and every component is easily repairable without ever needing to cut into steel.

It’s cleaner. Smarter. Easier to maintain.

Built for the modern rancher who values both performance and safety — especially for on-duty livestock veterinarians, 80% of whom entering the field today are women who often face challenges using traditional cattle chutes.

One company’s progress made another company’s breakthrough possible.

That’s how innovation works — and how communities grow stronger through connection, courage, and shared purpose.

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Faith Meets Grit

Starting from scratch isn’t for the faint of heart.

It takes more than skill — it takes conviction. The kind of grit that wakes you before sunrise, faith that holds you upright when the plan falls apart, and courage to keep walking when the path ahead isn’t clear.

“Buck gets anxiety — it’s what fuels him,” Lindsay says with a smile. “I give it to God. I trust Him with all of it.”

That balance — his fire and her faith — is the heartbeat of Cattle Craft. It’s what steadies them through sleepless nights, 3 a.m. spreadsheets, and the weight of building something no one’s ever built before.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

— Colossians 3:23–24 (NIV)

That verse isn’t just ink on a page — it’s what comes to mind after talking with Buck and Lindsay. You can feel it in the way they speak, see it in the way they work. Every weld, every design, every risk they take is done with their whole heart — an act of faith expressed through excellence. They’ve built more than a company; they’ve built a family that believes in showing up fully — in giving their best to every task, every time.

They saw a problem too big to ignore — and turned it into a calling.

With the kind of investment that could buy a home in most places, they chose instead to build something that could outlast them: a future for their family, strength for their community, and dignity for the people who keep rural America running.

“We want to create something good for ranchers, our family, and our community,” Buck says. “Something that gives people a reason to stay — and gives our family the freedom to live life on their own terms.”

For Buck and Lindsay, success isn’t measured in profit.

It’s measured in purpose.

In faith forged into motion — the quiet, unshakable kind that builds legacies and reminds the rest of us what calling really looks like.

When the Phone Rings, It Matters

When Cattle Craft was still just an idea, Buck called around to suppliers looking for the right caster solutions. He called two or three places but wasn’t impressed. Most didn’t bother to follow up.

Until he called US Caster & Wheel.

“The biggest surprise is how few vendors care,” Buck said. “US Caster did what they said they’d do — and they followed up. You don’t find that often.”

That kind of partnership — built on listening, problem-solving, and genuine care — helped them move their vision from drawing board to working prototype.

And that’s exactly what we believe in, too.

When the phone rings, it’s not just business.

It’s a chance to serve.

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Lessons From the Ranch (and Life)

At thirteen, I (Jordan) was shot with a rifle.

Surviving wasn’t the story — purpose was.

That experience shaped the way I see life, work, and service. It’s why stories like Buck and Lindsay’s matter to me. They remind us that building something meaningful starts with people who are willing to endure discomfort, chase hard problems, and lead with conviction.

Because real success isn’t just about profit.

It’s about people, purpose, and freedom.

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For Dreamers, Doers & Builders

“Fear is healthy,” Buck says. “Don’t run from it — use it. Do it the right way, for the right reasons.”

And Lindsay adds,

“Time’s the only thing you can’t make more of. Choose how you spend it — for someone else, or for your family.”

So whatever you’re building — give it a go.

If it fails, so what? You tried.

And trying is how legacies start.

In the corner of Buck and Lindsay’s living room sits a chalkboard that’s been there since their kids were little. Across the top, it reads in big block letters:

“I want to be exceptional.”

That’s not just a saying — it’s the family standard.

Buck puts it simply:

“I’m obsessed with being the best. I’ve raised my kids to give their all — whether they’re cutting lawns or running companies, you do it with everything you’ve got.”

Because being exceptional isn’t about ego.

It’s about honor, effort, and living with purpose — the same values that power every weld, every design, every act of faith behind Cattle Craft.

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About Cattle Craft

Cattle Craft is a husband-and-wife–run company redefining the cattle chute with innovation, simplicity, and heart. Their patent-pending, battery-powered, solar-assisted chute reduces strain, eliminates noise, and gives ranchers and livestock vets a smarter, safer, more efficient way to work — especially considering that 80% of large livestock veterinarians entering the field today are women.

 Follow their journey on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.

@cattlecraft

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About US Caster & Wheel

We’ve been proud to partner with Buck and Lindsay from day one — helping them find the right wheels for their invention and cheering them on as they’ve turned vision into reality.

At US Caster & Wheel, we believe in more than great products — we believe in great people.

Because when the phone rings, it matters.

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Follow the Series

Community Innovators is our way of shining light on the dreamers, builders, and believers who turn big ideas into real-world impact.

If stories like Buck and Lindsay’s inspire you, follow along — more incredible innovators are coming soon.

 Subscribe to our blog below or follow US Caster & Wheel on social to catch the next story

@uscasterandwheel

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Author’s Note

Written by Jordan DeMiero - husband, entrepreneur, and co-owner of US Caster & Wheel LLC.

This story is part of the Community Innovators series — a project dedicated to honoring the makers, builders, and thinkers who remind us what real purpose looks like.

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