James Sellers was originally looking for 100 acres. A place to get outdoors, somewhere to hunt and fish and a retreat where his family and friends could experience some of the same things that had shaped his own life.

One hundred acres became several hundred. Several hundred became several thousand. When James came across a piece of property in Freestone County that he couldn’t stop thinking about, Sellmark Ranch began to take shape.

James is the founder and CEO of Sellmark Corporation, but his vision for Sellmark Ranch comes from experiences that began long before his career. He grew up enjoying the outdoors — hunting, fishing, spending time in the woods and on ranches, learning about animals and developing the skills that come from spending time outside.

Sellmark Ranch became a way to bring some of those experiences back into his life and, more importantly, share them with others. “What I love about the ranch is a place where my friends and family specifically can experience some of the things that I’ve had opportunity to experience,” James said. That’s particularly important to him when it comes to young people.

He wants them to have places where they can see lakes and streams, encounter wildlife, learn to fish and hunt, help with cattle and simply spend enough time outdoors to understand that people are part of the natural world around them. Those experiences, he believes, teach skills that carry far beyond the ranch.

“I think one of the things that will make this country stronger and better is if we have more people involved in the wild places as well as our agriculture,” James said.

Spend a morning with James on the ranch and it doesn’t take long to understand why the land matters so much to him. It’s the sun coming over the tree line, healthy grass, wildlife moving across the property, and the skies full of life. Even a drive across the ranch might mean coming across deer or hogs along the way.

Those moments have reinforced something James believes deeply about land ownership.

“It just makes you appreciate how beautiful and amazing nature is, and how valuable our land is,” he said. “That is something worth protecting. It’s something worth taking care of.”

For James, owning land isn’t simply about having somewhere to go, it comes with the responsibility to care for what is there. The cattle, wildlife, water, grass and woods all contribute to what makes the property special. Taking care of those resources means protecting the experience for the people who enjoy the ranch today and those who will experience it in the future.

What began as a search for a relatively small piece of land ultimately became something much larger than James originally envisioned, but the purpose behind it has remained remarkably simple.

Sellmark Ranch is a place to slow down. To learn how to do something with your hands. To get better at fishing or hunting. To help with the cattle. To watch the sun come over the trees and notice what’s moving through the grass. Most of all, it’s a place where James can share the experiences that helped shape him with the people he cares about.

What James has built on the ranch is a reminder of why owning rural property can mean so much more than owning acreage.