Rancher, speaker, business owner, entertainer, family man, caterer, chef, YouTube channel host, and chuck wagon connoisseur... Justin Jackson has his plate full. Literally.
I first met Justin in 2023 during the Harvest Festival at Silver Dollar City (SDC) in Branson, Missouri. He’s back at the SDC Cowboy Camp this year, joined with famed actor and artist, Buck Taylor, and many others.
Legendary actor and artist, Buck Taylor, is always a crowd favorite at Silver Dollar City.
Last year we talked a lot about one of my favorite topics, old wagons. During that time, I was able to help identify his wagon running gear as one built by the Thornhill Wagon Company in Lynchburg, Virginia. That dissection of old vehicles is a habit that follows me everywhere. This year, I wanted to spend a little more time with him to find out how he got involved with chuck wagon cooking and what drives that passion.
Justin Jackson says that one of his most favorite TV westerns is 'Rawhide' due to the authenticity of the show. He was also complimentary of Paul Brinegar's portrayal of the chuck wagon cook, 'Wishbone.'
While he’s owned his wagon for about a decade, he’s been cooking with cast iron three times that long. It’s a pastime that began in high school and was encouraged by his family. According to Justin, his first cooking lessons came from his grandmother. Later, while researching a topic for a term paper, he stumbled upon the story of an 1860's rancher by the name of Charles Goodnight, who is credited with blazing the first cattle drive north from Texas as well as simultaneously inventing the chuck wagon. For those not familiar with the term, ‘chuck,’ it’s just another word for food. As Justin puts it, the chuck wagon is the original food truck, a true kitchen-on-wheels. As he dove into the Goodnight story, he was fascinated with the tenacity, inventiveness, and lifestyle of the first ‘cow-boys.’ Everything about the legendary history seemed to reinforce his own ranching heritage and love for the West.
As he grew in his early culinary lessons, he began to grill, smoke, and cook even more outside. By his own admission, he’s made plenty of mistakes. But, from deer camp to countless other gatherings, he’s learned that anything you can cook on or in your gas or electric stove at home, you can make over a fire with cast iron. His modest presentation is like that of any professional as he makes it look easy. Clearly, though, there's a lot of work and Dutch oven experience at play. Nonetheless, his gentle, enthusiastic persona continually draws crowds to listen, learn, and enjoy the fruits of his labor.
When it comes to his own cooking expertise, he mentioned that in all of his culinary pursuits, he’s never burned anything. After a slight pause, he turned his eyes toward me and slipped a sly smile, admitting that, well, he has had some things turn out ‘pretty well done.’ Nonetheless, he refuses to use the ‘B’ word in cowboy camp. It’s a good tone of encouragement and that’s exactly the nature of his presentations. He says that, “folks should have a good time and enjoy the process of trial and error. After all, it’s just part of learning and discovery.”
Justin will be appearing at Silver Dollar City through October 26, 2024... basically every day of the Harvest Festival. The park is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Each of the other days, though, you’ll find him in camp, talking about the cattle drive era, wagons, chuck wagon terms, recipes, and teaching others how to make the smooth, unmatched taste of cowboy coffee.
With the help of his family, Justin runs the Horse Pen Ranch in Poteau, Oklahoma. He also owns several learning centers (Learning RX) with his wife, Janissa. He’s Vice President of the American Chuck Wagon Association and is currently planning the annual meeting which will take place in Ft.Smith, Arkansas November 1-2, 2024. For more details on this event and many more, check out the association’s website at https://amchuckwagon.wordpress.com/
If you’d like to know more about Justin’s cooking, recipes, and other activities, check out the videos posted to his Horse Pen Ranch channel on YouTube. In the meantime, the 2024 Harvest Festival continues at Silver Dollar City through most of October. From the rides, water parks, shows, crafts, food, and music, this is an incredible destination and great place to share amazing memories with family and friends. Take it from someone fortunate enough to live close, it’s a superb experience, especially when fall is in the air.
One last thought... According to Justin, his whole effort at SDC and other events is to help preserve the era and heritage of the chuck wagon. His message is compelling, especially when he recounts how so many of today’s industries hinge on the cattle drives of yesterday. He said, “Think about it... the western heritage we enjoy today... the cowboy boots, western hats, western wear in general, rodeos, music, westerns on TV and the movies...it all started with people needing food. That need is what caused so many Texas cattle to be driven north to railheads and ranches as well as the parallel invention of the chuck wagon with its chuck box. It's a lifestyle that people enjoy the world over but it began, right here, in this country.” From cowboy coffee to Home on the Range, as he pointed out in our visit, “It’s An American Thing!”
Ps. 20:7
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