The thermometer said zero, though it sometimes lied. It was eleven o' clock at night, and I was gearing up to go outside. Long johns, muck boots, wool socks, wool sweater, wool vest. Hat, headlamp, and gloves. The kids were all asleep upstairs, and Ethan was on a work trip in Northern Idaho. The …
On Trusting…the Cow
Melanie was the one who spotted her. Her tag number was A343--and she was trying to break away from the herd. They had already been horseback trailing the herd of 480 cattle for several hours, covering a few miles of switchbacks on the old logging road that meandered across miles of otherwise …
When the Tater Tanks
"You're usually a glass half full person, Tom. What's up? Is everything ok?" I was on the phone with my ag banker. We've been with their banking co-op for over 25 years and have always had a really good relationship. Notably, as an ag bank, they envisioned the success of an organic beef …
Change On the Peace Trail
"Clyde. ELK! Now." The back of the SUV erupts. I can hear his nose hit the window. "You see them?" Tail wags. Eyes, nose pointing tensed to a quivering focus on the object: A herd of elk in the distant meadow, about a half mile away. Their light-copper coats mantled with …
Farming on Thin Ice
Checking my rope, I gasped a little at the sunrise-splashed view to my left. A near-vertical drop of about four thousand feet was less than a step away. Despite that, I felt fairly safe. My climbing boots were solid on the ledge, and I was roped in. The howling, 70-mile-per-hour wind that kept us …
The Door Opened, I Ran
Hello, My name is Wesley Littleton. My wife Maddy and I are transitioning into ownership of the Alderspring beef distribution. I know that sentence alone can sound a bit intimidating—especially for those of you who have been part of this community for 20+ years. Because of that, I believe it’s …