"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 …
The Range of Java
Cowboy coffee. It's a thing. And it is a necessary fact of life and living on the range. I've tried making it at home. There, it is simply stupid. I mean, I'm surrounded by the trappings and gadgetry of home; Christmas gifts given of espresso machines and mocha pots, the Cuisinart, Ninja and even …
Why Cows are Called Dams
Drowning wasn't a cause of death that I thought I'd ever have to deal with in beef cattle. I have had cows and calves go completely under water when sending the herd across the Salmon River at high water, but they all bobbed back up like corks, blowing snot out of their noses when they broke back to …