“You mean you’re certified organic, both on the cattle and the grass?” Former Wall Street Investment Banker was incredulous. “What the heck for?” “The consumer wants the whole picture. They want to know for certain that their food is clean—and for cattle, that’s from birth to finish. That means free of chemicals of any kind,” […]
Between Fire and Ice
Dear Friends We were hiking high up in the wilds of the remote North Fork of Hat Creek. It was Sam and Jess, the two summer range riders, and I. We were on a quest to inspect some of the farthest reaches of barbed wire boundary fence on our grazing ranges. It was a beautiful […]
Ode to the Belle
Dear Friends Sometimes saying goodbye to an old friend is just the right thing. It was one of those winter afternoons where I was walking through the cattle earlier this week, and it had spit snow all day. The wind was up a little, and the breeze was sharpening, as the sun finally crept out […]
The Way of Human, Horse, and Hay
Dear Friends. “Pet.” I looked at her as I spoke, and the mare’s ears rotated back as she heard her name. In response, the big Belgian leaned forward into the great leather collar, conveying true horse power to the thick cowhide tugs behind her. There was a brief jingle at the beginning of the pull, […]
Lessons from These Times
Dear Friends and Partners. Interesting times, these. It seems just several weeks ago all that we heard about on the media was concerning the health of the planet; climate change dominated conversations then. Now, the focus has changed to something quite close: the health of us. And it has got all of our attention. Most […]
War on the Ranch
Dear Friends and Partners I took slow and deliberate steps up through the powdery deep snow, while trying not to crack the brush. I was exhausted. It was all I could do to maintain silence in the thick rosebriars, bright in the moonlight. I checked my watch by that same light: 2:24 AM. It was […]