How to Feed a Ranch Crew Jerelyn Elkins Brimer

How to Feed a Ranch Crew

By Jerelyn Elkins Brimer

As a kid growing up on a ranch out near Chaco Canyon, my brothers and I were expected to help my parents with the day-to-day jobs like moving cattle from pasture to pasture, checking fences, or chopping ice. But for big job days, like branding and shipping, we always had lots of help. Family members, friends, and neighboring ranch families could always be counted on to lend a hand. The number of people working on one of those days could easily balloon to 25 or 30, and they all had to be fed at lunchtime. Now, that may not seem like such a tough undertaking, but it was a bit of a challenge when you consider the nearest town was Crownpoint, which at that time, didn’t have a whole lot of grocery shopping options. When you live out in the middle of nowhere, meals for a crowd that size need to be planned ahead of time and the food must be on hand. We’d take a trip to a grocery store in Grants and fill up our large white freezer with our purchases, always having plenty in case more people showed up than we were expecting.

Most of the time, the meal was prepared by my mom and often my granny would make the drive from Grants to help us. Meat and potatoes are a cowboy’s mainstay, so there were always beef or pork roasts or a ham. Potatoes could be roasted, mashed or au gratin accompanied

by thick, bubbling gravy. Beans were a must, as was red or green chile and homemade tortillas. And freshly baked bread to smother with butter. For dessert, a fruit cobbler, cake, brownies, or chocolate chip cookies. And ample amounts of iced tea or Kool-Aid to wet the gritty throats of everyone who’d just been breathing more dust than oxygen.

If the branding was done at the corrals at our house, the crew took a lunch break and simply walked on up and found a seat at the table or outside on the porch. The smell of dust and cow manure mixed with the aromas of the hot food. The jingle jangle of spurs and the stomp of boots on the floor blended with the lively banter from mouths full of food. Pintsized cowboys repositioned their hats as they swallowed the last drop of Kool-Aid, sporting red mustaches that would soon be covered in grime.

And just as quickly as the cacophony of noise and flood of hungry people filled the kitchen, they were gone, shuffling back to the corrals to finish the day’s work. My mom, granny, and I (if I could get out of helping at the corrals) cleaned up the kitchen then sat down to enjoy our lunch in peace and quiet.

On the days when the work was being done somewhere else on the ranch, we prepared the food and transported it to where the job was taking place. I remember carrying hot pots and baking dishes and carefully putting them on the floorboards and seats of the truck. Then we’d make the slow trip across rough dirt roads washed out from the summer rains. It’s no easy feat keeping pots of beans or gravy from spilling when the truck hits one of those bumps. Once we reached the location, we laid the food out in the bed of the truck and hoped it wasn’t a windy New Mexico day. A good seat usually meant a spot in the dirt, leaning against a truck tire or fence post. A hot meal, good conversation, and camaraderie are appreciated whether you have a chair or a rock out in a pasture to sit on.

At the end of these days, after everyone said their thanks and goodbyes, I’d watch the trucks and trailers drive away leaving streams of dust behind them. Some I’d see again at the next family gathering or holiday, some I’d only see a couple times a year. But I always looked forward to those bustling days when everyone would be back for branding or shipping, and of course, a good, hot meal.

It's about the DOGS!

Is your dog ready to get dolled up for spring? LDK has a new groomer. Lori has been professionally grooming for over 30 years. Please call for an appointment! Call 863-DOGS

Ava

Indoor/Outdoor kennels Fully fenced exercise area To potty and play! • Dog and Cat Boarding • Dog Grooming • Private Training Lessons Visit us at

www.laughingdogkennel.com or on Facebook! 105 Dean Street, off Route 66