Western Ag Life Magazine Winter 2019

WINTER 2019 OUR STORY

FALL 2019

STYLE WITH MACKENZIE KIMBRO WESTERN AG LIFE WITH NICOLE BAGGARLEY

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ARIZONA ANGUS INVITATIONAL SALE @ Marana Stockyards FEBRUARY 29, 2020 BULLS FROM 2 SOURCES: *TRADITIONAL RANGE-READY

*THE SOUTHWEST BULL TEST

Featuring: *Heifer bulls *Growth bulls

Contacts: Clay Parsons 520-444-7650

*Carcass Merit

Susan Wilson-Sanders: drsue@dakotacom.net

*Feed efficiency

SAVE THE DATE!

LAZY S RANCH WILLCOX, LLC Registered Angus Bulls and Females for Sale: Call 520-306-1574 Bulls available Private Treaty at the ranch and featured at the Angus Invitational and Prescott Angus Sales.

Bulls for 2020 sired by these and others:

Byergo Big Easy 2601

CED+11 BW-.7 $EN+11 $M+83

Jindra Megahit

CED+11BW+.4 WW+95 YW+162

MGR Treasure

EXAR Cowboy Up 7575 B

BW-1.2 WW+66 YW+130 $G+77 CED+14 WW+81 YW+121 $W+88

Selling Bulls with combinations of the following traits: Heifer safe, high growth, strong feed efficiency, high maternal efficiency, high carcass merit.

2410 N. Willow Ranch Rd. Tucson, AZ 85749 info@westernaglife.com www.westernaglife.com 520-808-1229

Western Ag Life Paul Ramirez, Publisher Paul@westernaglife.com

Dean Fish, Ph.D., Sales Consultant Dean@westernaglife.com Heidi Crnkovic, New Mexico Rep hscrnkovic@gmail.com Renée Bidegain, Creative info@westernaglife.com Madison Ramirez, Subscriptions info@westernaglife.com SPECIAL THANKS TO THESE 2019 WINTER ISSUE CONTRIBUTORS ARTICLES

Amber Morin Tiffany Selchow Patrick Bray Aaron Downey Mackenzie Kimbro Kate Sanchez Ben Forbes Heidi Crnkovic Dean Fish Nicole Baggarley Patina Thompson Thomas K. Kelly Tamra S. Kelly Steven D. Pendleton Joel Johnson Janice Bryson Ashlee Mortimer Jane Eppinga PHOTOGRAPHY

Carmen McConnel Angelina Cornidez Photography Kate Sanchez MM Ramesey Images Guy Atchley Jenny Sweazea Rocking P Photography Empire Ranch Foundation © WESTERN AG LIFE MEDIA LLC

While every effort has been made for the accuracy of content, those listed above are not responsible for any errors or omissions appearing within the pages of this issue.

IN THIS ISSUE: A KNIFEMAKER’S STORY :: BY AMBER MORIN.........................................................................5 WESTERN READS :: AARON DOWNEY.........................................................................................8 WESTERN STYLE GUIDE :: WHAT TO WEAR FOR WINTER.............................................. 12 TOOLS OF THE TRADE :: GEAR FOR THE WORKING COWBOY................................... 14 FROM THE KITCHEN :: PERFECT PRIME RIB ROAST......................................................... 16 YOUTH :: MESCALERO STEER PROGRAM................................................................................ 20 TRUE GRIT :: DEAN FISH................................................................................................................. 22

I LIVE THE WESTERN LIFESTYLE :: NICOLE BAGGARLEY................................................. 24 THE LIFE OF A RANCH WIFE :: BIG BAY HORSE.................................................................. 30 AT LAW :: CHECKERBOARD LANDS AND ADVERSE GRAZING.....................................32 CONSERVATION :: REGENERATING AGRI-CULTURE........................................................ 38

WESTERN AG LIFE MARKETPLACE .............................................................................................37 HISTORY :: THE EMPIRE RANCH................................................................................................ 46

SPRING 2020 ISSUE AVAILABLE MID-MARCH advertising reservation deadline :: FEB 1ST email us us! info@westernaglife.com

COVER PHOTO: Nicole Baggarley with her dogs Quincy and Paisley ©Jenny Sweazea

WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 3

PG. 4 :: FALL 2019

FROM BEACHES TO BLADES A KNIFEMAKER’S STORY ARTICLE BY AMBER MORIN & PHOTOS BY CARMEN MCCONNEL

I

n the words of a working cowboy, “A good knife is like a good friend – always there when you need them, but sometimes hard to find.”

Luckily for cowhands, ranchers, hunters and sportsmen that live in Arizona and the West, they don’t have to travel far to find a custom knifemaker, Davey Patterson. Davey has been making knives for years, but he is not what you might imagine as a typical knife maker and cowboy. He’s worked in surf shops, motorcycle shops, in construction, and grew up skateboarding in the beach town of Cardiff, California. For some, hailing from California is a sin. For others, growing up on the west coast is a dream. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, you’ll find this surfer turned fabricator, mechanic, cowboy, and now

knifesmith’s story relatable on one level or another.

Growing up in California didn’t stop Davey, like many of us, from watching John Wayne movies as a kid. His favorite was El Dorado. However, he wondered, did cowboys like that still exist? It seemed that The Duke simply portrayed times that had long since passed. Surely the cowboy was just a historical romanticized figure living only on the big screen, but it didn’t stop Davey from wanting to learn how to ride a horse. That opportunity presented itself to him many years later when his neighbors, from Cardiff, introduced to Davey to their friends in Payson, Arizona. Davey didn’t just find himself in love with being on horseback, but with the whole idea of cowboying.

In a matter of a few years, Davey ended up moving in and WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 5

living with his new-found Arizona friends. He day worked on ranches across northern Arizona and found that he didn’t want to leave. So, he didn’t! Eventually, his curiosity landed him in the knife making trade. It seemed to him that ranchers, managers, and ranch help were always talking about spurs, and bits and knives. Davey naturally took to talking about knives.

That was when the idea struck him that he could get to know more people and get his foot in the door more often if he started making knives. His assumption worked and now even George Straight has a Davey Patterson Knife.

It wasn’t easy getting to this point in his knife making career or getting over 5,000 Instagram followers. It took time, years in fact, and resilience. There was a lot of trial and error. Starting out, like many self-taught artisans and craftsmen, Davey questioned whether he had the skills to make, much less sell, his work. His biggest challenge was building confidence, then getting his knives to look like the image he had in his mind, and lastly learning to create clean looking, long lasting leather holsters for his custom creations. There were times he questioned his decision to start knife making. His first knife took him 3 to PG. 6 :: FALL 2019

4 days to complete without making a holster for it. But, with a no quit attitude years later he has his craft down to one day.

This timeframe, however, is dependent on the Arizona climate, which isn’t always generous when it comes to blacksmithing processes like annealing and tempering that Davey must do in order to work with and harden his knives. As you can imagine, summer is challenging, and he starts work before dawn.

Davey has several models. Some have entertaining names such as the chili pepper, frijole, and the panhandle, but they all have purposes for the daily use and work of a cowboy, outdoorsman, and hunter. The notcher and button models, however, mean the most to him. These are the knife blade designs that started the whole vision for his work and eventually with a lot of sweat equity and time became tangible realities.

Fortunately for Davey, his vision is now his fulltime career, IF he’s not chasing cows. He makes a living from the knives he makes and hopes to continue the trade for many years to come while learning as much as he can. In his own words, “I like seeing good use of a knife and knowing that it is a good tool for the person who owns it.”

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WESTERN READS

I

BY AARON DOWNEY

n the intro to her Little Winter Book of Gnomes, Kirsten Sevig reminds us that gnome is defined as both “a legendary dwarfish figure” and also “a wise, pithy saying.” So she gives us gnomes (“It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”) accompanied by adorable illustrations of gnomes! The combined gnomes and other Nordic goodness make for a stocking stuffer of maximum cuteness.

At the other end of the gift-book spectrum is The John Wayne Code: Wit, Wisdom and Timeless Advice from the American Icon. Covered in faux leather for more authentic ruggedness, it’s packed with photos and quotes and, well, gnomes. The straight shooter on your gift list will likely enjoy this celebration of Duke and his philosophy.

During World War II, twenty-nine Navajo Marines were tasked with creating a code from their language, which became an unbreakable cypher. The unique, interactive Navajo Code Talker Manual gives a brief history of the Code Talkers, includes a pullout code dictionary, and teaches you how to create and decipher the code that influenced the outcome of the war. It is a gift to be treasured, much like our heroes themselves.

Over and Under the Snow, by Kate Messner and Christopher Neal, is a fun, educational read for your youngsters this winter.

Follow a girl and her father as they ski through the woods and discover the secret kingdom of animals under the snow. Your child will like the pictures and story, and you’ll like how much there is for them to learn.

One forest animal you might not see is the elusive sasquatch.

But you can read about him in In Me Own Words: The Autobiography of Bigfoot by Graham Rourmieu. This hilarious memoir for grownups sloppily crafted by big hairy himself shares tidbits like, “Puberty hard for Bigfoot. Start get curly fur in place no curly fur before. Start mark territory and kill rival males. Hard make friend. No have date for senior prom.”

Life is tough all over!

Here’s an idea for the New Year: go online, find a reading challenge, and see who in your family can read the most books on the list in 2020. No matter what, everybody wins!

Aaron Downey is the Managing Editor of Rio Nuevo Publishers, a division of Treasure Chest Books. Visit www.rionuevo.com

Treasure Chest BOOKS

PG. 8 :: FALL 2019

OUR STORY

BY TIFFANY SELCHOW

Western ag life is three simple words that paint a compelling, heritage-filled picture. Maybe it dredges up images of cowboys in a weathered, wooden corral branding calves; the smoke curling around faces stained with sweat, blood, and perhaps even tears. Or does it paint the lettuce fields of Yuma set against the towering Gila Mountains? Maybe it brings up memories of visiting a vineyard and enjoying a wine tasting with friends while marveling at the exceptional landscape and climate that produces a glass full of worldclass vino? Much like these words paint a picture of iconic moments of western lifestyle, the Western Ag Life magazine aims to do the same while staying true to the roots of Western culture by providing a factual, informative commentary.

From the coasts of California to the plains of Texas and from the international border of Arizona to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, there are stories yearning to be told of farmers and ranchers who are putting their life’s work into growing healthy, wholesome, delicious food. With a three-pronged goal of communicating, educating, and celebrating agriculture, the Western Ag Life magazine is the publication to do just that. Paul Ramirez, the founder of Western Ag Life Media, has spent his lifetime and career working in the agriculture community. He is immersed in the story of growing food, which has developed a passion for sharing the facts, stories, and continuous improvements to which farmers and ranchers are dedicated. When asked why he set out on this publication journey, Paul’s simple response is, “We can all benefit from a publication that shows the positives of the agriculture community.”

When Ramirez speaks of agriculture, he means the whole spectrum. From beef

Hot off the press, 1st issue. Pictured from Left to Right: Laura Davis, Tina Mead-Ramirez, Paul Ramirez

to dairy, lettuce farming to growing hay, and all the animals and fields in between, this magazine showcases a little bit of it all. Articles include human interest pieces, forage that grows in our unique climate, updates on the policy that affects arid-land agriculture, restaurant reviews, equestrian events, and more. One of Ramirez’s goals is to provide a place where those immediately involved in the agricultural world can grab this non-affiliated, nonpartisan magazine for an update on what’s going on in the Southwest. With that being said, he noted the ideal consumer of this magazine is the general public.

“We want to appeal to all who love the western lifestyle. We want to be their source of information, to give them even more reasons to be fans of the farmers and ranchers who are growing their food,” Ramirez noted.

Others are already telling these stories, but these organizations do not share the same goals as Ramirez. Organizations with goals like ending animal and modern agriculture as we know it. Despite not being asked, they’ve told stories through

their warped lenses of how they believe food is raised and are telling these stories in an organized, well-funded manner. The agriculture community has seen what can result from their tactics and needs not only to fight back but to also show up to the fight.

This magazine is the positive punch back the agricultural community needs.

Those who are not in agriculture work hard to have the means to provide safe, wholesome food for their families, and those in agriculture, while it might be different types of work, know all about what hard work means. They know that raising delicious and nutritious products requires long days, early mornings, late nights, blood, sweat, and tears. This weighty task rests heavily on the shoulders of farmers and ranchers as they know the result of their work can be life-giving nourishment or the extreme opposite.

Western Ag Life magazine provides the space for connection between these two hard-working groups of people, farmers and ranchers and consumers.

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Water is the lifeblood of any thriving community and even more critical for those who live in the arid climates of the Southwest. In Arizona, the mighty Colorado River and the San Pedro, the Wilcox Playa and the McMullen Valley and every well, spring, and body of water in between is up for examination.

A prolonged drought compounded by water levels dropping in Lake Mead have caused a wildfire worse than the Santa Ana wind-fueled California fires. If you take a minute to study and examine government’s action, there is nothing better than crisis or the threat of one to seek action “for the people.” Water has always been a keypolicy discussion in Arizona. In fact, it is the ongoing water discussion for decades that has positioned Arizona to not be in the crisis we see in California.

However, it is no secret that we are not done with planning, managing and finding water to sustain a resilient economy for all of Arizona. Maybe I am telling many of you something you already know, but pay attention because things have changed and water is again front and center in Arizona’s critical policy debates.

It is not uncommon for a governor to appoint committees to work on critical issues for the state. In fact, the last three Arizona governors have appointed some type of a water committee. It was less than 5 years ago that the water issues started to boil. The adjudication process, those impacted by the rights of surface water on many of the rivers here in Arizona, really started to ramp up under a new Special Water Master. At the same time, discussion about the 2007 guidelines governing the Colorado River allocation were ongoing, leading to the Drought Contingency Plan you may have heard so much about earlier in 2019. The intensity of drought further exacerbated the dropping levels of Lake PG. 10 :: FALL 2019

Mead and was a cause of some wells in rural areas to dry up. Don’t forget that at the same time, California is making national news with its own water issues and people are watching closely to make sure Arizona is not next. It is almost like the perfect storm with policy and Mother Nature coming together at once, which should scare us all. Of course, as mentioned earlier, the perfect time for those to get involved and push agendas is no time like the current with crisis just around the corner, as if it was never going to rain again. While you may see education, immigration and other topics as key issues for politics these days, water, outside of the main stream media, besides the occasional article about a domestic well going dry, isn’t getting the attention needed. Right now in Arizona, intricate discussion is occurring with policy makers, regulators and interested parties including updates to Active Management Area plans, ground water studies in La Paz and Mohave Counties, ongoing Drought Contingency Plan issues and future supply of water for Pinal County and other areas. These are real discussions and if water is a part of your business or directly impacts your lifestyle, which really means everyone, you are going to want to pay attention.

Over 40 years ago, the construction of the Central Arizona Project was underway without the use of the computer technology we have today, and several critical infrastructures went in before in the forms of dams, pumps and pipes. Think about those huge accomplishments – all without the use of a computer. Today we have computers spitting out water models quicker than we can feed the printer paper.

Almost everyone has become an expert on water as long as they had a glass that day. It is like we are on information overload when it comes to water and

multiple agendas are being pushed because eventually water will mean money and power. At the moment, some of the only options on the table to purchase water are from Indian Tribes or water brokers, which is quickly driving up prices. A market for water isn’t a bad thing at all but greed can quickly blind an individual or entity to push bad policy that chooses winners and losers in the public policy arena.

Now is the time we must all be vigilant and hold our elected officials responsible. We are talking about the future of our state and, at the same time, we must acknowledge the current status and challenges that face us today. From our homes to industry, we all use water.

We must recognize current use, push for efficiency and resiliency in our water systems, and plan for the future. Picking winners and losers in the water fight, deciding how much or who may get water, only sets us on a course for failure with no return.

For more information about Arizona Farm & Ranch Group visit: www.azfarmranch.org, follow them on Facebook (Arizona Farm and Ranch Group), or Twitter @AZFarmRanch.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (Pictured left): Patrick Bray, Executive Vice President is an Arizona native born and raised in an agricultural family and has spent the last decade representing the interest of farm and ranch families in Arizona.

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WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 11

WESTERN STYLE GUIDE: WHAT TO WEAR FOR WINTER

“In a world full of trends, be a classic.” Winter on the ranch in southeastern Arizona can look a little different than winter in the northern country, but nevertheless chilly temperatures are prevalent and we all need to find a way to dress accordingly! Functional clothes that will keep you toasty warm are a must, but fashionable pieces shouldn’t be compromised! That’s where our featured brand of this Style Guide comes in… Woolies Quality Clothier!

INTERVIEW WITH ALISHA KURTZ, BY MACKENZIE KIMBRO

A

lisha Kurtz is the owner of Woolies Quality Clothier, based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. She’s also a mother and wife, a horsewoman and a sweet gal who holds the western way of life near and dear to her heart. Because of all of that, I interviewed Alisha for one of my blog posts in a series I call “Grit & Glam Inspired,” a collection of posts all about women who are fiercely unique, know how to work hard and look

good doing it, and have built amazing brands. Here’s a look at what she had to say when asked a few questions about her brand and the finer details of what Woolies is known for…

AK: Woolies Quality Clothier is simply an embodiment of the lifestyle I chose to love and live. Over the years that I have owned Woolies, I noticed a major gap in the marketplace when it came to Western fashion that was both functional

and fashionable. As a woman who, at the time, spent my weekdays in the corporate world and her weekends and evenings helping my husband on the ranch &/or showing horses, I was on the hunt for fashions that were versatile enough to fit all the hats I wore.

MK: If you would like folks to know one major thing about your business, what would that be?

AK: Woolies is a one-woman show with big dreams. Every order that comes through still feels like the first. I personally fulfill and ship every order, often with the help of my sweet little daughter, and I love every minute of what I get to do.

I love making all women feel beautiful, confident, and able in the clothing they chose. When you shop at Woolies, you are supporting a dream and a family of agriculture.

MK: What have been some of your bestsellers or your personal favorites?

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AK: Year after year, our best seller continues to be the Telluride dress, which also happens to be one of my personal favorites. I think it continues to hold that title for good reason: denim and embroidery are never wrong, especially as a dress/duster. Each fall, the Telluride gets an updated look featuring embroidery in the current season’s palette. And let me tell you, it’s almost unheard of to get this much embroidery for less than $100.

For Winter, our wool ponchos, wraps and jackets are always a hit. We started carrying these three years ago, and every year our customers love them. My favorite thing about them is they are not only USA made, but they are made five minutes from my parent’s home where I grew up. Talk about keeping it local!

Alisha & daughter Collins at Las Vegas booth

I can’t miss Kimes Ranch jeans. Kimes Ranch jeans have been a staple at Woolies since 2011. Yes, eight years…probably long before most of you had even heard of the company. I still own and wear a pair from the early days. Kimes Ranch jeans fit all occasions, and most importantly, they last! I don’t sell anything at Woolies that either my husband or I don’t personally believe in.

MK: Who/what inspires you?

AK: When buying for Woolies, my biggest inspiration comes from dayto-day life on the ranch or the life of a weekend horse show/rodeo warrior. I have spent my entire life showing horses, and I am now fortunate to be a rancher/horse trainer’s wife. While I don’t work in the corporate world anymore, I was tired of having to have multiple wardrobes: one for the office, one for rodeos/horse shows, one for working on the ranch, and one for going out. While a few of our pieces will be a little fancier than most would wear while working cattle, my goal is to create a collection of functional and fashionable threads that fit just about any situation the Western person may find themselves in.

In day-to-day life if I hit a slump whether personally or professionally, there is always one thing that can up my spirits – a ride on one of my favorite horses. Riding and showing horses has always been my escape.

For our 2018 NFR campaign, Woolies adopted the slogan, “In a world full of trends, be a classic.” I would tell myself exactly that! Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Find your groove, do your thing, and people will take note. I am proud of everything I have built little by little, and I am most flattered when customers tell me how classy and timeless our pieces are.

Emma Big Shirt © Angelina Cornidez Photography

Classy and timeless… couldn’t have said it better myself! Woolies is a one stop shop for all of your western way of life clothing needs… Alisha does a phenomenal job curating collections that cater to all styles, price points and sizes! She carries pieces from noteworthy brands, from Roper and Stetson to Tasha Polizzi and Double D Ranchwear… all while maintaining affordability, quality and diversity of styles. Her collections (which include women’s, men’s and the little ones) are created with a ranch heritage in mind and can effortlessly carry you from ranch or arena to runway and everywhere in between. It is truly incredible to watch this gal take the world by storm with her unique twists on classic staples - helping cowboys, cowgirls and little bitty cowpunchers to jazz up their western wardrobe!

Be sure to follow Woolies Quality Clothier’s incredible selection on Instagram and Facebook or visit, www.wearwoolies.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR, (pictured above): Mackenzie Kimbro is a sixth-generation cattle rancher, western fashion blogger and influencer. Her multifaceted lifestyle brand, “Roots Run Deep,” showcases shades of the southwestern lifestyle; ranching, hunting, conservation, rodeo, fashion, cowboy culture and the arts.

The brand started with her coffee-table cookbook but has flourished into a social media presence and now an online show, kicking off during the National Finals Rodeo event in December 2019. Follow along!

IG: @kenziegk FB : Roots Run Deep, Mackenzie Kimbro www.rootsrundeepaz.com

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE: GEAR FOR THE WORKING COWBOY

Of all the styles of spurs Stephen White makes, his favorites are his one-piece spurs, mainly because of the history behind them and the old-fashioned process they employ.

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY KATE SANCHEZ

L

ike any job, that of today’s cowboy has changed and evolved a lot over time. New technology, advanced techniques, and modern bloodlines in horses are just a few changes these men and women have seen. But as much as cowboying has become more modernized, it also stays true to the code of years gone by, and one constant that remains today is the need for affordable yet efficient gear.

Stephen White of Plainview, TX, is a bit and spur maker who is working hard to preserve the western lifestyle through his gear, while providing products for the working cowboy found in every part of the country.

What began as a hobby and gradually just started taking off into a business in 2001, has developed into quite the career for White. Today, he stays busy with his craft and is typically 90-100 days out on custom-made orders. Although bits and spurs are his most requested items, White also crafts things like conchos, cuff bracelets, key rings, and all kinds of buckles. And while he says that his bits are the most popular item for customers, White truly appreciates the process of

PG. 14 :: FALL 2019

spur-making. “I enjoy making spurs the most. I like seeing how it comes together from the raw material to the finished product,” he shares, “I also like doing bits because my customers seem to really enjoy how they work.”

Of all the styles of spurs White makes, his favorites are his one-piece spurs, mainly because of the history behind them and the old-fashioned process they employ.

A man by the name of Adolph Bayers began making bits and spurs in the 1930’s and is known today for the influence he made in the crafting of the one-piece spur.

“The process is taking one piece of metal using a forge to heat it hot enough, then hammering it out to form a spur (heel band and shank),” White shares, “Doing it the other way, you make the heel band and shank separate then weld them together.”

Not only does the maker enjoy this process the most, he also feels this particular style of spurs are the most unique item he offers, as well. “It’s an interesting process… a dying art,” White says.

While the hobby of collecting, selling, and swapping handmade bits and spurs has grown into a full-time job for some, White says his best customers are still the everyday working cowboys looking for good, dependable gear. “I want my products to be used,” he says, “The working cowboy will tell their friends about your products when they are functional and worth the money.” And in a very competitive market, the maker says it’s important to him to try and price items that these hardworking men and women can afford on cowboy wages. White’s handmade spurs run from $400-$750 and his bits are $200-$300.

Meanwhile, all kinds of buckles range from $70-$200.

White’s business stays busy yearround and the bit and spur maker also has help from his wife, Crystal, who began doing leatherwork, primarily

spur straps and belts, about three years ago. Her craftmanship matches that of her husband’s, so any customer would be pleased to stop by their home-based shop in Plainview or visit them at one of the many trade shows they attend at ranch rodeo events throughout the year. In order to cater to the working cowboys, the duo typically sets up a booth at multiple ranch rodeos throughout the year. These include: the Western Heritage Classic in Abilene, TX, in May; the Coors Ranch Rodeo in Amarillo, TX, in June; Texas Ranch Roundup in Wichita Falls, TX in July; Mountain States Ranch Rodeo Finals in Montrose, CO in September; and the Working Ranch Cowboys Association (WRCA) Finals in Amarillo in November of each year. They are also active on Facebook and Instagram.

Although the role of the cowboy may seem to many like an antiquated job, the evolution of these men and women over time has been astounding. Thankfully, there are still people in today’s world that seek to uphold traditions, but also blaze their own path. Stephen White’s craftmanship not only appeals to many but is favored by that of today’s working cowboy. And even though there’s so much to be said about his artistry, we’ll let his work speak for itself!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kate Sanchez is a freelance journalist based out of Matador, TX. She writes for several publications, most of which are equine-related. She and her husband, Ben, have lived on the Matador Ranch for almost 4 years, where he holds a camp man position. The couple has one daughter, Haven, who is one year old. Kate graduated from Eastern NM University with a degree in Journalism and minor in Agriculture in 2009.

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WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 15

FROM THE KITCHEN: IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT PRIME RIB

Every year around the 1st of November people all over the world are either writing about how to cook the perfect holiday meal as I am now or reading about how to prepare the perfect holiday meal as you are now. Cookbooks are piling up, Google searches are soaring and everyone is hoping that they don’t burn the roast for one of the biggest family holidays of the year. My name is Ben Forbes and I’ve been cooking for people I love since I was 14. I’ve learned a lot in the last 33 years and now I’m happy to share my simple approach with you. First off don’t try a new recipe on the family unless you’ve practiced it a time to ten. Work within your means and by that I mean don’t try and be a rock star chef and make some weird gastric, or truffle foam when you don’t know the first thing about or can’t even pronounce the gastronomy. In order to create a memorable holiday meal I implore you to approach simply and here is what I mean by that...

RECIPE BY BEN FORBES

INGREDIENTS: First and foremost pick a really good piece of meat. For me that comes from a locally raised animal from a rancher that I know personally or from a butcher who knows you as well as he does the rancher he buys sides of beef from. Ok, then I personally like some age to my beef. You can get dry-aged beef anywhere from 45 days to 90 days at a good butcher shop. Why dry aged you ask? The reason is that there is a lot of water in meat and you know this if you’ve ever bought meat in a foam tray from your local supermarket. That water signifies meat that is purging its natural water from it as it has sat in a box for months before the meat cutter ever takes a blade to it. At Forbes Meat Company we take the fresh beef and set it on a shelf so that that moisture evaporates and the natural enzymes in the beef slowly start to break down the fibers to create a significantly more tender and flavorful piece of beef.

SEASON: The next thing you want to do is season your roast a day or two before you cook it. I suggest kosher or sea salt, fresh chopped garlic, fresh crushed black pepper (the pre-ground stuff on the grocery store shelf lacks the robust flavor and aroma), and lastly a good amount of fresh thyme. You can do rosemary as well; I am just in love with the aroma and flavor of thyme.

MAKE AHEAD: Drizzle some olive oil on the roast this will help the spice rub to the beef.

Hand chop or mince 8 cloves of garlic and spread them over the roast.

Then add about 1/4 cup of kosher salt over the roast. It won’t all stick and don’t worry; it may seem like overkill but it takes a lot of salt to penetrate the meat and a lot of it will fall onto your block anyway.

Then rub 2 tablespoons of fresh cracked coarse black pepper.

Finally add 4 tablespoons of fresh chopped thyme.

Place the rubbed roast in a bag overnight.

HOLIDAY MORNING: When you have set your dinner time, the first step in cooking the roast begins by bringing the roast to room temperature.

If you pull the roast out of the refrigerator the meat is about 40 degrees. When you put it in the oven at this temperature it won’t sear as well as it will at room temp. What you need to understand is that the cooking starts when you bring it out of your refrigerator. By allowing the roast to come to room temp you’re just doing what the oven would do to the cold roast right out of the fridge but that cold roast will have a cold center that the room temp roast doesn’t and most importantly is the quality sear you get at room temp. I would pull my roast out of the fridge at least two PG. 16 :: FALL 2019

to four hours before cooking. It all depends on the size of the beast and the temperature in the kitchen. Four hours is a safe amount of time for any piece of meat to be out of refrigeration especially since its about to go into the oven.

LET’S GET COOKING: Ok, now lets turn on the oven. Tender meat starts with high heat. I crank my oven up to 400 to 450 degrees. Those of you have a convection oven 400 is good. Place the roast on a rack inside a roasting pan with a bit of water in the bottom of the pan made a 1/4 of an inch this will keep the drippings from smoking.

Take your roast that has been at room temperature for the last 2 to 4 hours I would do 2 to 4 depending on the temperature in your kitchen and place it in your oven uncovered. Let it roast at this temp for about 15 minutes. This will sear the outside creating a nice crust with all the seasonings on the outside and it helps to lock in the juices as well.

After 15 minutes you can drop the heat to a roasting temp of 375 and cook until the meat thermometer reads 120/125 degrees. How long will that all take? Again depending on the size of the roast times will vary and if you’re not a pro cook whole prime ribs daily in the same oven over and over you need to have that thermometer and thats just that. Yes you can have an estimated time per pound and an overall estimated cooking time of 14 minutes per pound or approximately 2 and a half hours total cooking time but the most important thing is that you use that thermometer and check it early so you don’t overcook it. You want to pull the roast out before its done cooking. Why? Because it will continue to cook as it rests on your kitchen counter and you prepare the table for your guests.

NOTES: A roast should be allowed to rest for at least 20 minutes.

During this time it will continue to cook and you’ll be happy you pulled it early as you will find that when you bite into it, it will be juicy and not dry.

I suggest pulling the roast out of the oven 15/20 degrees below the desired final temp you choose.

Rare is 130 so pull the meat out at 115/120 Medium rare is 145 so pull it at 130 Well done, just don’t do it, why? The ends will be well done and the second cut from the ends will be medium rare and then you’ll be into the rare by the third cut.

We hope that you enjoy this recipe and this meal as much as we have over the years and this it helps you to create a memorable holiday for you and your family.

Love people and cook them delicious food!

Ben Forbes

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Forbes Meat Company is a small sustainable local butcher who supports local ranchers and serves the local community by selling local meats at 5 Points Farmers Market. He operates a small production facility at 220 E Broadway Blvd in Tucson AZ. His specialty is whole animal butchery and does custom butchery for families that raise their own animals as well. They offer over thirty hand made sausages of which they creat every spice blend from scratch. Meaning that they hand blend each spice blend for every flavor. From Green Chorizo to lamb Marquez every link will leave you wanting more from this amazing local butcher.

CONTACT FORBES MEAT COMPANY: At 5 Points Farmers Market which is located at 756 S Stone Ave Tucson AZ every Sunday from 9-12 or call 520-474-2714

WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 17

Q&A WITH JUSTIN LAYTON UPPER GILA RIVER ALLIANCE INTERVIEW BY: AMBER MORIN

Justin Layton is a 4th generation farmer in the Gila Valley of Graham County, Arizona. He and his wife, Leia, have been married for almost 20 years and have two children, Rachel and Jake. Justin is a member of Arizona Cotton Growers’ Board of Directors, serves as a Director for the local Natural Resource and Conservation District, sits on several Canal Company Boards as well as the Irrigation District Board of Directors, and is the Secretary/Treasurer of the Graham County Farm Bureau. His hobbies include spending time with his family, serving in his Church, farming, and doing all that he can to keep agriculture alive in the Gila Valley.

There are many challenges that agriculturalists face from market fluctuations, pests, to the weather. What are the biggest challenges that agriculture in the Gila Valley faces?

Like everyone in U.S. agriculture, we’re concerned with issues related to trade, pests, and – as always – the uncertainty of our weather. For those of us in the Gila Valley, one of our biggest and most urgent challenges involves the availability of water we need to operate our farms. We depend on a seasonallyflowing Gila River, which is stressed by long-term drought and growing demands. Since the 1930s, groundwater wells have made farming possible in this community. Unfortunately, continued use of some of those wells is now being challenged in court, and our agricultural way of life in this corner of Arizona is at-risk.

How many times a year do farmers in the Valley participate in some type of legal proceedings about water?

Even though we have had legal battles over water for nearly a century, it seems that we’re now facing them regularly. Our monthly irrigation district meetings are mostly spent discussing the latest legal briefings, addressing new lawsuits that have been filed, and discussing legal expenses that just go up and up. We’re farmers; not litigators. It would be great to be able to focus on our crops instead of court filings.

How real is the fear among farmers in the Valley that their wells might be shut down and that they might not be able to farm enough ground to stay in business?

This is the reality. It’s going to be difficult to continue farming for any operator ordered to discontinue use of their well. And if the legal challenges are successful, it may set a precedent that endangers many more wells in our region. Truly, it keeps me up at night. I wonder if I’ll be able to continue farming the land that has been in my family for generations, and I

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wonder if I’ll have anything to pass on to my children, should they want to continue our family farm. If we lose the ability to pump from wells, it wouldn’t just hurt farmers – it would devastate the economy of our entire region.

How many farm families are impacted by this case?

A handful of local families are targeted by these legal challenges. But, if those challenges are successful, it will likely lead to a wave of new lawsuits against wells throughout the Gila Valley and beyond. Depending on how these most recent lawsuits are adjudicated, nearly 60% of farmland currently in production locally could be lost. On a personal level, this would be devastating for these families. But it would also be tragic for our entire economy and way of life in southeastern Arizona. Think about all of the jobs that would be lost without productive agriculture in our region.

The Gila Valley Irrigation District and the Franklin Irrigation District have come up with a solution that is equitable to both the San Carlos Apache Tribe and the Gila Valley farmers.

Can you explain what that solution is?

In 2004, local irrigation districts reached a water settlement with the Gila River Indian Community. As part of that agreement, the federal government set aside funding to resolve any remaining water concerns with the San Carlos Apache Tribe (which had participated in the negotiations but didn’t sign the settlement decree). With these federal funds, area irrigation districts have built a pipeline capable of delivering 10,000 gallons per minute of clean, clear water to the San Carlos Apache Tribe. That’s 6,000-acre-feet per year. Unfortunately, the pipeline currently stops at the reservation boundary because the Tribe and its attorneys have preferred to fight in court over groundwater wells rather than accept this peace offering. The irrigation districts stand by their proposal to complete the pipeline at no cost to the Tribe, delivering water wherever tribal leaders would like and for whatever purpose they choose. Best of all, this would allow everyone in our region to stop spending so much time and money fighting over water in court.

How would this solution benefit individuals and families living on the reservation?

Everyone in our region depends on access to water. We know the San Carlos Apache Tribe has had water shortages in the past, and the community of Bylas sometimes runs dry in the summer and asks for help from the Town of Pima. Access to a reliable supply of clean water, like this pipeline would provide, could do a lot to help tribal families. They could opt to use if for tribal farming, athletic fields or any other use that tribal leaders would find most beneficial.

Should the public be concerned about this case?

Absolutely – the recent lawsuits do not preclude more wells from being targeted in the future. It’s important this isn’t just a concern for agriculture. In Safford alone, wells provide approximately 60% of the water supply for residents during the summer. Whether you live in town or on the farm, this issue could have huge impacts on you.

How can the public support this equitable solution and help encourage an out of court settlement?

Be informed. Talk to your friends, neighbors and elected officials about this case. Share this information with your networks on Facebook and social media. The Upper Gila River Alliance was created to represent local farmers, residents, business owners and community leaders. The group is dedicated to spreading the word not only about the threat we face due to this tribal water litigation, but also the solution that exists to resolve it: completion of the Emery Pipeline. If you want to learn more, you can find us at SaveOurPumpsAZ.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Amber Morin grew up on a firstgeneration cow-calf ranching operation in southeastern Arizona. She Graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in Political Science hoping to stay involved in agriculture policy. While pursuing her career, she continues to make time for her other passion – writing about the agriculture industry and the resilient people that make a living off the land.

February 22, 2020

ScottSdale, arizona An UnforgettAble evening to CelebrAte & SUpport the fUtUre of ArizonA AgriCUltUre doubletree reSort by Hilton | 5401 n. ScottSdale road | ScottSdale, az 85250

To purchase a table, individual tickets or sponsorship opportunities visit www.blueandgoldgala.org

Presenting sPonsor

WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 19

YOUTH: MESCALERO STEER PROGRAM

The Mescalero steer program is in its second year. A testament to the program’s success is that it has not only grown in size, but doubled in its second year.

ARTICLE BY HEIDI CRNKOVIC

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ven after all of the trailers have returned empty, tack boxes unpacked and grooming supplies used up and put away, the youth remain.

The youth who have put in the time.

The youth who have grown. The youth who have accomplished, won and lost.

Fair season has wrapped up across the country, and 4-H and FFA youth have had the opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments and trials that come coupled with raising, exhibiting and selling livestock projects.

Anyone who has ever had the opportunity to show livestock understands what a fun, rewarding experience this project is for the entire family. The cattle project in particular, some argue is “king.” 4-H and FFA members pick out their projects

after they are weaned in the fall and spend the year halter breaking, handling, washing, blow-drying and feeding their charges with aspirations aimed at fair wins while also learning responsibility, dedication and record-keeping skills. Even more importantly, they experience these things alongside family and friends. We all know that it takes a village to raise a child and in the case of the Mescalero’s steer program, it also takes the partnership of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, Mescalero Apache Cattle Growers’, Division of Resource Management Protection, the Youth Development Program and 4-H leaders, families and members.

The Mescalero Apache Tribe is located in South Central New Mexico and Otero County near the popular destination of

Dallas Shendo ©MMR PG. 20 :: FALL 2019

Ruidoso. Named for the Mescal plant that at one time was a diet staple, the Mescalero Apache Tribe now raises a high-quality herd of commercial cattle through the Mescalero Apache Cattle Growers’.

Historically, the herd was comprised of Hereford cattle and now consists of a composite of black Angus and Hereford genetics. Ranch manager and Arizona native, Dusty Wold manages the tribe’s ranch with his wife, Ruth and their four sons, Rafe, Cal, Grant and Cord. Ruth is the organizational leader for the Mescalero 4-H Club and together, they have worked closely over the last two years to reinstate a steer program that allowed 4-H youth in Mescalero to raise and exhibit steers off of the tribe’s ranch.

The Mescalero steer program is in its second year. A testament to the program’s success is that it has not only grown in size, but doubled in its second year. This program provides the opportunity for youth in the Mescalero 4-H Club to not only exhibit animals, but grow in confidence and experience the opportunity to care for an animal that is entirely dependent on them for nearly a year. After calves are weaned, Ruth and Dusty select prospects for the youth and work on beginning the halter-breaking process before 4-H members choose their project for the year.

4-H members learn to select animals and often find out through trial and error, along with leader’s guidance, what traits make a good calf. Each individual will spend the rest of their year handling and feeding their calves in preparation for the Otero County Fair in September.

Amidst the bustle of blowers, clippers and fans at the Otero County Fair, a line of neat, homemade, 4-H green panels housed the Mescalero 4-H Club’s steers. Beyond the tidy setup, you wouldn’t find just parents working hair or clipping alone, but entire families including friends, siblings, moms and dads of 4-H members caring for their animals and working as a team

Anna Sanchez ©MMR

to prepare for competition. Epitomizing the ideal, “4-H is for families,” the club’s setup boasted calves raised by nine of the club’s youth. “Everyone puts in the work here. If we all work together, then we all share in each other’s success,” says Ruth. There’s something about working with livestock that “brings things out of the kids,” Ruth muses. “They learn from defeat. And never for a lack of hard work.

They gain confidence and they grow.”

When you sit down with the steer exhibitors from Mescalero, you’ll find that these youth are not only active in their 4-H programs but also in multiple sports. Some of them are honors students and almost all of them said they have learned responsibility and enjoyed the connection they have made with their steers. This year, the club’s hard work and dedication to helping the Junior Livestock Committee set up show rings and maintain the livestock barn earned Mescalero 4-H Club the “Best Kept Stall” award. This award is typically only given to one individual, but was instead awarded to an entire club. Mescalero steer calf shown and raised by Davin Mendez was Reserve Champion County Bred Steer and

Champion Hereford Steer. The Reserve Champion Hereford was raised and shown

by Anna Sanchez. More importantly, through the cooperation of 4-H leaders, parents, members and tribal organizations, Mescalero 4-H Club members leave this fair season with far more than any ribbon could offer.

4-H is a youth development organization that utilizes locally-driven programs to build life skills in youth across the country.

With programs focusing on healthy living, civic engagement and science, 4-H members are encouraged to learn through doing in hands-on settings where they can receive guidance from adult mentors and take on leadership roles themselves.

The 4-H model consistently produces youth who are four times more likely to contribute to their communities, two times more likely to be civically active, twice as likely to participate in out-ofschool science programs and two times more likely to make healthier choices (National 4-H Council). 4-H is comprised of land-grant universities and local county offices through the nation’s Cooperative Extension System. To find a 4-H group near you, visit your local county Extension

Aubryn Shendo ©MMR

office for more details on programs and clubs in your area.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: With an innate fondness for Western heritage and a lifelong passion for the agricultural industry, Heidi Crnkovic is a New Mexico native and a New Mexico State University graduate with a B.S. in Agricultural Science. Heidi’s professional career has been dedicated to the ranching and cattle industry and currently, she is a 4-H agent for Otero County. She and her husband Kenton live in Tularosa, New Mexico with their daughter, Abigail who is a member of Otero County 4-H’s Cloverbud program.

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Born and raised in Southern New Mexico, Malcolmn specializes in landscape and livestock photography. No stranger to the livestock industry he has spent more than twenty years ringside, capturing priceless memories of his children and grandchildren, and he now strives to make moments available to other showmen as well. When not in the barns you can find him at the Bosque de Apache capturing the scenic beauty of our amazing state.

For more information please visit www. mmramseyimages.com.

WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 21

TRUE GRIT ARTICLE BY DEAN FISH PHOTOS BY GUY ATCHLEY

Eddie McClure © Guy Atchley

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any times when we talk about agriculture, we talk about multi-generational families and operations. It takes a certain type of character to persevere through the tough times that inevitably fall upon families that depend on Mother Nature to provide our bounty and livelihood. Dr. Susan Wilson Sanders, DVM, MS, of the Lazy S Ranch in Cochise and Graham Counties, Arizona is a fine example of the grit and work ethic that make up the multi-faceted fabric of farmers and ranchers in the arid West.

Susan grew up on Riverdale Farms in Robertson County, Texas. Her great-grandfather came from Tennessee to Texas in 1830 and obtained a Spanish Land Grant. Part of this land grant was passed on to Susan’s grandfather and later her father.

Growing up, Susan loved the Brahman cross and Hereford cattle, horses and dogs. In fact, an early experience treating a calf for tetanus set her on the path to becoming a veterinarian.

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During high school, Susan began a life-long love for Angus cattle and convinced her father to add some commercial Angus to the herd. While in veterinary school at Texas A&M, Susan bought a Charolais bull and was given half of the ensuing silver offspring, often selling for 20 cents per pound more than their black baldy contemporaries!

Shortly before Susan graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine, her father suffered a massive stroke and became incapacitated. After a year of trying to manage the farm and ranch, the decision was made to lease the land and sell the cattle and equipment. This put Susan’s cattle raising on hold for a bit.

After Texas A&M graduate school (it was 3+ years, not one year), Susan accepted a position at the University of Arizona as part of the Animal Care Program. While at the U of A, Susan worked in the laboratory animal facility as well as with the registered cattle and horse programs. Continued on Page 26...

Dr. Susan Wilson Sanders, DVM, MS © Guy Atchley WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 23

I LIVE THE WESTERN LIFEST YLE

Nicole & Brice Baggarley with horse Riata, White Sands, NM ©Jenny Sweazea

PG. 24 :: FALL 2019

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS WITH NICOLE BAGGARLEY What is your occupation?

Who do you admire?

I have an Insurance Adjusters License, and work as an insurance adjuster during larger storms. The remainder of the time, I work on our family ranch, compete in rodeos and ropings, train rope horses and give roping lessons.

Both my parents, because they have worked so hard for the life they have and they enjoy their life. Another person is Jackie Crawford, because she is an amazing woman roper and competitor.

What’s a typical day for you?

Competitive Advice?

Depending on the day it could vary.

My family has a cow/calf operation on two ranches, so depending on the time of year I could be riding at the ranch gathering our cattle, branding or shipping calves. When not doing ranch work or working as an insurance adjuster, I take care of horses, clean stalls, get a few horses rode, and sometime in the day I breakaway rope on a few horses and team rope some steers.

Somewhere around this arena, there is a little kid that wants to be just like you someday. You owe it to them to be the best you can be.

What are some causes you care about?

Winning a bronze medal at Days of 47 rodeo 2019 this summer in Salt Lake City. It was my biggest win and the first year this huge rodeo added breakaway roping to the list of events.

Helping youth within the sport of rodeo and passing on my knowledge of roping through giving lessons and clinics.

What publications do you regularly read?

The Team Roping Journal, Cowboy Journal, Arizona Jackpot and Western Ag Life Magazine!

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Would you rather live on a farm or a ranch?

I have lived on a ranch my whole life and I love it!

What is your Motto?

To be a champion you have to believe in yourself when nobody else does What is your most treasured possession?

All of my horses. They are all so incredibly special to me in different ways. Especially my good breakaway horse mare Sweetpea.She has helped me achieve so many goals this year.

On Sunday mornings I am...

Enjoying a nice cup of coffee deciding what needs to get done that day.

What make you, #westernaglife?

My entire lifestyle!

Follow Nicole on Instagram: @nicole_sweazea_baggarley

How do you want people to remember you?

I hope for people to think of me as someone who made an impact in the world of ladies breakaway and team roping, who was happy and enjoyed life and the opportunity to make the amazing memories I have made, and as a determined and motivated competitor.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

The “who” is my husband, the “what” is competing in rodeo and the lifestyle it brings.

©Double K Diamond Photography

WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 25

Š Guy Atchley

Continued from Page 22...Later, Susan became the Director of Animal Care and Use Program and served in this role for over 20 years.

In 1995, Susan and her first husband Mark Sanders sold the Texas farm and purchased deeded land and grazing leases in Cochise and Graham counties, establishing the Lazy S Ranch.

The ranch started with a mix of Herefords, Beefmasters and Brahman cross cows. Brangus and composite bulls were used on these cows. In 2002, Mark passed away as a result of an accident on the ranch and Susan took over the management while still a U of A employee. Later that year, Susan purchased her first registered Angus cows, four heifers and two pairs from the U of A. She also sought out top Angus bloodlines and this formed the start of the Angus herd. Dunn ranch females were added, and this was the only source of outside female genetics until 2016.

PG. 26 :: FALL 2019

Susan has long sought out top level genetics and utilized bulls from Leachman, Peterson Angus of South Dakota and Express Ranches. The addition of artificial insemination has also helped to infuse top genetics into the herd. In fact, it is hard to find a producer that is more committed to using genomic data to enhance their cattle operation. Full genomic profiles are performed on every registered Angus calf and this information is utilized in concert with observation of structure and behavior for all breeding and retention decisions. A state-of-the-art immunization, biosecurity and worming program has been established for all of ranch animal populations. Since 2008, Lazy S has been run as a family operation with her husband Jim McClure, son and daughter-in-law Eddie and Natalie McClure and son James McClure. Currently they run about 100 registered Angus cows and maintain about 150-175 commercial Angus/ Brangus cows. Bull buyers in Arizona will often see Lazy S

© Guy Atchley

bulls at the top of the grading lists at consignment bull sales as well as being high sellers. Their commitment to quality and genetics is without compare.

In addition to the focus on animal husbandry, much work has been done for natural resource conservation on the ranch. In cooperation with NRCS and others, water and range improvement projects have been implemented. Increased water developments and pipelines have helped to improve wildlife habitat as well as grazing distribution. Ripping and grubbing projects have enhanced the vegetative composition of the land as well as increasing habitat for wildlife species. As a result of this work, the ranch was recognized as the Conservation Ranch of the Year by the Willcox/San Simon Conservation District.

Susan spent 44 years of her life focused on serving the research community of the U of A, teaching and mentoring students and serving as the primary advocate for animal use in biomedical,

biological and agricultural research and education. She has continued that service to the beef industry in Arizona by producing top quality genetics as well as providing an example of conservation and innovation with the Lazy S Ranch. Susan’s roots do run deep and she is helping to provide for future generations. The generations before her would sure be proud of what she has grown!

© Patina Thompson

© Guy Atchley WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 27

PG. 28 :: FALL 2019

WORTH THE WAIT

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY PATINA THOMPSON

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n addition to hauling water, feeding, counting calves, worrying about predators, checking calendars, watching weather reports, repairing equipment, water lines and whatever else is broke, during calving season ranchers become investigators, doctors and obstetricians. It’s a very stressful and exciting time. Heifers kept close and checked to make sure they don’t have any problems, cows tracked down to see if they have calved or not, and a good count on your calf crop can make a person anxious.

As investigators through the years we have experienced a few types of mommas; some will lead you right to their calf as if to say, “look at my new baby!”, some will intentionally lead you on a goose chase in the opposite direction, and others will get you close, then act nervous and you feel as if you’re on the ultimate Easter egg hunt. It is really incredible that newborn calves are typically dried off, nursed, and left for up to 14 hours on day one . . . what a way to be welcomed into the world!

Typically, the calf will be strong enough to really keep up with mom after about seven days. I have found that those extra proud mommas that lead you right to their calves are most times the ones that end up as “babysitters”. As calves grow up, they stick together and usually have a babysitter watching over them. These babysitters will fiercely protect a whole herd of calves as if each was their own.

Growing up, I had my favorite heifer bred and we brought her up to a pen at the barn about two weeks before she was due.

The barn was located down the hill from the house, so we could use binoculars to see what was happening, but that wasn’t close enough for me. I slept on a cot in the barn, night after night waiting for her to calve. After night 23, I was done and I questioned whether she was even bred at that point. But sure enough, when I woke up the next morning and looked down the hill, there was a little black calf standing next to her!

More recently, my kids got to be involved in a similar story. We have one special cow that was bred late and we had been waiting and waiting for her to calve. There was stormy weather over this particular weekend, and we knew she had to have calved on Saturday. On Sunday we saw her at water and could tell she had calved and been nursed. On Monday, we saw her feeding near the road so I walked out with my camera. She just kept grazing, with not a care in the world and absolutely no concern for my anticipation. Same story on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, we found some tiny tracks near water. By Friday late afternoon, I just couldn’t wait any longer so we saddled up and chased the sun, knowing that mom would find her calf by evening to nurse. She led us on one of those wild goose chases I mentioned earlier. Just about the time it was almost too dark to see, the low bawl from the mom, and reply from her calf was the best sound ever. There was just enough light left to see a little black calf stand up out of the bushes, and that was good enough for me. Yet another example that all good things are worth the wait.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Contributor Patina Thompson earned a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife, Watershed and Rangeland Resources from the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. She works in the agriculture insurance field. She is a wife, mother, rancher, hunter, photographer and conservationist in southeastern Arizona.

WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 29

THE LIFE OF A RANCH WIFE: BIG BAY HORSE It was on one of the windiest mornings we’d seen in a while, with temperatures that downright chilly, when my husband and I found ourselves horseback, prowling pastures for some cows and calves. As we trotted, I thought about the two horses we were on: both simple looking, and sure, pretty enough in their own right, yet maybe not the most eye catching on the ranch, or even in our string. But in our choice in catching our mounts that morning, we had caught our two big bay geldings.

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY KATE SANCHEZ

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nd so, I thought long and hard as we trotted up steep hills, down sharp canyons and across rugged terrain; about what these horses mean to us, and what they remind me of. They are like some of the best people I’ve encountered; the ones who I feel blessed to have in my life.

They are the animal form of what parents strive to raise and send out into the world, as citizens in a society where so many do not act with such respect and dignity. They are our very best and exhibit many of the characteristics that so many people lack. In short, the essence of these horses represents what we should all strive to be…

Be a person who can be depended upon. When the going gets tough, stay in the game, don’t disappoint those who lean on you, and when someone needs help, rise to the challenge.

Like our big bay geldings, be the kind of person who is always dependable, no matter what time of day, what the weather is, or what’s going on in your world.

Be solid and steady. Don’t change with the newest of fads or trends but be willing to bend a little for what’s best for yourself and those closest to you. Like a trainable horse, be willing to take suggestion and learn new skills, all while staying honest and upfront about the kind of person you are and who you are continually striving to be. Don’t change for the world, but be willing to compromise when necessary. Bend, but don’t break.

Be honest. Be honest to yourself and everyone you encounter, even if it hurts. Don’t shirk on duties, show up when you’re supposed to, and be honest about why you may not be living up to expectations. People will respect you for that. Like those dependable horses of ours, we all have an “off” day, and that’s okay. Just don’t let it be every day.

Be a person who is understanding and has a big heart, but don’t get run over. Recognize the times when enough is enough and stand up for what’s right. Don’t let these situations make you overly tough and resentful, but understand when there’s a time and a place to be resilient and strong. Show heart. Be compassionate, yet courageous. Demonstrate tenacity like no one else you’ve ever seen. Our very best horses are kind, and gentle, but when they’re asked to perform a rigorous task, they quickly become gritty and tough. Rarely will they get us into a bind, but when they do, they always find a way out. Be soft in the things you do, and in your heart, but be sure to keep a thick skin and a unique view of the world that no one can take away from you.

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In a time when social media dictates how you should look, act, and even think, stay true to yourself. Don’t feel as though you’ll be overlooked simply because you’re more modest than other people. Often, horses with color or the extra “chrome” are most favored, as they turn heads and grab your attention. But statistically, most of those winning the big events are “plain” colored. As much as it might be nice to be noticed, or hold center-of-attention status, be the opposite. Stand back and be quiet, and let your actions do your talking, and in doing so, you won’t have to try to be noticed, it’ll just happen.

So, as for those horses who aren’t fancy, although they don’t necessarily grab your attention, still try your best to be like one of them. They may not be much to look at but will often surprise you with all the good they have to offer. Do your best to embrace yourself, and others too, in the same manner.

In a world of grays and palominos, be a big bay horse.

WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 31

AT LAW: “CHECKERBOARD” LANDS AND ADVERSE GRAZING The West was a wilderness needing to be settled and developed.

ARTICLE BY THOMAS K . KELLY WITH TAMRA S. KELLY AND STEVEN D. PENDLETON

To a person not familiar with the interplay between public lands grazing, private property rights and open range laws adverse grazing of another person’s private property is a foreign concept. Answering the question requires a basic understanding of the history of the acquisition of private lands in the United States, the role of public lands agencies in the management of public lands and the interplay between public and private land and open range laws.

Railroad Land Grant Acts – Origin of “Checkerboard” Lands

Waterhold on a ranch. Roosevelt County, New Mexico © Arthur Rothstein, Circa1936

M

y wife is the broker and owner of Ag Lands Southwest, a real estate brokerage firm specializing in the sale of working cattle ranches and other agricultural properties in Arizona and New Mexico. Unfamiliar with large working cattle ranches dependent on leased public lands, many out-of-state buyers have numerous questions regarding nature and dependency of grazing leases,

PG. 32 :: FALL 2019

water rights, access easements, carrying capacity, etc. requiring the specialized expertise of ranch real estate brokers. A question often asked is: “What is adverse grazing?” Related to this initial question is the follow up: “Does it add to the value of the ranch?” and, “What are my rights regarding the continued use of another person’s private land for grazing?”

These questions are difficult to answer.

To encourage development of the new nation, soon after the Revolutionary War, the United States government began transferring much of the continent into private ownership. Using a variety of congressional acts, more than a billion acres were granted to states for education and transportation purposes, given or sold to war veterans and settlers for homesteading, and to corporations to develop water, timber, and mineral resources for the nation.

As the western expansion of the nation began, laws were passed to transfer large tracts of public lands into private hands pursuant to land grant acts. The purpose of these land acts was to encourage and incentivize the development of the vast western wilderness. Prior to the advent of vehicular access by our interstate highway system, the most expedient, realistic and efficient means of access throughout the continent was by railroad.

The West was a wilderness needing to be settled and developed. Through a series of a series of federal and state acts between 1850 and 1871, the railroad land grants incentivized railroads to construct railways across the west. The purpose of the railroad land grants were to build the transcontinental railroad and telegraph systems Continued on Page 34...

WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 33

Continued from Page 32...which would help settle the West. Once conveyed, the railroads would then sell the land to settlers, and use the money raised to pay for the construction of the transportation and communication systems. The railroad land grants eventually covered ten percent of the continental United States and an even greater portion of the American West, where most of the railroad land grants were located.

Under the railroad land grants, the railroads would be granted every other section of land along the rail corridor.

The land had already been divided into 640-acre numbered sections according to the Public Land Survey System. The railroad land grants typically extended 6 to 40 miles perpendicular from both sides of the track. In this subsidy, odd-numbered sections were given to railroad companies and the federal government kept evennumbered sections. The resulting alternating private/public sections of land appear on a map as a checkerboard.

Public Lands – Origin and Management As the railroad land grant acts conveyed deeded land to the railroads, the General Land Office maintained control of the alternating sections of public lands in the checkerboard configuration. Throughout history of the west, much of the GLO lands transformed into public lands managed

by State Land Departments, the United States Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. With different legal origins and authority, each of these public agencies are saddled with the responsibility of managing the intervening parcels of public lands for a variety of purposes including cattle grazing.

Arizona State Land Department The Territory of Arizona was established on February 24, 1863, by an Act of Congress. This Act granted sections 16 and 36 of each township for the benefit of the Common Schools. In addition, the Enabling Act of 1910 assigned sections 2 and 32 of each township to be held in trust for the Common Schools. After statehood in 1912, additional legislative acts increased the total acreage managed by the state to approximately 10,900,000 acres.

PG. 34 :: FALL 2019

Since the State Land Department’s inception in 1915, its missions have been to manage the Land Trust and to maximize its revenues for its fourteen beneficiaries.

All uses of the land must benefit the Trust, a fact that distinguishes it from the management of federal public lands.

Arizona has acquired lands in four types of transactions School Sections in Place, Indemnity in Lieu Selections, Quantity Grant Selections and Land Exchanges. The State acquired its School Sections in Place wherever the land surveys placed them.

The State chose the lands acquired in the Indemnity in Lieu Selections, Quantity Grant Selections, and Land Exchange processes. Most of the selections were made in the 1915-1960 era, with the selection program being finally completed in 1982. Since the State was precluded by Federal laws from acquiring mineral lands, and since the homesteaders had already acquired most of the potential agricultural lands, the State focused on choosing the best grazing lands.

Most of the acreage chosen during the 1915-1960 era was in central and southeastern Arizona, and in the checkerboard land area along the railroad across north-central Arizona. Later selections were made in commercial and irrigated, agricultural lands as well as some of the better grazing lands in such areas as western Yavapai County. As a result, most of Arizona Trust lands are currently usable only for livestock grazing purposes. In the 88 years since statehood, the State has disposed of, or exchanged, about 1,628,079 acres of Trust lands. A total of 9,228,787 acres of Trust Land remains.

United States Forest Service While the Forest Reserves were originally established to protect timberlands and watersheds, it was recognized early in the history of the Reserves (later National Forests) that grazing was a legitimate use. In 1897, the newly formed Forest Service was formed as an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture and was authorized to permit grazing as long as it did not injure forest growth.

Since these early days of the agency, the Forest Service has supported controlled livestock grazing. In the earliest version

of published policy of the Forest Service (USDA Forest Service 1905), full grazing privileges for the livestock industry were provided. In the1936 edition of the policies, it was recognized that the “cattle and sheep which are grazed in the national forests bear an important relation to the supply of beef and mutton in this country, and represent an important industry and basis for established homes and every effort will be made by forest officers to promote the fullest possible use of grazing resources.” (USDA Forest Service 1936). Later, pursuant to the Multiple Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960, grazing was identified as one of the established uses of Forest Service land: “It is the policy of the Congress that the National Forests are established and shall be administered for outdoor recreation, range, timber, watershed, and wildlife and fish purposes.”

The USFS recognizes that the modern history of the west is very closely tied to livestock grazing. Even though the early cattle and sheep “empires” declined after restrictions on grazing began to occur in the early part of the 20th century, much of the custom and culture of the rural west is still very closely tied to ranching.

Many rural communities continue to be dependent upon ranching for their economic livelihood and most of these ranches rely on federal land grazing, either on BLM managed lands or on National Forests, for at least a portion of the grazing.

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering public lands. With oversight over 247.3 million acres, it governs one eighth of the country’s landmass.

President Harry S. Truman created the BLM in 1946 by combining two existing agencies: the General Land Office and the Grazing Service.

Most BLM public lands are located in these twelve western states. The mission of the BLM is “to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.” Originally BLM holdings were described as “land nobody wanted” because they had been passed

over by homesteaders.

Today, BLM Arizona manages 12.2 million acres of public lands for a variety of uses including grazing. Arizona’s cattle and sheep ranchers use almost one-half of Arizona’s total land mass, some 72,750,000 acres managed by the United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Arizona State Land Department for livestock production.

Arizona’s Open Range Law Historically, open range laws developed as a result of land ownership characteristics. Due to confined space in England, a common-law rule developed requiring a landowner to keep livestock enclosed on his private property. If not, and the livestock wandered on the land of another, the livestock owner, subject to certain exceptions, was liable for the trespass and ensuing harm to the property.

This general rule was followed by most eastern states of the United States which are essentially devoid of any public lands.

In the western U.S., with its large expanses of both private and public lands, this rule requiring a rancher to “fence in” his livestock was not historically used nor even practical to implement. Prior to enactment of the Taylor Grazing Act in 1934, the public lands were not managed and cattle ranchers enjoyed the unregulated use of public grazing lands. Cattle were simply identified by an authorized brand, but free to graze anywhere on public lands. After enactment of the Taylor Grazing Act, the public lands were subjected to a system of regulation by “permit’ allowing cattle ranchers a designated area of public lands for grazing by a specific permittee. Large tracts of land containing hundreds, if not thousands, of acres were identified by the public agencies as “grazing allotments” and were managed for livestock production with agency conservation principles. Fencing off private parcels of property within these grazing allotments is not practical, and at times, impossible.

Accordingly, the courts of the western states refused to follow the “fence in” rules of the eastern states, adopting in its stead, the “open range law.” Under the open range law there is no liability, civil or criminal, for livestock wandering on to the lands of another. If a landowner is concerned about livestock, his remedy was

to simply fence out the unwanted cattle.

Given the realities of raising livestock on vast expanses of public lands, Arizona still adheres to the open range law.

Adverse Grazing The vast expansive “checkerboard” public/private land arrangement in Arizona coupled with its open range law creates the existence of “adverse grazing.” A concept based on the premise that large tracts of private land existing in the checkerboard fashion with public lands permitted for grazing are rarely occupied, difficult to access and almost impossible to fence.

Pursuant to an open range law, the cattle grazing on the properly permitted public lands adjacent to the private property are legally authorized to graze freely on the adjacent private lands. This concept is referred to as adverse grazing.

Initially, when the railroads began selling their private lands acquired through the land grant system, large corporations and ranchers acquired the vast expanse of private property. Corporations would, and still do, enter into grazing leases for the beneficial use of their private property.

Some ranches have remained intact, owning large tracts of private property adjacent to the public lands leases in the checkerboard areas. After World War II many of these large tracts of private land have been sold to land speculators who then divided the large tracts into 40 acre parcel to be resold while avoiding stringent subdivision laws in Arizona.

Fueled by misleading advertisement misrepresenting the nature and quality of the property, unscrupulous speculators were successful in selling the divided, checkerboard lands of Northern Arizona to unwary purchasers. The result has left a largely uninhabitable, scarred mess on the Arizona landscape. With no water, no utilities and poorly designed roads lacking drainage, these parcels are difficult, if not impossible, to inhabit. Although thousands of acres have been divided and sold, only a very few, hardy residents sparsely occupy these large subdivided tracts. Meanwhile, grazing cattle on these parcels of private lands under Arizona’s open range law continues to be authorized as adverse grazing.

As a rancher, there are several advantages to adverse grazing. As a financial benefit,

there is no grazing permit or lease fee that must be paid. Also, there is no range manager specifying the number of cattle, pasture rotation and periods of use of the grazed lands. A rancher is free to manage his cattle, grass and water without input or interference from public lands managers.

Moreover, due to the initial locating of the railroad, much of the adverse grazing on these checkerboard lands is in gentle terrain with excellent feed and water.

Likewise there are several disadvantages to adverse grazing. The “nesters” who occupy the 40 acre remote parcels are a diverse group of people. Ranging from retired folks simply seeking a peaceful existence by escaping the hustle and bustle of the big city to the outlaws - felons avoiding an arrest warrant or individuals engaged in various illicit activities contact these hardy occupants living “off the grid” are unique individuals. Most residents enjoy the presence of cattle on the open range and actually assist in the ranch management. Whether communicating the welfare of cows, working and maintaining access roads or providing and maintain water, their help alleviates many concerns of the rancher. Others, often unfamiliar with open range laws, harass, harm, chase or sometimes, kill cattle creating constant conflict with the rancher. Free ranging, aggressive dogs, dumped trash and debri, and poorly constructed wire fencing created unwanted hazards for the cattle rancher. Finally, at any time a resident can fence his private property precluding its use for cattle grazing. Unlike a deeded land ranch where the rancher is in total control of his property or a public lands grazing lease controlled by federal and state land managers, control in an adverse grazing area is less definite, more obtuse and, often unpredictable.

The availability of feed and water, condition of the range, geography, terrain and ability to access and manage your cattle are primary factors in determining the profitability of a livestock operation.

As a result, parcels subject to adverse grazing present a financial opportunity to a rancher. Given the problems associated with adverse grazing on another’s private parcel, calculating a value presents a unique problem.

Continued on next page...

WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 35

Value of Adverse Grazing An informal, uncertified method of appraising the value of a cattle ranch is simple. Assign a value to the carrying capacity on the lands available for grazing, add the value of range improvements plus the value of private land conveyed in the transaction to equal the total value of the ranch. The problem in assessing the value of adverse lands subject to grazing relates to the uncertainty of its carrying capacity. As mentioned above, at any time a landowner could fence out your cattle. Given the typical sparse population and size of these tracts, it is usually unlikely enough fencing would take place to impact the number of cattle grazed. However, theoretically if this happened with a large number of landowners, the carrying capacity on the adverse private lands could be significantly reduced impacting the value of the ranch.

Regardless, Southwestern Ag Services, Steve Pendelton, a certified general real estate appraiser with over 20 years experience in rural land appraising opines that you need to consider the contribution of surface or adverse grazing rights, whether it’s a standalone value or an added contribution to the other land components.

Steve Pendelton considers the following factors in assigning a contribution to the adverse grazing: 1. The mount of development within the area, 2. The current sales activity within the developmet, 3. Any recent development in the area, 4. The physical layout of the adverse grazing land, 5. The land mix of the ranch, i.e. percentage deeded, leased, adverse, etc., 6. Range improvements on the surface grazing, and 7. Other area ranch sales with adverse grazing.

It is a difficult concept to consider a contribution without an ownership interest or long term lease. However the potential increased capacity beyond the private land and government leases is a positive benefit. For instance, if you could double the capacity of the ranch with surface grazing rights, wouldn’t you be apt to pay PG. 36 :: FALL 2019

Range cattle behind fence on grazing land near Birney, Montana © Marion Post Wolcott, Circa1941

more than you would for a ranch without additional grazing? Especially when you consider there are typically no significant additional cost, such as taxes, rent and grazing fees on surface grazing rights.

As Arizona rapidly expands, the value of deeded land cattle ranches has greatly increased due to the potential to be developed into residential communities.

As a result, justifying a purchase based solely upon the ability of a deeded ranch to produce income based only from cattle is becoming increasingly difficult. Even with inherent concerns of public lands leases, BLM, USFS and State Land Leases are perhaps more reasonably priced opportunities to purchase a viable cattle operation. Parcels of land subject to adverse grazing located adjacent to an operating cattle ranch helps a ranch “pencil out” when evaluating its income productivity to its purchase price.

Article Resources: 1. Arizona State Land Department, https://land.az.gov/ about/history 2. Bureau of Land Management, https://www.blm.gov/ about/history 3. Chavez, Merry J. (1987). “Public Access to Landlocked Public Lands”. 39. Stanford Law Review:

1373–1401. JSTOR 1228850.

4. Draffan, George (1998). “Taking Back Our Land” (PDF). United States: www.landgrant.org.

Retrieved 28 February 2011.

5. Kelly, Thomas K. (2018), Examining Arizona’s Open Range Law, Western Ag Life Magazine, Summer Ed., pp. 28-29.

6. Poli, Adon (1956). “Ownership and Use of Forest Land in Northwestern California”. 32. University of Wisconsin Press: 144–151. JSTOR 3159757.

7. Walton, Gary M.; Rockoff, Hugh (2005). “Railroads and Economic Change”. History of the American Economy (10th ed.). United States: South-Western. pp. 313–4. ISBN 0-324-22636-5.

8. United States Forest Service, https://www.fs.fed.us rangeland-managementgrazing/allowgrazings.html

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Thomas K. Kelly is a retired attorney who now manages family cattle ranches and works as a consultant for Ag Lands Southwest, LLC. Tamra Kelly, Owner and Designated Broker of Ag Lands Southwest, LLC a real estate agency representing both buyers and sellers of working cattle ranches and other agricultural properties in Arizona and New Mexico.

Steven D. Pendleton is certified appraiser and the designated broker of Southwestern Ag Services, a full service real estate firm providing brokerage, appraisals and consulting services in Arizona.

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CONSERVATION: REGENERATING AGRI-CULTURE But character and community—that is, culture in the broadest, richest sense—constitute, just as much as nature, the source of food. Neither nature nor people alone can produce human sustenance, but only the two together, culturally wedded. —Wendell Berry ARTICLE BY JOEL JOHNSON

C

onflict is often the result of a lack of creativity. Nobel Peace Laureates have educated the world not only in diplomacy and leadership, but also imagination. Faced with the simple paths of indifference and war, the ability of peacemakers to envision a “third way” forward—an effective path of creative action—has led to some of the most transformational revolutions in human history.

Agriculture has been in need of just such a revolution for some time now. Headlines seem to draw a line of division among land stewards—conservationists fighting to protect land from development, and therefore degradation, and agriculturalists trying to protect their livelihoods and rural economies in the face of overwhelming data connecting industrial food production to global emissions and climate change.

This dualism, while attractive in the simplicity of its explanation, is fatally flawed. At its root it suggests that food production can only ever be destructive to the ecosystems we call home. What’s more, it villanizes the individuals most tangibly invested in the soil beneath their feet.

The uninspired logic of conflict takes our food system—the symbiosis of cultivating ecological communities in order to ensure human flourishing—and shatters it into many conflicts. The effect of this single story, ethnobiologist Gary Nabhan notes in Food from the Radical Center, is “Americans appear to be at war with one another rather than at work with one another. This trend,” Nabhan elaborates, “has dire consequences for the health of both our communities and our landscapes.”

However, in the borderlands of the American Southwest, a host of grassroots movements is reshaping the

PG. 38 :: FALL 2019

way we think about agriculture. While the projects are distinctive, the movement is consistent: Rather than addressing issues individually—biodiversity loss, agricultural emissions, faltering rural economies, political divide, cultural conflict—reimagine the system itself.

Imagine foodscapes that support local jobs and produce high-value products for local communities. Imagine cultivation that builds soil rather than eroding it. Imagine stories and culture preserved from plant to plate. Imagine regenerative agriculture.

In the context of agriculture, the qualifier “regenerative” is typically credited to Robert Rodale, son of organic pioneer J.I. Rodale. In 1987, the UN Bruntland Commission defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Rodale pushed back against this definition, which was still ultimately extractive. He argued for an agriculture that was “beyond sustainable”—one that “takes advantage of the natural tendencies of ecosystems to regenerate when disturbed” in order to heal land while also providing for people.

Dr. Gary Nabhan, who has had a hand in the founding of many of these community collaborations (Borderlands Restoration Network, Native Seeds/SEARCH, etc.), says that in practice, “There is no single recipe for a regenerative agriculture.

You could say it should be looking at perennials. You can say that it should use integrated pest management that minimizes or eliminates pesticides and herbicides. But there is not a single recipe.

It has to be place-specific and you get that by talking to your neighbors.”

That discussion and collaboration among neighbors has been the foundation of the ecological restoration work taking

place at Deep Dirt Institute and Farm in Patagonia, AZ. Through the building of check dams, brush weirs, and gabions to slow down water flow, especially in areas of high erosion, Deep Dirt and a partner project in the Chiricahua Mountains has seen rainwater infiltration increase, eroded gullies restored, an increased diversity of wildlife presence, and substantially lower rates of wildfires as a result of higher soil moisture levels. “[The building of infiltration structures is] really the foundation of everything that we’re doing...and almost all of it has been done by youth,” explains Deep Dirt’s permaculturalist Kate Tirion. “Which to me is the most exciting thing, because these are our future leaders.”

Deep Dirt has involved nearly 4,000 youth in community-based restoration efforts of the surrounding landscape, repurposing waste products in the process.

“Have you heard the term, urbanite?”

Kate asks me when we speak over the phone. It is the permaculture descriptor for “broken-up lumps of cement usually found in urban centers.” In 2006, a local school had to tear out and replace a recently built sidewalk. “Fortunately the contractor who was doing the removal work knew that I was looking for material,” Tirion recalls.

“I didn’t know what I was going to use it for; I just saw it as a resource.”

Under Kate’s direction, youth partners turned that urbanite—thirteen dump truck loads—into check dams and gabions that are slowing water, catching soil, and ultimately healing land in one of the most biodiverse regions of the country.

Transforming the waste into a resource also meant the school saved $8,000 in landfill and transport costs.

In addition to ecosystem-scale conservation work, Deep Dirt Farm, the area of Deep Dirt dedicated to food

Tumamoc © Joel Johnson

Deep Dirt Institute Program © Kate Tirion

Tucson Basin © Joel Johnson

Desert Laboratory at Tumamoc © Joel Johnson

production, is “a space where we build community resilience,” Tirion explains.

“One of the first things I noticed about the town of Patagonia is that I’ve never seen a place in the United States that had as much talent per capita as we have here. What we didn’t have here was food security.”

So, in 1998, Tirion petitioned the town of Patagonia to initiate a community garden. When it was approved, her first step was planting 30-some heirloom fruit trees to shelter the space as part of a community workshop. The area is still worked by people from the surrounding community—an inclusion of neighbors and, by extension, an infusion of local culture into the food system that Tirion describes as “critical.”

“There’s so much knowledge here,” she says. “Looking at just our small region, we’ve got people like Gary Nabhan, but [also] indigenous peoples such as the Tohono O’odham, the Pascua Yaqui.

These are people who have lived here

for millennia—long before Europeans surfaced or had a clue that this part of the world existed—who were growing food here. Not growing food in the European model, but enhancing particular environments where their food plants grow...There’s a lot to learn historically from the indigenous community that has been here for a very, very long time and understands what it takes to live in a landscape like this.”

In her work with Borderlands Restoration Network, “we’re focusing on restoration economies,” Tirion explains.

“But I think [we must] tie in the idea of provisioning economies. We need to draw from our regions what we need as a species, because we’re just overwhelming the planet...The future will be local as we pull back [from] fossil fuels.”

While the success of the landscape restoration work at Deep Dirt Institute is hard to refute, critics of regenerative agriculture push back against the viability

of agricultural ecosystems to sustain communities in terms of both profit and plate. But Nabhan argues that regenerative agriculture, particularly rediscovering native plants and food crops, makes immense sense in the Sonoran Desert region in particular.

Nabhan frequently works at the Desert Laboratory on Tucson’s Tumamoc Hill and he points out, “the state gave that land to be a research station because they knew conventional crops wouldn’t grow here, but that we had to provide food—we couldn’t import all our food in from outside.” The limits of the desert ecosystem, which some view as constraints to conventional agriculture, are what result in exceptional regional food products.

“The things that grow here are really unique, so they’re of higher value because people can’t get them anywhere else,” Nabhan argues. “If you’re going to just grow wheat, corn, or soy—I have nothing against those crops—but there are going WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 39

The Bean Tree Farm © Barbara Rose

“...the movement for biocultural restoration is one that unites rather than divides, that sews together frayed fragments and brings forward the best of what it means to be human.” —Gary Nabhan

to be people who can do it with lower input costs and get higher yields. So we’re better off when we grow the crops unique to this area.”

Nabhan contends that the unique products of the desert, which can be cultivated with substantially less input, will be a big part of the future of southwestern agriculture: “I’m doing a new study that suggests about one-third of all our crops in the future in Arizona, at least in the Sonoran Desert, are likely to be high value cactus and agave or century plant products that we can grow on onefifth to one-twentieth of the moisture that conventional crops need.”

If this comes to pass, it will require many desert farmers to re-imagine agriculture as we know it.

The practical knowledge of the uses and potential of these plants is rarely touted by university extensions. It resides in indigenious and immigrant communities whose agricultural acumen is all too often overlooked.

“There’s [indigenous and] immigrant farmers and people who have grown up on farms in Mexico that are fully documented that have to be part of our ag future,” Nabhan asserts. “If we get that diverse human resource base, and a diverse crop base, we’ll be a lot better off than if we’re just defending our turf as the world changes around us.”

In the saguaro-studded foothills of the Tucson Mountains, Barbara Rose of Bean Tree Farm is celebrating these diverse, rain-fed native crops, inspiring Sonoran Desert palates, and cooking up unique products in the process.

Rose is quick to recognize that Bean PG. 40 :: FALL 2019

Tree Farm, a 20-acre Sonoran Desert food forest, does not fit what people would consider a “real” farm, “As we don’t grow conventional market vegetables, or irrigate.” Half of Bean Tree’s income is derived from value-added desert products such as chutneys, salsas, sauces, salves, and more, in addition to workshops, demonstrations and permaculture consultations.

“I don’t tell people that you can make a huge living planting, tending, and harvesting desert plants,” Rose says.

“But mesquite flour sells for $20/lb, and thrives on seasonal rainwater, which is a better deal than any other agricultural crop I know of that’s legal,” she adds with a laugh. “And meanwhile, you’re helping regenerate Sonoran Desert lands which have been overdrafted and depleted since colonization.”

One of the challenges of producing Sonoran Desert food crops is educating people about the value of wild foods— think barrel cactus chutney, mesquite broths, and prickly pear reductions— and working them back into a food culture that prioritizes European vegetables (when consuming fresh food at all, that is).

“People have no idea that we live in a food forest, a literal food forest,” she exclaims. “That everything, if you walk in the Sonoran Desert or replant the wild Sonoran Desert in your backyard and neighborhood, just about everything is either edible and or medicinal—usually both.”

Rose echoes Nabhan’s viewpoint, that the drought-adaptation of these food plants is one of their greatest strengths.

“Everyone who’s really thinking long term knows we need to include more of the kinds of food products that indigenous people have always lived on, taken care of, been improving and growing, and transition to a rainwater budget instead of a groundwater budget.”

Rose also agrees with Tirion’s call to re-wild our places, both farms and dwellings. “The work of Bean Tree Farm and many conservation organizations, leads us to say: rewild. Rewild your urban

and suburban areas because where you live now...that used to be Sonoran Desert.”

While harvesting and teaching about desert foods is life-giving work, Rose also recognizes the shadow side of Anglo appropriation and cultural misuse that must be paid attention to. “We’re still dealing, like every other place in the whole nation with the fact that the very land that Bean Tree Farm is sitting on was stolen,” she says. “Heart-full communication, connection and work needs to be done to heal that rift...I am always trying to figure out how do I protect this place and how do I also make it right. Make the work that I do right for reparation and truth-telling.

That’s crucial work.”

Rose also recognizes that for agriculture to be truly regenerative it must also be accessible to all.

Tucson’s UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation has been lauded for reviving the use of desert plants in restaurants and breweries, but high-end cuisine is not the focus of Bean Tree’s work. “My passion lies in empowering people in their own kitchens and neighborhoods, in a food desert and in a socially and food unjust system. There’s a lot of hungry people here. There’s a lot of nutritionally at-risk people here. And what better way to change that than to empower folks to grow your own food in whatever way you can and just rewilding your neighborhood with all these edible wild foods that don’t need irrigation once they’re established.

What if,” she asks, “every community garden included wild foods, and every neighborhood had a little wild food farm?”

“In many ways, we’re not doing something new,” Rose reflects, “but we are incorporating maybe new knowledge into trying to make a life and a community based on living with the natural system in more harmony with it rather than pushing it to do something that it really can’t continue to do.”

Rose and her teaching partners offer multiple demonstrations each month to keep that knowledge alive and pass it on to others.

Prepare to be

well...in a fun way of course!

Our ShowOff Circuit is open to all breeds and ages, competing for fun prizes and overall show ring experience.

Showoff Circuit

This is a great first time horse show for those who are new to the show world, and it is equally as great for experienced hands looking for a place to put show ring miles on young horses.

February 29, 2020 March 28, 2020 April 25, 2020 May 30, 2020 September 26, 2020 October 24th, 2020 November 14th, 2020

Go to www.anls.org/show-off for more information

RANCH HOUSE BARB WIRE CHINA For Western dining or décor by Anne Marie Moore. Hotel-grade porcelain chinawear with rolled-rim comes in 6 vintage colors on tan background.

24-piece set ($995) includes: 16-piece dinnerware set (4 each dinner/salad/bowl/mug, ($500) plus 8-piece serving accessories ($495). USA only.

Cowboy Exchange, P.O. Box 880, Willcox, AZ 85644. www.barbwirechina.com, (520) 384-3598.

WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 41

T

he Arizona Farm and Ranch Experience has announced their selection for the 2020 Arizona Farming and Ranching Hall of Fame.

The new inductees will be honored at the annual Arizona Farming and Ranching Hall of Fame Honorees Dinner to be held on March 7, 2020 at the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park.

Cochise County is the home of three cattle ranching families selected this year.

The Kimble family migrated to Arizona in 1919 from Oklahoma and Texas. Don Kimble, son of Ralph and June Kimble, was raised on a ranch forty miles northeast of Douglas. As the age of twelve he already ran his own cows on the family ranch. A graduate of the University of Arizona, Don taught at Cochise College for eleven years and was the rodeo team coach. Having sold the family’s home place ranch in 2013, Don and wife Lynn now ranch on Silver Creek northeast of Douglas and in Double Adobe.

The San Jose Ranch runs ten miles along the Arizona/Mexico border south of Bisbee near Naco. Owners Jack Ladd and son John are committed conservations and have received awards for their conservation practices on the ranch. John’s great-grandparents established the San Jose Dairy in 1896 at the present site of the

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ranch; the family switched to cattle ranching in the 1920’s.

John is currently 2nd VicePresident of the Arizona Cattle Growers Association.

For many years he has served on the Border Working Group and travels frequently to Washington D.C. to meet with various government officials regarding border issues.

Rancher Roy Boss (19112005) and wife Peggy also ranched in Cochise County.

The Boss Ranch is located in the Pedregosa Mountains twenty-five miles from the border of Old Mexico and twenty-five miles from the New Mexico border. Roy’s father R. O. Boss bought the Reasonover homestead in 1910. In addition to raising cattle; Roy spent the last sixty years of his life raising American Quarter Horses. He was honored by the Association for fifty years of breeding Quarter Horses.

Sheep ranchers Joseph Pouquette and sons Pierre and Albert have a long history in Arizona’s sheep industry. Joseph arrived in Arizona in 1903 and started to work for sheep owners in the Ash Fork area.

His father Pierre was already in Arizona; later returning to France. Joseph began acquiring his own sheep in 1910. He was in California for a short time returning to Arizona with his wife Mary and two children Pierre and Marie; youngest son Albert was born in Arizona. In 1917 Joseph brought 4,000 sheep from Utah; settling permanently in Williams in 1920.

He began to raise his sheep herd with sons Pierre and Albert and other family members. His grandson Albert Jr. ran sheep until 1984 and cattle until 1991 with the help of his dad and uncle. Four generations of Pouquettes were stockmen in Arizona.

Brothers Paul and Wilford Hayden farm in Palo Verde in the Buckeye Valley.

They are Arizona natives whose family

have a farming history in that state going back 105 years. The Hayden’s have been farming in the Buckeye Valley since 1959.

In 1987 and 1991 Hayden Farms received the Goodyear Conservation Farmer of the Year Award from the Buckeye-Roosevelt Natural resource Conservation District.

They practice an irrigation system philosophy of small, frequent applications on every outer row that saved untold hundreds of acre feet of water.

Chuck and Judy Backus ranch on the Quarter Circle U in the Superstition Mountains. They purchased the ranch in 1977 and have worked hard to improve a ranch that had not been well managed with no cross fences or water development done in the last 100 years. Chuck has studied cattle genetics and attended national conferences on the subject to improve his herd. With the location of the ranch close to Phoenix, the couple have been generous with Gate to Plate tours done by the Arizona Beef Council on the ranch and have hosted many school groups.

Last but not least is Wade Noble of Yuma who is honored as a Friend to Agriculture. He is a fifth generation Arizonan on his father’s side, born in Safford. A graduate of the University of Arizona, he received his Junis Doctor from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. He is currently the Coordinator for the Yuma County Agriculture Water

Coalition. Wade directed preparation of a case study of efficiency agriculture and water use in Yuma which has been adopted as a primary reference on the efficient use of Colorado River water All the honorees have much more history as farmers and ranchers in Arizona.

Every five years, the Arizona Farming and Ranching Hall of Fame will publish a book with all the histories of those who have been honored during those five years.

The first two volumes may be purchased through www.azfare.org. Check the website for any additional information regarding the Hall of Fame.

ARTICLE BY: Janice Bryson TOP LEFT PHOTO: The Ladd’s at the San Jose Ranch: From left Randy holding Owen, Jack Truman in front of John, Justin and Jack Ladd.

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BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO: Chuck Backus on the Quarter Circle U Ranch.

WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 43

ARIZONA CATTLE GROWERS’ IS ON TOP OF THE FAKE MEAT FAD

Since the start of the fake meat fad, the Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association has been watching the product very carefully.

ARTICLE BY ASHLEE MORTIMER , DIECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

During October, my family holds a Pumpkin Fest & Corn Maze, where people from around the state visit to have a wholesome family day on a real farm. Since opening the farm up to the public ten years ago, I have met and visited with all types of people. Some who believe chocolate milk comes from brown cows, beef is full of pesticides, and others who think organic inherently means healthier. One of our primary purposes for inviting the public to the farm is the opportunity to educate them about farming and ranching because the general public is not receiving accurate information. This last weekend the Yavapai Cowbelles participated in this initiative as they spoke to festival guests, shared the story of ranching, and gave out hundreds of beef samples.

Through my involvement in agriculture, I have learned the importance of consumer education, respecting consumer decisions, finding common ground in agriculture practices different than my own, and not bashing others’ food choices or farming/ranching practices. I hope for other agriculture sectors, food marketing, and consumers to return the favor and not bash or spread misinformation about farming/ranching. The bottom line is that there is no one size fits all to being sustainable, eating, or growing/raising food; however, life would be much simpler if we all worked together and supported each other.

Since the start of the fake meat fad, the Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association has been watching the product very carefully. When the “Beyond Burger” and “Impossible Burger” hit the market, my impression was that these products were just another option for the 3.2% of Americans who are vegetarians already eating plant-based foods. As the fake meat campaign began to tell lies about cattle’s impact on the environment, the health effects of beef, and animal treatment, the conversation became more than fake meat vs. real meat. The conversation morphed into a labeling and misinformation conversation.

Political reform must take place to place restraints on falsely labeling products with misinformation, protect the consumer’s buying power, and protect the producer’s selling power.

We are doing the following to combat misinformation and labeling: • ACGA has reached 171,060 people over the past two and a half months through social media campaigns directed towards the consumer about animal welfare and the environment.

• ACGA has participated in multiple media interviews concerning fake meat and the impact it has on the Arizona rancher.

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• ACGA is supporting NCBA’s fake meat lobbying efforts and will support bills brought forth at the Arizona Legislator this session based on our policy book.

Two to three times a week, I receive media interview requests.

Many recent requests have been concerning the fake meat fad, other recent requests involved fall, pumpkins, and cattle. In one interview, I was able to share the following personal story about pumpkin compost: On my family’s farm, at the end of pumpkin season, we incorporate the pumpkin fields into our cattle’s pasture rotation schedule. The cattle are in pumpkin heaven as they eat and enjoy the leftover pumpkins. During the interview, I was able to relate this story to the importance of promoting plant growth and fertilization through pasture rotation, and how all segments of agriculture work together to benefit the environment and our lands positively. Conversations, just like this one, shows the Arizona ranching community cares about the environment and our cattle. Conversations just let this one, combat the misinformation put out by fake meat marketers.

Arizona Cattle Growers’ is sharing the real Arizona ranching story with the public. ACGA leading the conversation and listening to the public’s concerns by showing the ranching community cares about the environment, cares about our animals, and is dedicated to providing a healthy beef product.

For more information about Arizona Cattle Growers’ visit, azcattlegrowers.org or call us at 602.267.1129.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:My position at Arizona Cattle Growers’ gives me the opportunity to work with, meet, visit, and communicate with the greatest group of people in the world – the Arizona ranchers! I am honored to be a part of the Arizona ranching community, supply you with industry updates, connect your family with other Arizona ranching families, share the ranching story with the public, and provide information that will help you and your business continue to be better every day.

NEW ACGA MEMBERSHIP BROCHURE

Membership Chairmen: Anne Marie Moore 1811 S. Alma School Rd. Suite 255 Mesa, Arizona 85210 (602) 267-1129 azcattlegrowers.org

ED ASHURST RECEIVES WORKING COWBOY AWARD

O

n Saturday, Sept. 21 during the 42nd Annual National Golden Spur Award dinner at the Overton Hotel in Lubbock, Texas Arizona cowboy Ed Ashurst received the Ranching Heritage Association 2019 Working Cowboy Award.

The Ranching Heritage Association (RHA), is a non-profit membership organization supporting the work and mission of the NRHC. The annual award honors a working cowboy skilled in all aspects of ranch work and who is respected by the ranch crew and ranching community. Ashurst has published nine books to date. His fourth book, Stealin’ From the Neighbors, was his first work of fiction and was awarded the Hillerman Award for Fiction at the 2018 New Mexico-Arizona Book Award in Albuquerque.

Ashurst and his wife, Jean Ann, live on the Ten X Ranch northeast of Douglas, Ariz.

Photo © Kelly Kimbro

This award is designed to recognize an outstanding individual who makes his living primarily horseback caring for livestock on a daily basis.” ~ Jim Bret Campbell

WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 45

HISTORY: THE EMPIRE RANCH The Empire Ranch Foundation (ERF), a non-profit 501c3 volunteer organization, was established in 1997.

Acting in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the purpose of the Foundation is to protect, restore and sustain the Empire Ranch historical buildings and landscape as an outstanding western heritage and education center. In 1976, the Empire ranch house was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Sustaining the ranch is totally dependent on volunteers.

ARTICLE BY JANE EPPINGA, PHOTOS COURTESY OF EMPIRE RANCH FOUNDATION

T

he Empire was homesteaded in the 1870’s, as a 160 acre ranch with a four-room adobe ranch house and adjoining adobe-walled corral. In 1876, Edward Nye Fish, a Tucson businessman, sold it for $2,000 to Walter L. Vail and Herbert Hislop. John Harvey joined the partnership a few months later.

Over the next 20 years, Vail and various partners expanded the land holdings to include more than 100,000 acres. The Total Wreck silver mine, located in the Empire Mountains north of the ranch headquarters, was developed, adding to ranch prosperity. The house was expanded to more than 22-rooms and outbuildings and structures were added. The flat earthen roofs were replaced with wooden gable roofs.

In 1896, Walter Vail established his corporate headquarters in Los Angeles. Empire Ranch operations were overseen by Vail Company foremen until 1913 when William Banning Vail, Walter’s third oldest son, took over ranch management. He and his wife Laura Perry Vail, and their three children lived at the ranch until it was sold in 1928 to the Chiricahua Ranches Company (CRC). The CRC was incorporated by three Boice brothers, Henry Gudgell, Frank Seymour and Charles Gudgell, known for their promotion of the Hereford cattle. Frank and his wife, Mary Grantham Boice, moved to the Empire Ranch in 1929. Their sons, Stephen “Pancho” and Bob, grew up on the ranch and assisted with ranching operations.

The Boices added modern conveniences including propane, natural gas, a large electric walk-in refrigeration unit, upgraded plumbing and they applied cement stucco to the exterior house walls. A swimming pool became the focal point for family gatherings and parties. Many Hollywood films were shot at the Empire Ranch and the Boices hosted numerous film stars, including John Wayne, when Red River was filmed at the ranch.

Corporate Era (1969-1988)

In 1969, the Boices sold the Empire Ranch to Gulf American Corporation (GAC) which planned to build a residential community development, and contracted with Pancho Boice to continue ranching under lease arrangements. In 1974, Anamax Mining Company purchased the Empire Ranch from GAC for its water rights and mineral potential.

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The Empire Ranch is fortunate in that several of its cowboys and associates have left their memoirs. Mike Dojaquez arrived from Sonora Mexico in 1905 and worked at the Empire Ranch under the direction of foreman Tom Turner, a Santa Cruz County Sheriff. His son Henry worked roundup and helped Frank Boice build a dam on Cienega Creek. He recalled stories of the Fort Huachuca soldiers who camped at the ranch saving the ranch structures from fire. He described the farming operations, raising corn and alfalfa, at the Empire Ranch, and the supplies that were kept in the commissary. Families that worked for the ranch received monthly allotments of sugar, flour, coffee and fresh meat. Henry recalled experiences with the Civilian Conservation Corps, moonshine operations and other activities.

Richard (Dick) Jimenez worked as a cowboy on the Empire Ranch from 1933 until 1945 when the Boices had about twelve steady cowboys; during a roundup they had about thirty. His wife Eva was raised on the Empire Ranch by her grandparents.

Her grandfather, Mariano Ferra worked in the Rosemont area of the Empire, and in 1927 worked at the ranch headquarters.

They lived in a small two-room adobe house known as the Hired Man’s House. When the Boices purchased the Empire in 1929 they allowed Eva’s grandparents to remain in the house.

Eva helped Mary Boice with her children, and Mary’s beautiful gardens. As a girl Eva rode her horse, accompanied by her dog, Valente, to the Empire School on Greaterville Road. The ride took about two hours each way. Their teachers did not allow the students to speak Spanish, and she gave her drinking water to the dog.

One of the most colorful characters was the veterinarian Dr. James Pickrell who worked for the Boice family. Pickrell’s first involvement with the Empire Ranch as a veterinarian was when the foreman, Fred Barnett, asked him to castrate his horse. Until then the Empire Ranch had handled all of its own veterinary work. The ranch became his first account, and he worked on individual animals and handled their pregnancy testing.

Pickrell noted that the Boices were excellent cattlemen. The Boice’s bred Hereford cattle and developed water sources such as dirt tanks so that the cattle would not have to travel far for water. The Boices approached ranching scientifically,

Empire Ranch men who drove 900 cattle to California in 1890.

Pictured above: AJohn Wayne with Pancho, Bob, and Mary Boice during filming of Red River, 1946.

keeping records of weight gain, etc. and collaborating with University of Arizona scientists. Pickrell dealt with cancer eye, pink eye, screwworms, pneumonia, poisoning by weeds or Johnson grass, colic and calving problems.

Bureau of Land Management Era (1988-present) In the 1980s, public support sought to preserve the ranch and its natural resources in their historic condition. In 1988, a series of land exchanges put the property into public ownership under the administration of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

In 2000, the U.S. Congress officially designated 42,000 acres to be Las Cienegas National Conservation Area (LCNCA).

BLM entered into a lease agreement with John Donaldson and his son Mac to continue ranching on the Empire Ranch, following modern ranching practices designed to preserve and monitor the LCNCA’s natural resources and accommodate public recreation. In 2009, the Tomlinson family, owners of the Vera Earl Ranch in Sonoita, assumed the Donaldson grazing lease and are ranching on the Empire Ranch today. BLM managers were committed to preserving the historic Empire Ranch headquarters buildings and interpreting them for future generations. Studies

were undertaken to support and specify appropriate historic preservation.

Future Work has already been completed on the main ranch house and the adobe hay barn. The ERF’s next big endeavor will be to raise funds for the stabilization of the New Ranch House which sits on a hill just north of the main ranch house. This house was built by Pancho Boice in the 1950’s and it will be rehabilitated into a conference/working space for the Foundation and other agencies for educational purposes.

Events Free docent led tours are held the second and fourth Saturday of every month. Volunteer Days are held the first Saturday in every month Annual Spring Trail Ride, April 4, 2020 National Day of the Cowboy, July 25, 2020 Western Movie at the Loft in Tucson, September 2020 (Date TBD) Empire Ranch Cowboy Festival, November 7, 2020 Christmas at the Ranch, December 12, 2020

Margaret Vail on sidesaddle in Empire Ranch upper corral. Ranch buildings in rear. 1880s

WESTERN AG LIFE .COM :: PG 47

LLC

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