2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition Section B

section b

Building agricultural roots

sublette county 4-h educator shares involvement makes a difference

Sublette County 4-H Youth Development Educator Jen Matosky has a strong passion for Wyoming agriculture.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Jen participated in 4-H before heading out West to further her post-secondary education.

“I attended the University of Wyoming where I studied agricultural business and animal science,” shares Jen. “I fell in love with the western lifestyle and the values of the Wyoming community.”

She continues, “I sought out a position in western Wyoming, as I have always felt at home in the mountains.”

Her love for Wyoming agriculture and community involvement lead to her current position as the Sublette County 4-H Extension Educator.

“My responsibilities include coordinating and managing countywide 4-H events including the county fair, 4-H camps, county shoots and community service opportunities,” Jen says.

In addition to coordinating events, Jen oversees the management of 4-H volunteers and leaders for Sublette County.

The purpose of 4-H “The purpose of 4-H is for youth to complete hands-on projects in the areas of health, family and consumer science, agriculture, civic engagement and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) projects with guid-

ance from adult mentors,” Jen shares.

Involvement in these programs provides opportunities for 4-H members to learn valuable skills, and Jen notes part of her position is helping participants find ways to be involved. “4-H members are encouraged to take leadership roles and seek community service opportunities,” she says.

Jen continues, “Sublette County 4-H offers a wide variety of clubs and projects, including traditional livestock projects with horses, cattle, dogs, cats, poultry and rabbits.”

Additionally, there are many projects members can participate in that don’t include livestock, according to Jen. “Local youth can participate in shooting sports, sewing and quilting, geology, rocketry, visual arts, cake decorating, welding and so much more,” she adds.

The county also provides several unique opportunities for Sublette County 4-H members, including allowing members to participate in a 4-H cross country ski club.

“When it comes to 4-H, youth have the opportunity to learn and develop a passion for almost anything,” Jen says.

Showcasing youth projects One of Jen’s favorite opportunities for 4-H members is the opportunity to

attend the Wyoming State Fair.

“I enjoy watching my 4-H members exhibit their projects and demonstrate what they have learned with those across the state,” Jen says.

“The Wyoming State Fair is one of the only events where our state gathers together for a week straight.”

The Sublette County Fair is another event hosted for 4-H members that the Sublette County community looks forward to.

“The Sublette County Fair is hosted in Big Piney and includes multiple events,” says Jen. “The fair showcases numerous events including 4-H exhibits, youth livestock shows, an open archery shoot,

junior horse show, livestock sale and so much more,” says Jen. The dates have been set for the Sublette County Fair in 2022. Jen invites all to attend the 2022 Sublette County Fair, to be held July 27-30, 2022.

Fall programs Each new year brings new opportunities, Jen shares.

“Oct. 1 marks the beginning of the new 4-H year, which means fall is the time when our members and leaders enroll in their projects and clubs for the upcoming year.”

Many new members are encouraged to join.

“National 4-H week is Oct. 3-9, and this serves as a national platform to advertise and celebrate the local 4-H programs in each community,” says Jen. Getting involved For those interested in becoming a member of 4-H, Jen shares, “Sublette County hosts open house nights in

both of our major communities during the first week of October in order to welcome returning members as well as anyone else who may be interested in joining 4-H.” The program is open to all youth aged eight to 18 years old by Jan. 1, and the Cloverbud Program is for children aged five to seven years old.

Additionally, Jen adds anyone less than eight years old can participate in the pee-

wee division in livestock shows at the Sublette County Fair and the present static projects in the Cloverbud Division.

For more information, call Jen at 307-3674380 or visit wyoming4h. org/4hsublette/.

Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr. net.

Showing livestock – Sheep exhibitor Bryor Helm talks to judge Justin Doubet during the sheep show at the Sublette County Fair.

Joan Mitchell photo

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A man of many talents

farrier, cowboy poet and agricultural radio show host shines light on cowboy way of life Pinedale – Andy Nelson is a cowboy poet and humorist bringing laughter to audiences around the West. As a second-generation farrier, Andy has the experience and humor to bring authenticity to his work as an entertainer.

Raised in Oakley, Idaho, as kids Andy and his brother, Jim traveled all around the Great Basin – southern Idaho, northern Utah and northern Nevada

– with their father on farrier jobs. He and his brother grew up following their dad and shoeing horses.

“I used my horseshoeing career to get me through college, and Jim used his to supplement his ranch income,” Andy says. “Now, we have the third generation of shoers coming in. Jim’s son, Sam, shoes professionally now, and my boys also dabble in farriery.”

While in college at Utah State University (USU), Andy continued to shoe horses for the USU Horsemanship Program. Now he lives in Pinedale, where he and his wife Jaclyn raise horses.

Andy and his brother Jim announce a lot of regional rodeos and also co-host the Clear Out West (COW) Radio weekly syndicated radio show.

Cowboy radio host – Growing up traveling around the Great Basin with his father to shoe horses, Andy Nelson wanted to share the cowboy way of life through the air waves. Courtesy photo

2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Falling into COW Radio “While traveling around doing some entertaining with my cowboy poetry, I ran into a fellow from Canada named Hugh McLennan, who has a radio show – Spirit of the West – which features cowboy music, poetry and western humor in British Columbia,” Andy says. “I got to know him and started listening to his radio show on the internet.”

Eventually, Andy talked to Jim about doing something similar, as the pair was known for entertainment.

“He and I goofed off together quite a bit in the past,” Andy recalls. “I told him I thought we could do this.”

“I told Jim there’s nothing else quite like this around for people like us to listen to,” he continues. “If someone didn’t have internet connection, they can’t listen to anything like this, so maybe we ought to do this. He looked at me like I had three heads and said, ‘OK, let’s do it!’ thinking it would probably only last a month or two and he wouldn’t have to be committed very long.”

Now, almost 20 years later, the two brothers are still doing their show.

“We both enjoy it, and this gives us an opportunity to get together once a week,” Andy shares. “Jim lives out by Cora, and he and his wife run cattle. I live

south of Pinedale, so we are only about 20 miles from each other, but we’d probably not get together much other than church because we are both so busy.”

He adds, “The radio show gives us a chance to get together every Tuesday, goof off and have a good time.”

Radio dedicated to cowboys Clear Out West Radio Show is now a weekly syndicated cowboy radio show dedicated to introducing the cowboy culture to new folks and bringing back some great memories to older cowboys. Andy and Jim present cowboy music, cowboy poetry and some serious laughter.

The COW Radio audience likes to have a good time, Andy shares.

“In this day and age, we need to find something to laugh about,” he says. “Every week, we pick a topic and if it’s not agrelated, we make it an agrelated topic. We always throw in some humor, as well, though every now and then we do something serious, just to keep ourselves firmly grounded.”

Andy continues, “Sometimes we talk about some of the challenges rural communities and agriculture are facing – things our audience can relate to – whether it’s drought, hay, predators, government and other issues.”

One of their main goals is to try to celebrate the ranching lifestyle.

“This is an important way of life that we grew up with and continue to be involved in – we hope to help it continue,” Andy says. “The poetry and the radio show is all about helping preserve the history and heritage of the West.”

In many ways, the cowboy way is a dying way of life, but continuing to share stories and talk through issues the community faces is a way to shine some light on the good way of life in order to keep people involved, introduce it to new people and provide an opportunity to those who want to see it perpetuated and kept alive, Andy shares.

Sharing western heritage with younger generations “Trying to keep the next generation involved, interested and excited is our goal and our challenge,” Andy says. “We live in a world where most people expect instant gratification, and the agrarian world does not provide instant gratification.”

It’s not very easy to inspire the next generation, though some city kids are fascinated by rural life, especially if they get a taste of it through listening to cowboy music and poetry.

Andy says there are still some good kids out there, and we need to reach them Continued on next page

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2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Continued from previous page and keep them – this is one of the radio show’s goals.

“We try to make this way of life and our presentations accessible to the next generation, not just our generation,” Andy says. “We have one segment on our show called Dick’s Pick, which plays an old-time cowboy song or an old western song, but we also make sure we play some more modern music, too.”

“There are some good, young cowboy artists who are writing and singing some good cowboy songs, so we make sure we include some of their music as well,” Andy says. “The younger gen-

eration can relate to artists like Dave Stamey and Corb Lund.”

Listen in to COW “We are on quite a few stations throughout the Intermountain West, but the easiest way to listen to our show is to go to our website and sign up for our podcast,” Andy shares. “Once you get signed up, it will come to your mobile device every Monday morning. If a person doesn’t have cell service or a mobile device, they can listen to it on the internet – you don’t have to sign up for the podcast.”

There is also a list on the

front page of their website of the various radio stations that air Andy and Jim’s shows.

One can also go to Andy’s cowboy poetry website to see his cowboy poetry.

Creating cowboy poetry Andy shares, “I actually started writing poetry when I was in grade school, and that was back when we had teachers who fostered this kind of creativity, and a curriculum that encouraged it. Mrs. Daley was my inspiration back in grade school, and she got me writing poetry.”

“Our dad was also a novice poet and loved to tell stories,” he continues. “So

I guess I came by it honestly. Our dad was the biggest cowboy character anyone would ever meet – he cowboyed and shod horses all over the Great Basin.”

“Jim’s wife Tina is the real rancher, and Jim has a day job to support her ranching habit,” Andy says.

Andy’s wife Jaclyn is a registered nurse, and together they have four children.

“My wife and I are enjoying the empty nest and our grandkids,” he says.

“We have seven of those, and number eight will be here in October.”

“Sometimes we talk about some of the challenges rural communities and agriculture are facing – things our audience can relate to – whether it’s drought, hay, predators, government and other issues.” – Andy Nelson

The grandparent job is a good duty, Andy shares, saying, “If I’d known how much fun it was, I’d have skipped the kids and gone straight to being Grandpa!”

For more information or to listen to Clear Out West Radio, visit clearoutwest.

com. To view Andy’s cowboy poetry, visit his website at cowpokepoet.com.

Heather Smith Thomas is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.

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B4

Ranching in tune with nature

pape ranch maintains conservation as a priority Daniel – This region in western Wyoming is surrounded by the Wind River Mountains to the east, the Gros Ventre Mountains to the north, the Wyoming Range to the west and the Green River winding beneath the foothills.

Frederick Herman Pape came to this area in the late 1800s with his three brothers and started their first

ranch – 160 acres they called the Home Place. Dave Pape, Frederick’s great-grandson, is running the ranch today, along with his brother Fred and their parents. Dave shares the family has always managed their ranch with the wildlife in mind, as the wildlife was there first.

The current ranch was started in 1904, and then the family bought nearby home-

steads when neighbors sold out or left due to hardships.

“The ranch today consists of about 10,500 acres,” Dave says. “In early years, the family lived off the land, hunting and trapping, and they didn’t have very many cattle.”

He adds, “The third generation raised sheep and only had a few cattle. In the 1970s, they transitioned into

2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

cattle, and now we just raise cattle.”

The Papes have a commercial herd of about 900 cows.

“We buy our bulls, but raise all our females,” Dave says. “The herd is about 75 percent Black Angus and 25 percent Hereford/Angus cross.”

“About half the bulls we buy are Hereford and the other half are Angus,” he says. “We buy our bulls from about six purebred breeders who raise the kind we want.”

Dave shares, “Origi-

nally, it was mostly Herefords in this part of the country, but now most people have black cattle. We are probably one of the few ranches in this area with Herefords.”

Forest grazing The cattle graze at high elevations. The ranch headquarters sits at about 7,300 feet in elevation, and the cattle graze anywhere from 7,000 feet to 9,000 feet.

“In summer, the cows and calves are in about four different pastures on deeded property which includes some leased private ground and on a Forest Service grazing permit,” Dave says.

The Papes are charter members of the Hoback Stock Association, which is made up of seven ranchers who hold summer grazing leases on the Bridger-Teton National Forest. While the

cattle are in the mountains, some of the home meadows are utilized to grow native hay for winter feed.

“We keep all our calves over winter and sell them as yearlings, after they graze in the summer in four different groups of heifers and steers,” Dave explains. “We keep the yearlings home on deeded pasture around the ranch and sell them at about 18 months of age.”

In a typical year, steers weigh 950 to 1,000 pounds when they are marketed through a video auction, according to Dave. Heifers and any cull cows are taken to the Riverton Livestock Auction.

Brucellosis mitigation Dave shares it is harder to sell the females – especially to other states – because a large concern in Continued on next page

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B5

2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Continued from previous page this part of the country is brucellosis. This disease is spread to cattle from elk and bison coming out of Yellowstone National Park that share grazing ranges with cattle. Ranchers in this area try to keep elk and cattle separate, but this is not always possible.

“We fence all our hay corrals with high fences to keep elk out,” Dave says, sharing brucellosis mitigation practices. “The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) donates the materials for these projects, which helps ranchers. They are very good at trying to help us keep the elk and cattle separate.”

Dave adds, “There are two elk feeding grounds within eight miles of the home place, and WGFD has a problem with predators pushing the elk off the feedgrounds sometimes.”

All female cattle have to be vaccinated for brucellosis as calves and must be tested when sold.

“Even if they don’t have brucellosis, many feedyards do not want to buy intact females – they just don’t want to deal with the possibility of a ‘hot’ one coming in, or having to retest them for brucellosis,” Dave explains. “If there are other feeder heifers available from other parts of the state, feedyards prefer to buy those instead.”

Dave shares the prox-

imity and chance of exposure to the disease is a major disadvantage to ranching in this area.

Tough conditions Winters are usually fairly harsh, with a couple feet of snow on the level.

“We are generally feeding hay by Thanksgiving,” Dave says. “We feed our native hay in round bales – about 23 tons per day.”

He continues, “We supplement weaned calves with some alfalfa hay we purchase from Idaho. This year, alfalfa is expensive because of the drought, so we’re not sure what we will do.”

Cows start calving the first week in April and are fed hay until mid-May. By the first of June, they go to summer pasture.

Three generations working together This five-generation ranch currently has three generations working the ranch: Norm and his wife Barbara, their sons Fred and wife Michelle, Dave and wife Ranae and Dave’s daughter Hadley and husband Casey Manning.

Dave’s stepson Gus and several extended family members provide crucial help during haying, branding and other busy times of year.

Norm is 91, but is still active and helps.

“My brother Fred has two daughters who are not on the ranch, and we also have a sister, Jane, who

Family traditions – The three generations currently working the ranch include Michell and Fred Pape, Jane Potempa, Barbara Pape, Chuck Potempa, Norman Pape and David and Ranae Pape. Courtesy photo

lives in California with her husband Chuck, but she still loves to come back to the ranch to help us. She’d like to be here ful time but the ranch isn’t big enough to support more families,” Dave says.

Most of the ranches surrounding the Papes have been bought by wealthy absentee owners.

“They are good neighbors and are keeping the land open rather than subdividing,” Dave says.

Importance of conservation The Pape family received a Wyoming Centennial Farm and Ranch Award in 2010, and was selected for the Wyoming Leopold Conservation Award in 2008.

Each year, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) and the Sand County Foundation jointly present the Leopold Conservation Award to a Wyoming rancher who exemplifies the spirit of a land ethic that maintains a relationship between people and their land. The Papes were nominated for this award by the Sublette County Conservation Service and the National Resource Conservation Service based in Pinedale.

The family has been a leader in the community for several generations, being on many county and state boards, and Norm has been a member of the Green River Valley Cattlemen’s Association for decades. The family supports 4-H and many

other organizations, and Norm and Barbara opened their home to youth to educate them about the importance of wildlife and natural resources.

The Pape family has a long tradition of utilizing conservation practices to keep their operation economically and environmentally sustainable by placing high emphasis on grazing management to increase forage production for cattle and wildlife. The family also uses fencing to maintain naturally occurring windbreaks and allow passage of wildlife. They partner with the WGFD and Wyoming Department of Transportation to install wildlifefriendly fencing along Highway 191.

“We try to be good stewards,” says Dave. “My grandfather was very concerned about how the land was taken care of, and we try to keep this tradition. If we don’t treat the land right, it won’t treat us and our cattle right.”

He continues, “We like to see wildlife on our property and share hunting opportunities with other people. We allow antelope hunting on one part of the ranch for anyone who asks, and another part of the ranch we save for handicapped and disabled hunters, such as veterans.”

The Pape Ranch is home to deer, antelope, elk and moose at different times of the year. Though the ranch often runs into problems

Branding day – Several family members stay involved on the working ranch. Left to right are Chuck Potempa, Casey Manning, Fred and Dave Pape. Courtesy photo

“If we don’t treat the land right, it won’t treat us and our cattle right.” – Dave Pape with predators, especially grizzly bears and wolves.

“Some of the other concerns on the ranch is the increasing cost of doing business,” Dave says. “More and more people want to remove cattle from the land and this

issue becomes harder and harder to deal with.”

Heather Smith Thomas is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.

Community involvement – Norman and Barbara Pape are long supporters of 4-H and agricultural organizations. Courtesy photo

Sleigh ride – The family utilizes horse power on the working ranch.

Courtesy photo

Hereford cattle – Hay is fed during the long winter months.

Courtesy photo

B6

Continuing the tradition

j f ranch inc. raises commercial cattle with modern techniques Jay and Sandy McGinnis are continuing the tradition of the J F Ranch Inc., producing commercial Angus cattle.

Sandy grew up in Big Piney and has remained involved with agriculture in one way or another.

“My side of the family has been involved with ranching, farming and the oil field,” Sandy says, noting her background varied before marrying her husband, Jay. The whole family is very involved, including Sandy and Jay’s children, Max and Lizzy. Each family member is involved in one way or another.

“We are a working family ranch,” Sandy says. “My son works more with the machines, and my daughter works more with the animals, so it works out really well.”

“Our children are the fifth generation on the same ranch, so the J F Ranch goes back to 1912,” Sandy shares.

Throughout the years, the McGinnis family has worked to modernize certain parts of the ranch.

“There are many ranches that ranch the old school way,” Sandy says. “We believe in motorized things.”

With Jay and Max on dirt bikes and Sandy and Lizzy

J F Ranch Inc. – Jay and Sandy McGinnis continue the tradition of the J F Ranch Inc., raising commercial cattle. Courtesy photo

on four-wheelers, gathering cattle in big country becomes more efficient.

“The main reason for this is we have 86,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) forest and state lands we gather on,” says Sandy.

She shares in a given day, the McGinnis family could put nearly 50 miles on a fourwheeler, and riding horses would not get the job done.

The original family brand – the lazy J F brand – is dated back to Bill McGinnis, Jay’s dad. Eventually, the ranch incorporated the F bench brand after the addition of Jay’s aunt’s property.

The J F Ranch is also non-traditional in the way they brand their cattle.

“We’re non-traditional in our branding process because Jay and Max built a table that mounts to a skid steer,” Sandy says, noting this process allows the family to rope, drag and table an animal in order to brand and administer yearly vaccinations.

J F Ranch cattle “We mostly have Angus cattle with a few baldies,” Sandy shares. “Most of our cattle are polled, so we don’t have many to dehorn. Our bulls are all Angus-bred and we focus on raising commercial cattle.”

Typically, the J F Ranch runs 1,200 mother cows, but Sandy notes their numbers are down this year due to drought.

Today, the family focuses on small-framed, heavy-muscled Angus cattle.

“Years ago, we used to think the longer-bodied cat-

2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

tle were better, but we found when working them, the cattle didn’t fit into chutes as well and did not breed back well either,” says Sandy. “We went back to a more normal length of cattle that are more of a meaty-type cow, rather than a taller, longer bodied cow.”

Within their breeding program, the McGinnis family shares one of their main goals is increasing breedback rates.

“We put replacement heifers on protein pellets and they reach pretty good size by breeding,” Sandy says. “This year, we actually reached a 93 percent breedup on our heifers.”

On top of reproductive and growth expectations, cattle on the J F Ranch have to be acclimated to travel far distances between water and feed.

“Our cattle cover a lot of acreage in Big Piney, with elevations reaching up to 10,000 feet,” Sandy explains, noting successful cattle on the J F Ranch thrive with little intervention.

“Cattle don’t get anything special other than salt, blue salt, minerals and grass hay,” Sandy says. “We keep it pretty low-key.”

Selling calves The J F Ranch sells fall cattle through the Riverton Livestock Auction.

“We have been very happy with the results we’ve had at the salebarn in Riverton,” Sandy says.

Years ago, the J F Ranch raised and sold yearlings.

“One year, we decided to try selling calves and found we liked this a lot better than selling yearlings,” says Sandy, noting selling yearlings came with many of its own challenges. “It wound up being easier on us to sell calves, with many going to Nebraska.”

“It’s a tough business, and each year is a different deal.” – Sandy McGinnis

Challenges on the ranch One of the biggest challenges for the McGinnis family this year has been drought, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“The ranch itself owns 10,000 acres and we only had one place we couldn’t hay,” Sandy shares, noting water availability was a challenge for their properties in Sublette and Lincoln counties. “We hayed a lot earlier than we normally do on some of those places, and we had to move cattle around quite a bit because of the drought.”

Sandy mentions it is important to limit cattle congregating near watering sites in BLM pastures, so they work to keep cattle moving while grazing.

“In these moves, the big question is breed up,” Sandy shares, noting when cattle travel long distances, they might not breed up as well.

“We’ll see what happens there as far as pregnancy rates in a drought.”

In addition, drought has

brought challenges besides water access to many ranchers, including the McGinnis family.

“Certain plants grow that we are not used to having and we see different issues than we have in the past,” Sandy says.

“It’s a tough business, and each year is a different deal.”

Advice for young producers “I think right now for a person to get into ranching it is tough going to the bank, trying to take out a loan for a startup ranch because land is very expensive,” Sandy shares. “It’s a tough, tough business.”

“For now, ranching is good, but I am not sure what the future has in store for the ranch to continue on,” she says.

The love of the J F Ranch will continue with Jay and Sandy’s children and grandchildren, with many generations to come.

Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.

McGinnis crew – The whole McGinnis family is very involved in the ranch in one way or the other. Pictured left to right are Max, Jay, Sandy and Lizzy McGinnis. Courtesy photo

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2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Ranching in the West

murdock cattle company strives to keep tradition alive

Coke Landers is com- (BLM) and Forest Service kind of drift home.” mitted to keeping the spirit ground, which is a major- During the summer of the West alive with the ity of Sublette County,” says months, the cattle stay on the Murdock Cattle Company, Coke. “We rely heavily on mountain, shares Coke. which produces commercial our public lands for grazing.” “They usually start red and black baldy cattle. Coke takes pride in towards home around Oct. Coke, a fourth-generation being part of the Upper 1,” he says. cattle rancher from Chey- Green River Cattle AssociHay and horse power enne, has been ranching in ation sharing, “We’re what When the cows are not Sublette County for 13 years. they call the Green River home, Coke stays busy bal “We are about a 400- Drift.” ing native grass hay. “We head cow/calf outfit, and “Every year in the hay about 500 to 600 acres,” keep all our calves over into spring, we truck cow/calf says Coke. “It takes me about the next year as yearlings,” pairs and yearlings out to four weeks to hay in August says Coke. the basin, which is about and into the first week of As manager of the Mur- 25 miles south of the home September.” dock Cattle Company, Coke place,” he continues. With “I call it a seasonal shares he stays busy year- cattle being there for only a cowboy job, because when round. Coke also shares he is few weeks, they “start driv- the cows are home, we are lucky to have help from his ing cattle roughly 60 miles horseback,” says Coke. wife, Molly and their three over 14 days to a pasture The ranch relies heavily children, Mesa, Matazi and above Green River Lake on horse power.

Madi. on Union Pass – the Green “We do everything The history of the Mur- River Drift.” horseback,” says Coke, dock Cattle Company is rich The cattle make the long explaining all fall work, docin its roots. Previously, a part move again in the fall on toring and cow work is done Horn wasnine started of George Jorgenson’s out-Big their own. Co-op Every spring, fromby thethe back of a horse. fit, the ranch changed own-agriculture or 10 producers will have

The Big Horncommunity Co-op was started byonly thetime Coke is and continues ership to George’s nephew, anywhere between 4,500 not on the back of horse is agriculture community and continues Stan Murdock after his pass-to to 5,000 cattle on forest during the winter months be operated bythethe agriculture ing, shares Coke. allotment, sharesCo-op Coke. was started by the Big Horn toagriculture be by “Stan has since beencommunity.

Theoperated process community of the the agriculture and continues deceased but his wife, Mad- Green Driftby is to beRiver operated the agriculture community. eleine Murdock and her son, unique, because in the fall, community.

Scott now own the ranch.” ranchers open the gates Grazing timeline and cattle bring themselves “We run mostly on home over a 14-day period, Bureau of Land Management says Coke, noting “They

We are your company.

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when he feeds hay.

“Depending on the snow load, there is a lot of tractor time,” shares Coke.

“Once we start calving in March through May, we are on horseback all day, every day.”

“My role as a manager is to make sure cattle are taken care of properly nutritionally when they are home and take care of the cattle that live,” he adds.

Hardy cattle “We have hardy cattle – I like to call them hardy,” Coke says. “Winters are tough and long here.”

Murdock Cattle Company, in to addition to many Sublette County ranches, faces many challenges when grazing up on the mountain.

Coke says, “Cattle have to fight grizzly bears and wolves, so I would describe our cattle as hardy.”

“The bears and wolves have been tough on my calf crop every year.” says Coke.

“One of our worst years, by depredation of bears and wolves, was 13 percent on 5,500 head in death loss.”

When calculating loss

BIG HORN CO-OP

d by the continues lture

every year, Coke has this number in his mind. He figures the average loss over the last 12 years is eight to 12 percent.

Biggest ally One of the biggest challenges for the Murdock Cattle Company is the death loss from wolf and grizzly bears.

“The state is our biggest ally,” Coke says. “We’re just a typical Sublette County ranch, but face many implications in raising livestock others might not understand.”

Sublette County ranchers work closely with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) to manage loss.

“It’s state statute that ranchers are compensated for any loss from a trophy or game animal,” says Coke.

He mentions there are several riders up on the mountain driving cattle during the summer months.

“If riders up on the mountain come across a bear or wolf kill, they contact Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD). When WGFD confirms a bear or

wolf kill, ranchers get compensated for their calf or yearling loss,” Coke shares.

“Most years, Murdock Cattle Company comes out almost breakeven.”

With the most recent announcement of Gov. Mark Gordon to seek management of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear many ranchers are feeling relief.

“We’re pretty pleased with Gov. Gordon’s petition to delist the bear – it’s a constant political battle to ranch up here,” Coke says.

Sublette County ranching “Producers have to stay open to new ideas and be flexible to stay competitive in the market,” Coke shares. “We can’t be stuck in the ways of ‘That’s how my grandpa did it, so that’s the way I’m going to keep doing it.’”

The spirit of the Murdock Cattle Company will continue with the management of Coke Landers and his family.

Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.

BIG HORN BIG HORN CO-OP BIG HORN CO-OP 311 South Bent Stree CO-OP

South Stre 311 South•Bent Bent Str Phone311 307-754-3491 Fax 307-754 Phone 307-754-3491 • Fax 307-7 Phone 307-754-3491 • Fax 307-75 wish everyona WeWe wish everyone everyone WeWe wishwish everyone a

bountiful 311 South Bent Street safe harv bountiful and We wish everyone and harvest. bountiful and safe With the current business clim safe harvest. encourage With current youthe to be part ofbusiness the 97thc

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Family affair – The whole Landers family is involved. From left to right are Molly, Mesa, Matazi, Madi and Coke. Courtesy photo

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Preservation and conservation

sommers siblings strive to preserve ranching history and land stewardship efforts through diverse operation Pinedale – For siblings Albert and Jonita Sommers, preserving ranching history, maintaining a western way of life and conserving the land they live on are high priorities.

Though the Sommers run a diverse operation including raising both a purebred and commercial herd,

they are also busy marketing beef locally through a farmto-plate program, donating a portion of their original homestead to the Sublette County Historical Society and turning their operation over to a younger generation.

Even with everything on their plate, these overarching goals

have remained steady.

Ranch history The Sommers sibling’s multi-faceted operation got its start over a century ago when Albert and Jonita’s grandfather, Albert “Prof” Sommers, moved from Kansas to Kemmerer.

“My Grandfather Som-

Registered Herefords – Albert and Jonita Sommers run a small herd of registered Hereford cattle, as well as a Hereford bull operation. Courtesy photo

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2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

mers moved out to Wyoming on the railroad to be a school teacher around the year of 1900 and homesteaded in 1907 with his brother,” Albert explains. “He married my grandmother, May, in 1911, and she also homesteaded.

He had friends and relatives homestead nearby as well, and this is how he put the ranch together back then.”

Albert further notes after Prof passed in 1928, May continued running the ranch, teaching school and raising four children by herself, all while on the brink of the Great Depression.

In 1947, May turned the ranch over to her son Bud, who then turned ownership over to his children – Albert and Jonita, the current owners of the Sommers Ranch.

“Neither Jonita or I have children, so we are in the process of turning the ranch over to our neighbor’s son Ty Swain, his wife Matty and their two children,” Albert says.

Cattle operation Today, Ty and Matty own and operate the majority of the ranch, including a commercial cow/calf and yearling operation, while Albert and Jonita run a small herd of registered Hereford cattle.

“Jonita and I run about 30 to 45 head of registered Hereford cows. We also raise a few bulls – some we sell locally and some we keep,” he says.

“We have always loved the disposition and high muscling

of Herefords, and for the most part, they don’t carry as much brisket disease as other breeds.

This is important since we run cattle at such a high elevation.”

Albert explains the commercial herd is made up of Angus/Hereford cross mother cows, and ownership of calves is retained from weaning until they reach about 18 months of age.

Additionally, Albert notes cattle on the Sommers Ranch overwinter on native grass grown on the irrigated and sub-irrigated land between the river and irrigation ditches.

In May, the registered herd is moved to leased pasture, while commercial cattle are turned out on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) grazing allotments adjacent to the ranch.

“In mid-June, our commercial cattle are trailed on the Green River Drift – a twoweek, 70-mile drive from BLM allotments to the Upper Green River Allotment of the Bridger-Teton National Forest, where they stay until October,” Albert explains.

From there, the Sommers’ cattle are gathered, worked and overwintered at the ranch’s headquarters, then the cycle begins all over again.

Grass-fed beef In addition to running the purebred operation and helping with the commercial cattle, Albert also runs a farm-toplate business known as Sommers Ranch Grass Fed Beef.

“Cattle being sold in Sommers Ranch Grass Fed Beef were born and raised on our ranching operation in this valley. These cattle eat grass and are fed hay year-round on our private land and federal grazing leases,” notes the Sommers Ranch website. “The cattle are under our control during their lifetime prior to being utilized for Sommers Ranch Grass Fed Beef. We do not feed or otherwise introduce added hormones to our cattle.

After slaughter, all beef carcasses are put in a dry-aging cooler for approximately 14 days until processing.”

Albert explains processing either occurs in Idaho at a U.S. Department of Agriculture plant or in Laramie at 307 Meat Company.

“We then sell quarters, halves and wholes locally or to various places throughout the state of Wyoming or to a few surrounding states,” Albert says. “We also sell individual cuts to a few local retailers, and we have hamburger being sold out of the Heart and Soul Cafe and Half Moon Lodge in Pinedale, as well as the Big Sandy Lodge in Boulder.”

Historical preservation On top of the cattle operation and local marketing effort, the Sommers siblings have also dedicated a large portion of time to preserving their family’s original homestead and the ranching history that goes along with it.

“In 2010, we participated Continued on next page

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2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Continued from previous page in a joint effort with Grindstone Cattle Company to conserve 19,000 acres through multiple conservation easements held by the Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust,” explains Albert. “We fixed up some of the original homestead buildings and donated them, along with the easements on the land under them, to the Sublette County Historical Society.”

Albert says today the Sublette County Historical Society operates the Sommers Ranch Homestead Living History Museum, which is open to the public for three days a

week during the months of June, July and August.

“During the fall, the historical society and their volunteers bring in students from all over the state for a hands-on experience in homestead-era culture,” Albert states. “They get to wash clothes by hand, collect and clean chicken eggs, leathercraft, rope a dummy, type on a typewriter, sew on a treadle sewing machine, find blocks of ice in the ice house and talk on a hand-crank telephone.”

“The whole idea behind the living museum is to preserve ranch history onsite,” he

continues. “Fewer and fewer children come from a farming or ranching background, so we thought it was important for young kids to continue to have an opportunity to see what it’s like.”

Albert adds, “The easement means land around the museum will never be subdivided, so it will always have the visual effect of an old ranch homestead.”

Land conservation One of the most important goals for Albert and Jonita is continuing their family’s longstanding legacy of land stewardship and conservation.

In fact, in 2001 the Sommers’ were recognized by the Wyoming Game and Fish

Conservation a priority – Passed down through generations, Albert and Jonita maintain the Sommers’ family legacy of strong land stewardship and conservation of natural resources. Courtesy photo

Department as the Landowner of the Year in the Jackson/Pinedale Region for their dedication to wildlife management, and in 2012, they received the Wyoming Leopold Conservation Award for their stewardship efforts.

“My father always said if we don’t take care of the land, the land won’t take care of us,” says Jonita in a YouTube video recognizing the Sommers Ranch as the Wyoming Leopold Conservation Award recipient.

“We have been in this business for 100 years as a family, and if we had not been good stewards of the private and federal lands, we wouldn’t be here now,” adds Albert.

“We have been in this business for 100 years as a family, and if we had not been good stewards of the private and federal lands, we wouldn’t be here now. We can’t misuse a resource and have it still provide us with what we need for 100 years.” – Albert Sommers

“We can’t misuse a resource and have it still provide us with what we need for 100 years. I believe all ranchers are land stewards, and I think our ranch is very representative of the high quality of ranching that exists in the Green River Valley.”

For more information on

the Sommers Ranch, Sommers Ranch Grass Fed Beef and/or Sommers Ranch Homestead Living History Museum, visit sommersranch.com.

Hannah Bugas is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Grazing schedule – While cattle graze on the Green River Drift during the summer months, cattle overwinter on meadows near the Sommers Ranch headquarters. Rita Donham and Jamie Burgess photo

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Ultimate ranching challenge bar cross ranch manager seeks to learn from land, livestock and long-time ranchers

Cora – When Katie Scarbrough first saw the Bar Cross Ranch north of Cora, she thought of the climate and terrain as the ultimate ranching challenge. As the

manager of the Bar Cross Ranch, Katie has focused on improving the social, financial and ecological sustainability of the ranch.

Katie was raised on

Grazing management – In managing grazing on several ecosystems, Katie shares the Bar Cross Ranch prioritizes management of riparian areas in each ecosystem. Courtesy photo

a ranch in Oklahoma and attended Texas A&M University, studying animal science. At Texas A&M, she focused on ranch economics, and was very involved in the rural economics program.

This interest in ranch economics led Katie to continue her education at Texas Christian University’s (TCU) Ranch Management School in Fort Worth, which she credits for building her credibility as a woman in the industry and opening a lot of doors for her future.

“From there, I consulted a bit and worked in a partnership with a gentleman in Texas to take a cow/ calf operation into a vertically integrated beef operation in under a year,” Katie

2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

explains. “There were a lot of moving pieces and parts, so I decided to slow down before I took any more years off my life and made the move back to consulting.”

After considering staying in consulting, Katie made a contact who knew Jason Spaeth, the current owner of the Bar Cross Ranch, was looking for someone to manage the ranch at Cora.

“I saw Cora, and thought, ‘This is the ultimate challenge – if someone can ranch in Cora, they can ranch anywhere.’”

Three-fold goals “This year, we brought in the biggest herd of animals we have ever brought in,” Katie shares. “Our goals in doing so are three-fold: social, financial and ecological sustainability make up the three-legged stool.”

“On a place this size, the overhead is really high, and unfortunately in the commodity business, this means we have to see more units of output and increased turn-

over,” Katie explains on the decision to run a larger herd.

“Additionally, being new to this system and this area has taken a lot of studying and talking to people older and wiser than myself to understand the key to this place is impact and rest,” she says, noting she bounces many ideas off of Foreman Mac McCormick, who was raised on the Bar Cross.

“The only way I saw to have the biggest impact and allow the greatest amount of rest possible was one herd, and it needed to be a big herd.”

The Bar Cross Ranch only experiences roughly 35 to 50 frost-free days throughout the entire year.

Katie notes, “This adds to how finite and infinitesimal the impact of grazing and rest are to this area, and directly relates to how much time we give it to recover.”

The current grazing trajectory of the Bar Cross Ranch is to maximize rest in the uplands and maximize impact on the meadows.

Grazing management “Cora defies all the Continued on next page

Maximizing rest – Katie has learned through observing the land and in conversation with ranchers in the area, maximizing rest is crucial to pasture recovery. Courtesy photo

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Ranch educated – Through her education at Texas A&M and TCU's Ranch Management School, Katie Scarbrough has learned to focus on ranch economics to improve sustainability of the Bar Cross ranch. Courtesy photo

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Continued from previous page rules – topography, altitude, temperature, Cora has it all,” Katie says. “It is really unique in that we manage two to three different ecosystems, and manage more riparian areas and wetlands in each of those systems, and we are looking for completely different things from animal behavior and performance to forage residual on each of these ecosystems.”

“Most ranchers in this area traditionally hays meadows and comes back to graze hay stubble, and spend spring or fall in the brush,” she says. “We are trying to turn that around a bit.”

Bar Cross Ranch meadows are hit with around 50,000 pounds of animals per acre in the spring, and cattle are moved every eight to 12 hours up and down the meadow.

“We’re flying through these moves,” Katie shares, “but the difference of a couple hours is huge.”

She adds, “We might be sacrificing some individual animal performance, but we have increased total pounds of animal produced and increased the total carrying capacity.”

“We are out in the brush in the summer, and the grass has already gone

to seed then,” Katie continues. “I know we are losing some performance and we are trying to figure out the social aspect in trying to get cattle to settle in the pasture and get them to where they are not walking to look for feed.”

Katie notes she thinks the least impactful time to graze pastures comprised of perennial bunch grasses is the summer.

Cost of resting pastures “There are some pasture we put on the list to graze in the spring, but if I graze something in the spring, it gets a good 18 months of rest before it is grazed again,” she explains.

“A lot of these pastures don’t recover if they are hit hard in the spring, and in turn, will need rested a couple of years.”

“At the Bar Cross Ranch, we are looking at costs of resting pastures, and taking into consideration how many animal days are lost by resting, how this relates to how many pounds of animal we have on sale day,” Katie says. “What is the cost of resting, but also, what is the cost of not resting?”

To put the cost of resting into perspective, Katie has tried to approach this practice by looking at what

the cost of not resting might be to the ranch in 10, and even 20 years.

Running yearlings The Bar Cross Ranch is home to roughly 2,500 to 3,000 head of yearlings from May until the middle to end of October. The yearlings run on open range at a ranch the Bar Cross Ranch leases in California from November until they ship to Wyoming for the summer grazing season in May.

“We are fortunate in that we can make money in getting yearlings bought and bringing them to Wyoming,” Katie says on the interesting integration.

“Essentially, basis is so far back I can make enough money when I buy them to pay for freight. One thing Cora is amazing for is excellent basis.”

“When the yearlings come to Wyoming, they come green and are ready

Grazing impact – The intensity of the grazing on different ecosystems varies. Katie explains a few hours of impact can make a large difference. Courtesy photo

to put on weight with Wyoming’s cool season grasses,” she adds.

Lessons from management Katie says, “The Bar Cross Ranch is a vast resource made of so many other resources. By looking at each management practice critically, and trying to understand how it impacts the land, the animals and the people of the ranch, it is amazing what I have learned.”

She notes the changes of animal behavior from each grazing move inform another decision, and appreciates learning from employees on the ranch.

“It is really fascinating how much one can learn by just observing without manipulation,” Katie adds.

Averi Hales is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Challenging landscape – The topography, climate and elevation of Cora make ranching in this area the ultimate challenge. Courtesy photo

Large herds – In order to see the greatest impact on pastures, the Bar Cross has been running yearlings in a large herd for intense grazing. Courtesy photo

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2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Price Ranch

long-time sublette county ranchers continue with fifth generation

Daniel – The Price Ranch is located in the Upper Green River Valley of western Wyoming near the small town of Daniel. Kent Price is the fourth generation; his great-grandfather homesteaded the area.

“My parents are still on the ranch,” Kent says.

“It is actually broken into three segments – the original homestead is a

little farther south.”

He shares, “My wife and I live on the piece that’s a little more toward the north, and the third piece is to the west in the Wyoming Range.”

Price Ranch cattle “We raise Black Angus and Hereford crossbred cattle, but also have a small herd of purebred Black Angus, primarily to

raise our own bulls,” Kent explains. “I was very young when my father started the purebred herd – about 30 to 35 years ago.”

Kent shares, originally almost everyone in this part of the country had Herefords.

“My great uncle owned this ranch and my parents bought it from him,” he continues. “At the time, it

was a Hereford ranch, but somewhere along the way, my dad started to use Black Angus bulls for crossbreeding.”

Kent adds, “At some point he decided to have a purebred herd so he could raise the kind of bulls he wanted, to use on the Hereford cows. He also wanted to get away from pink udders that get sunburned and pink eyes that are prone to cancer and pink eye.”

The purebred herd was intended to raise bulls for their own ranch, but the Price family also sells a few of the extra bulls to neighbors. These bulls are accli-

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“Sometimes we complain about the weather and the hard work, but we wouldn’t keep doing this if we didn’t like it.” – Kent Price mated to this kind of environment and sire calves that do well at high altitudes.

Grazing the Green River Drift “We are part of the Upper Green River Cattle Association and the Green River Drift,” Kent says.

This involves one of the oldest, longest cattle drives in North America still done on horseback. Every year, ranchers in the valley near Pinedale, who run cattle on the range association, pool their cattle and trail them up into the Wind River Mountains.

“In May, we kick most of our cattle out on our Bureau of Land Management (BLM) permit, and then in June we take them up into the forest for the summer,” Kent shares.

“Then, we bring them home in early October.”

This schedule allows the Price family to grow hay on their irrigated pastures at home to produce forage for winter feeding. While the commercial herd goes to the mountain for the summer, the purebred herd is kept separate, and they don’t go up on the Drift.

First-calf heifers are also kept separate from the main herd.

“We put those pairs on our other property in the Wyoming Range,” Kent explains. “This is partly to breed them the way we want, but mainly to minimize losses – we have to deal with wolves and grizzly bears.”

Running cattle in grizzly country “The grizzly bears are the worst for depredating on cattle,” Kent says. “Not that the wolves can’t be a problem, but since Wyoming has had control of the wolves, they have not been

much of an issue – grizzly bears are another matter.”

The cattle range is in bear country, and grizzly bears are by far the worst predators. According to Kent, first-calf heifers are still inexperienced mothers and are not as good at protecting their calves from predators.

“They take the worst losses, so this is why we keep them in a safer place,” Kent explains.

High-elevation considerations The forest range is high elevation, with some of the highest pastures running up to 9,000-plus feet.

“Brisket disease is a big thing we watch for, and we try to weed out cattle susceptible to this highelevation problem,” Kent explains. “In our purebred herd, we pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) test all yearling bulls and heifers and try to weed out any problem animals. This helps, but we still have an occasional problem in the main herd.”

Some bloodlines are more susceptible to problems at higher altitudes.

“We make PAP testing a priority, and we watch for this when we are buying bulls,” Kent says.

However, respiratory problems and calf losses are not always due entirely to brisket disease.

“Sometimes it’s a genetic thing, but if a calf has pneumonia early on in life, this can also cause a problem later with brisket disease because an animal’s lungs are already compromised and impaired,” Kent explains. “We can’t blame it all on genetics.”

Family operation The Price Ranch is a family operation, with the Continued on next page

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Foundation OCC bloodlines offered for the first time This cow herd was started with the base selection of 100 cows from Ohlde Cattle Co. in 2005. From that beginning, Ryan and Sonnie carefully blended Emulation, Rito, and Shoshone genetics in the quest to build a problem-free herd of cows with longevity, fleshing ability, and production. The result has been well received by commercial cattlemen who have shown up in force to support a strong bull sale that averages around $6000 over the past 10 years. This is a unique opportunity to acquire quality Angus females from the best breeder you may have never heard about. You will not be disappointed.

Sonnie Neiman 307-259-6810 Curt Cox 307-630-4604

Travis Chrisman 308-883-6781 Wayne Jordan 307-660-1380

Jeremy Martin 308-325-3287 Lance Cline 785-564-1744

Lynn Weishaar - Auctioneer

William Walther 405-612-7554 Aaron Strommen 701-290-7983 Pony rides – The 5th generation on the ranch offer each other horse rides. Courtesy photo

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2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Continued from previous page fifth generation growing up on the ranch. Before he got married, Kent spent some time working in other parts of the country. In 2008, he moved his young family back to the ranch where he grew up, which they share with his parents Charles and DeeAnn Price.

Kent and his wife Lovella Dawn now have three children and another one on the way. Their boys are 11-year-old Tyrell, eight-year-old Titus and two-year-old Trevin. Kent shares the older two enjoy helping on the ranch.

“They are always out and about with us, and they like to ride,” he adds. “We do a lot of riding on the Drift to check and move the cattle.”

The Price family has a herd of horses on the ranch, used for cattle work.

“I haven’t raised any horses for a while – I have been buying young, green-broke horses that are started, but they learn more

on the job,” Kent explains.

The ranch is a great place for kids to grow up.

Off the ranch education “I was lucky enough to grow up on the ranch, but I also had the chance to go out and see some other things and then come back,” Kent says. “I went to college and got a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.”

Kent’s father Charles also spent some time off the ranch when he was younger. Charles is a nuclear engineer who once worked for the Department of Energy at the Hanford Site in Idaho.

Following college, Kent spent some time working for a pump manufacturing company in Montana.

“Through this company, I got to know some other people who were in the waste water treatment business,” he explains. “I ended up working in that business in Wisconsin.

Then, I got married and decided to move back to the ranch.”

After immersing himself in ranching again, Kent got a phone call from a company who asked if he’d like to work in the waste water treatment business again, but this time in Wyoming.

“This is something I can do from here, so this has become a side job. I primarily sell equipment for waste water treatment,” he explains.

Thanks to modern technology, this job is something Kent can often do by phone, even when

he is out riding to check or move cattle.

“Ranching is a great way of life, but sometimes it’s a bit tough,” he says.

“We take the bad with the good. Sometimes we complain about the weather and the hard work, but we wouldn’t keep doing this if we didn’t like it.”

He continues, “We live in a great place, and I am so glad to be able to raise my family here.”

Heather Smith Thomas is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Family traditions – The whole family stays involved. From left to right are Trevin, Lovella, Titus, Tynell and Kent. Courtesy photo

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fall gather on the hoback

Looking out – Cowboys gathering cattle from Hoback Grazing Association allotments look across the valley. Allotments in the Hoback Grazing Association are located in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Joy Ufford photo

By working with local people who understand local problems, the best conservation measures can be accomplished.

SUPPORTING SUBLETTE COUNTY SINCE 1941

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KC Photography

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2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

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2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

WYOMING ANGUS ASSOCIATION Sled Runner Cattle Co. Kailey Barlow PO Box 1223 Big Piney, WY 83113 307-260-6409 kaileybarlow23@gmail.com sledrunnercattle.com

M Diamond Angus Brad Boner

PO Box 1345 Glenrock, WY 82637 307-436-5406 brad@mdiamondangus.com

M Diamond Angus Trent Boner

PO Box 15 Douglas, WY 82633 307-359-2708 trent@mdiamondangus.com

Douglas Booth Family Angus Dudley & Jennifer Booth 4156 Road 82 Torrington, WY 82240 307-532-7179 • 307-532-6207 dbooth@scottsbluff.net boothfamilyangus.com

Douglas Booth Family Angus Douglas & Carolyn Booth 7618 Road 41 Torrington, WY 82240 307-532-5830 cbooth@actcom.net boothfamilyangus.com

Booth’s Cherry Creek Ranch Michael & Lindsy Booth 2162 Road 60 Veteran, WY 82243 307-532-1830 lindsybooth23@gmail.com boothscherrycreekranch.com

Booth’s Cherry Creek Ranch Shawn & Diane Booth 2749 Road 60 Veteran, WY 82243 307-837-2994 boothangus@scottsbluff.net boothscherrycreekranch.com

Bowman Cattle Lyle & Tina Bowman 3410 County Road 163 Pine Bluffs, WY 82082 307-246-3281

Little Goose Ranch Chad Bradshaw, Manager

PO Box 770 228 Little Goose Canyon Road Big Horn, WY 82833 307-751-1535 • 307-673-0049 chad4lgr@yahoo.com • littlegooseranch. com

Buline Angus Jim, Pam and Robert Buline

Earhart Farms Larry & Andrea Earhart

1373 Road 8 Powell, WY 82435 307-272-5171 • 307-754-3709 Learhart@tctwest.net

Labonte Creek Angus Ranch Neil & Clarice Forgey 193 K-Field Road Lost Springs, WY 82224 307-351-1944 labontecreek@hotmail.com

Horse Creek Angus, LLC Dan, Bobbie and Shade Frank 5396 County Road 236 Meriden, WY 82081 307-421-4022 horsecreekangus.com

SO Cattle Diane Frank Mike & Angie McConnell 420 Lyons Valley Road Lander, WY 82520 307-332-4062 • 307-332-5969 socattle@wyoming.com socattle.com

Clay Creek Angus Jim French

Curt & Diane Cox

Lazy GT Ranch Don Cox

4024 I-25 Service Road Cheyenne, WY 82009 307-630-0400

Davidson Angus Peter & Susan Davidson 208 S. Main Burlington, WY 82411 sisterd223@gmail.com 307-762-3612

Deeney Cattle Joe & Nicole Deeney

PO Box 1502 Wheatland, WY 82201 307-630-1593 joseph.deeney@fsbwy.com

Flying M Angus Larry & Jackie Dobrenz 6566 Clareton Hwy Gillette, WY 82718 307-464-0315

Dalles/Edwards 179 Dalles Lane Laramie, WY 82070 307-760-6323

Deer Creek Angus Ranch Bill & Jo Ann Keith 9250 Zero Road Casper, WY 82604 307-457-2314 jokeithkv@rtconnect.net

Kilts Angus Russell & Sheila Kilts PO Box 382 Edgerton, WY 82635 307-437-6466 307-267-2566 shekilts@rtconnect.net

Klein Angus Bill Klein

Rafter T Angus Kale & Kim Kretschman

720 Missouri Valley Road Shoshoni, WY 82649 307-857-4444

Godley Angus Ranch Gary Godley

PO Box 304 • Kaycee, WY 82639 307-267-2683 godley@rtconnect.net godleyangus.com

Grandstaff Angus Curtis & Cheryl Grandstaff 800 W.S. Hwy 151 • Box 155 LaGrange, WY 82221 307-834-2459 • 307-575-2459 granny@prairieweb.com

Gray’s Angus Ranch Rod & Lora Gray 4281 Henry Road Harrison, NE 69346 308-668-2520 (h) 308-668-2525 (o)

Double Lazy A Daniel Greet

1728A Hwy 434 Ten Sleep, WY 82442 307-366-2062 dgreet@tctwest.net

B & D Cattle Co. Bill & Dana Haas

Ken Haas Angus Ken & Heather Haas

1835 Willow Creek Road Casper, WY 82604 307-630-4604 curt@wylr.net

PO Box 316 Boulder, WY 82923 307-367-2510 (h) 307-360-9136 (c) rjj@wyoming.com

Gardner Heart Dot Angus Bret & Laurie Gardner

K-Butterfield Livestock Kim & Janet Butterfield

PO Box 130 22811 County Road 57 Maybell, CO 81640 970-629-5308-Mike 970-629-5309-Dana camblinlivestock@gmail.com Facebook: Camblin Livestock Instagram: camblinlivestock

Jensen Angus Justin & Renee Jensen

256 Brookside Road Wheatland, WY 82201 307-331-0136 Bill82201@yahoo.com

623 Old Yellowstone Hwy Crowheart, WY 82512 307-486-2300

Camblin Livestock Mike & Danna Camblin

PO Box 1445 Riverton, WY 82501 307-850-2514 cowboybulls@hotmail.com lucky7angus.com

3334 Road 14 Greybull, WY 82426 307-762-3541 bulls@claycreek.net claycreek.net

2578 Road 58 Veteran, WY 82243 307-575-0294 307-837-2925

2925 Road 54 Veteran, WY 82243 307-575-7340 kbutterfieldlivestock@gmail.com

Lucky 7 Angus Jim & Jamie Jensen

4766 State Hwy 151 LaGrange, WY 82221 307-834-2356 kenhaasangus.com

Hancock Livestock Charles Hancock

PO Box 435 Basin, WY 82410 307-250-6900 hanstock76@gmail.com

Herring Angus Ranch Kal & Vickie Herring PO Box 275 Encampment, WY 82325 307-327-5396 307-329-8228

Pat & Marilyn Herring

5463 Road 27 Veteran, WY 82243 307-837-2540 • 307-532-6170 gbarh@bbcwb.net angusjournal.com/gbarh/

Hiser Farms Wesley & Velvet Hiser

PO Box 882 • Casper, WY 82602 307-262-1410 (Wes) 307-277-5952 whiser@wyoheart.com velvethiser@yahoo.com

Hoggs Angus Ronee, Michael & Kurt Hogg 5423 State Hwy 120 Meeteetse, WY 82433 307-868-2431 307-272-9602 hoggsangus@tctwest.net

Ingalls Angus & Quarter Horses

PO Box 1782 Riverton, WY 82501 307-690-7557 dan@ingalls.us

Dan Ingalls

PO Box 51977 Casper, WY 82605 307-690-7557 dan@ingalls.us

721 Middle Prong Road Gillette, WY 82716 307-736-2415 • 307-299-4569 raftert@rangeweb.net

Kretschman Angus Kelby & Lacey Kretschman 1336 Lower Powder River Road Arvada, WY 82831 307-736-2327 307-351-0794 klkret@rangeweb.net

LTJ Angus Tim Latham

390 Hwy 14A Powell, WY 82435 307-202-1356

Lisco Angus Richard W. (Dick) Lisco 554 Tank Farm Road Douglas, WY 82633 307-358-3810 (h) 307-359-0167 (c) liscoangus@vcn.com

SS Ranch Company Andy & Stacy Malm PO Box 128 LaGrange, WY 82221 307-834-0128

Malm Ranch Co. PO Box 55 Albin, WY 82050 307-834-3223 mrc3mt@aol.com malmranch.com

McClun’s Lazy JM Ranch Jim or Jeff McClun 1929 Road 60 Veteran, WY 82243 307-837-2524 307-534-5141 jkmcclun@wyomail.com

McConnell Angus Ranch Roger, Ryan and Royce McConnell 5740 Road 52 N Dix, NE 69133 308-682-5615 mcconnellangus@msn.com mcconnellangus.com

“THE BEST IN THE WEST” Mitchem Ranch Stan & Karen Mitchem

MR Angus Ranch Juan Reyes or Jen Reyes-Burr

PO Box 1115 Glenrock, WY 82637 307-436-2504 stan@stanmitchem.com

J Bar M Angus John & ManDee Moore 4095 Ross Road Douglas, WY 82633 307-464-6222 jjcattleco@gmail.com

541 Mona Road Alva, WY 82711 307-259-6810 neimancattle.com

Cow Capital Livestock, LLC Doug McLean 43 Signal Butte Road Miles City, MT 59301 307-462-1683 • 406-853-6961 cowcapital61@gmail.com cowcapital.com

Paint Rock Angus Ranch, Inc. Martin & Kelli Mercer 1926 Hwy 31 Hyattville, WY 82428 307-469-2206 paintrockangus@gmail.com paintrockangus.com

PO Box 327 Cokeville, WY 83114 307-270-7334

JL Farm-The Wagner Girls Jordyn & Jena Lee Wagner 3752 Little Creek Lane Billings, MT 59101 406-672-5553

Walker Angus Ranch Ramon & Verla Walker

Popo Agie Angus Ted Seely

3146 State Hwy 154 Veteran, WY 82243 307-837-2279 nickelcattle.com

44219 Business Loop 80 Lyman, WY 82937 307-787-6106

PO Box 569 • Lander, WY 82520 307-330-8773 • 307-332-2839

Broken Diamond T Angus Deb Simon & Allen Roush

Nolke Angus Calvin Nolke, Jr.

1711 Walker Creek Road Douglas, WY 82633 307-358-1965

2949 Four Corners Road LaGrange, WY 82221 307-477-0029 nolkeangus@gmail.com

Weaver Ranch Susan & Mourine Weaver or Sheldon Emerson 3000 West County Road 70 Fort Collins, CO 80524 970-568-3898 weaverrch@aol.com

Sinclair Cattle Company

Ochsner Roth Cattle Company Blake Ochsner 10672 Van Tassell Road Torrington, WY 82240 307-532-3282 307-532-5892 ochsner@dishmail.net qualitybulls.com

PO Box 1158 Buffalo, WY 82834 800-761-2077 sinclaircattle.com

Beaver Creek Ranches/ WW Angus Pete & Lucy Widener

Powder River Angus Neal & Amanda Sorenson

568 Beaver Creek Road Sheridan, WY 82801 307-674-6947 (h) 307-674-0848 (o) doublew@fiberpipe.net PABW@fiberpipe.net beavercreekranches.com

Wyoming Livestock Roundup Dennis Sun

Wilkes-Kilty Angus

7241 US Hwy 14-16 Arvada, WY 82831 307-736-2260 • 307-680-7359 nasorenson@rangeweb.net powderriverangus.com

Cynthia R. Oedekoven PO Box 68 Sheridan, WY 82801 307-763-3789

Oedekoven Angus David & Diana Oedekoven

PO Box 88 LaGrange, WY 82221 Darrell Wilkes • 210-718-8051 docwilkes4@gmail.com Kyle Kilty • 307-575-7116 kyle.kilty@gmail.com

PO Box 850 • Casper, WY 82602 307-234-2700 roundup@wylr.net dennis@wylr.net wylr.net

PO Box 68 Sheridan, WY 82801 307-674-7375 doangus@gmail.com oarangus.com

Southard Ranches Shane Unwin, Manager

Rock Lake Land & Cattle, LLC. Todd Platt

WEBO Angus Buttons York

369 Cottonwood Road Wheatland, WY 82201 307-290-2021 shane@southardranches.com southardranches.com

714 Grange Road Wheatland, WY 82201 307-331-1175 wyocowdude1@yahoo.com

Obsidian Angus Fred & Kay Thomas

Redland Angus Kendrick & Sharon Redland

PO Box 346 Meeteetse, WY 82433 307-868-2595 • 307-272-4911 kfdramsrus@hotmail.com greatbearreflection.com

PO Box 168 Manderson, WY 82432 307-347-2270 redlandangus.com

PO Box 848 Lusk, WY 82225 307-334-3006 • 307-334-9989 weboangus.com

ZumBrunnen Angus Jason & Shirley ZumBrunnen 1174 Kirtley Road Lusk, WY 82225 307-481-7090 jason@zbangus.com

The Wyoming Angus Association and the Great Northern Livestock Exposition have teamed up to host the inaugural

ALL-AMERICAN ANGUS SALE AT THE 2021 GREAT NORTHERN LIVESTOCK EXPOSITION

Sunday, November 28, 2021

Event Center at Archer Show Ring Preview 4:30 p.m. • Sale 6 p.m. • Cheyenne, WY The Wyoming Angus Association’s Annual Sale usually held in Casper will be held in Cheyenne in 2021!

Wyoming Angus Association Officers OFFICERS President: Buttons York, Lusk 307-216-0090 • buttons@weboangus.com Secretary/Treasurer: Joe Deeney, Wheatland 307-630-1593 • joseph.deeney@fsbwy.com

Vice-President: Richard W. (Dick) Lisco, Douglas 301-359-0167 Public Relations: Darci Tamlin, Wheatland 307-630-1593 • dktam15@hotmail.com

TERMS EXPIRING 2021 Kale Kretschman, Gillette 307-736-2415

Dan Frank, Meriden 307-421-4022

Richard W. (Dick) Lisco, Douglas 301-359-0167

Kim Kretschman, Gillette 307-736-2415

Jen Reyes-Burr, Wheatland 307-331-1530

Trent Boner, Douglas 307-359-2708

TERMS EXPIRING 2022 Buttons York, Lusk

307-216-0090

buttons@weboangus.com

Mills Cattle Company, LLC. Doug & Dena Mills Family 1506 Hwy 24. PO Box 3 Hulett, WY 82720 307-756-2030 millscattle.com millscattleco@gmail.com

5-5 Angus Colton & Tanna Rodeman

Teichert Angus Mark Teichert

227 Muddy Creek Road Buffalo, WY 82834 970-462-1557

Nickel Cattle Co. Kevin & Jackie Nickel

Micheli Ranch Dale or Ron Micheli

PO Box 15 Ft. Bridger, WY 82933 307-780-8232 • 307-782-3897 dmicheli@bvea.net

72 West Pavillion Road Pavillion, WY 82523 307-709-8351 (c) 307-463-7475 (h)

ELK Angus Tyler and Megan Scales

Travis & Mandy McIntosh PO Box 1587 Wheatland, WY 82201 307-331-2727

98 Olson Road Wheatland, WY 82201 307-322-4848 307-331-1568 (Juan) 307-331-1530 (Jen) joreyes@wyoming.com mrangusranch.com

PO Box 837 • Douglas, WY 82633 307-351-4275 tannarodeman@yahoo.com

Neiman Cattle Company Sonnie Neiman

P\T Livestock Pete Thompson

Amanda Sorenson, Arvada 307-736-2260 nasorenson@rangeweb.net

Todd Platt, Wheatland 307-331-1175 wyocowdude1@yahoo.com

DIRECTORS - TERMS EXPIRING 2023 Jason ZumBrunnen, Lusk

307-481-7090

jason@zbangus.com

Neal Sorenson, Arvada 307-736-2260 nasorenson@rangeweb.net

Kelli Mercer, Hyattville 307-469-2206 km@tctwest.net

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Rooted in excellence

sled runner cattle company’s history runs deep in sublette county Big Piney – What started as a handful of heifers and the money from an open 4-H Catch-a-Calf has turned into a budding seedstock operation from long-time Big Piney Rancher Kailey Barlow.

Kailey is the owner and operator of Sled Runner Cattle Company, which aims to provide high-quality Angus cattle to ranchers around the Mountain West.

“I grew up helping on

New calves – Barlow pictured with one of her 2021 bull calves at approximately one week old. Courtesy photo

the family ranch, attended the University of Wyoming and received a degree in ag business with minors in finance and banking financial systems, then returned to Big Piney,” Kailey explains of her journey into the seedstock business.

In addition to her own business, Kailey works for the Sublette County Fair and helps on her family’s operation.

Diving into seedstock “My journey into the seedstock cattle industry started in the fall of 2014 when I purchased my first registered Angus heifers,” Kailey says. “I had been considering starting my own cowherd for several years, but hadn’t made the jump yet.”

She continues, “That fall, my old Catch-a-Calf 4-H cow came in open, and I decided to use the money from her, along with some other money I had saved, to purchase two registered Angus heifers from the Wyoming Angus Association Select Female Sale.”

Kailey notes at the time, she did not know a lot about the seedstock business, but knew she had a passion for improving cattle genetics for

herself and other ranchers.

“I still only have a small herd – 25 registered Angus cows. I have them artificially inseminated to registered Angus or Simmental bulls every year,” she explains.

“The cows then calve in late February and March and the calves are weaned in September.”

She shares bull calves she thinks will make quality breeding animals are sent to a feedlot in central Utah, while a handful of heifers stay in Big Piney.

“I slowly started buying a few more heifers and retaining my heifer calves to grow my herd. In the spring of 2018, I sold my first set of bulls,” Kailey says.

Focused on quality Although the high desert of Sublette County can prove to be a major challenge for cattle producers, Kailey has made it a point to select for cattle that will thrive in this tough environment.

“I try to carefully select for cattle that will thrive in high mountain desert areas, such as southwest Wyoming,” she says. “Every rancher will tell you they live in a challenging environment, be it a hot

LARAMIE SPINAL CARE CENTER

2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

and humid environment or one that can be brutally cold and dry.”

“The fact of the matter is,” Kailey shares, “there are cattle that will perform better in each of those environments and as a seedstock producer, I want to develop cattle that have adapted to our conditions.”

She continues, “For the first few years, I focused on building a herd of quality Angus females and only bred them to registered Angus bulls. The past couple of years, I have started crossing some of those females to Simmental bulls.”

“No matter what breed, I believe in moderation and balance,” she says. “I do pay attention to expected progeny differences (EPDs), but it isn’t a deal breaker for me if a bull or heifer doesn’t have the best EPDs.” Kailey explains, “I have seen cattle with outstanding EPDs fall apart and I have seen cattle with poor EPDs be beautiful and productive cattle. Single trait selection can lead to a lot of problems, and ignoring EPDs can also lead

to problems.”

Deep roots Kailey’s roots run deep in both Sublette County and the cattle industry. Her family homesteaded near Big Piney nearly 145 years ago and were some of the first settlers to bring cattle to the Green River Valley.

“Overall, I plan to keep the same focus in my operation, but I would like to improve upon what I am doing each and every year,” she says. “Eventually I would also like to have a bigger herd, but for now, the numbers I have work well.”

Kailey notes there is an art to breeding cattle and she hopes to be able to improve upon this art to create a uniform set of females that produces a uniform set of calves.

Involvement is key Aside from her own operation, Kailey strives to stay connected to Wyoming agriculture through her involvement with Wyoming Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer and Rancher (YF&R) program.

“I think it is important ranchers join whatever agriculture organizations fit them

and their needs the best and use their voice to advocate for agriculture,” she says. “Right now, I am most active in the YF&R program.”

Kailey has served in many different roles within the organization, and is currently the vice-chair.

“I love that YF&R allows me to connect with other young farmers and ranchers across the state. We also have a conference every year that is geared toward young farmers and ranchers, and there has been a lot I have learned from those conferences,” she explains.

Through YF&R, Kailey has had the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. and meet the Congressional delegation, the American Farm Bureau Federation staff, the Department of the Interior and many others.

To learn more about Sled Runner Cattle Company’s operation, visit sledrunnercattle.com.

Callie Hanson is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Maternal strength – Despite marketing mostly bulls, Barlow notes her cowherd is the backbone of her operation. Courtesy photo

JEREMY D. JONES, D.C., DACBSP, CCEP Board Certified Doctor of Chiropractic Chiropractic Provider for UW Athletics

2130 E. Grand Ave • Laramie, WY 82070 307-742-0232 • 307-742-4893 (fax)

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Bull power – Barlow strives to carefully select for cattle that can thrive in their environment. Courtesy photo

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2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

We sell more then just horse properties

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New generation of ranchers raise heritage breed

rife family focuses on providing nutrition to local beef consumers and rangelands Daniel – Jason and Sonja Rife, the masterminds behind Killpecker Creek

Cattle Co., made the move from Virginia to Wyoming in 2013. Building their new

Spotted herd – One of the Rife’s neighbors jokingly deemed the herd of Galloways at the Killpecker Creek Ranch the “spotted herd.”

Courtesy photo

life in Sublette County, Jason and Sonja hoped to provide their two children fresh air and open spaces, as well as enjoy life outside of the fast lane.

Sonja shares, she and Jason, a former medicinal chemistry professor and researcher at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), met at a boat club and married a few years later.

“We had two kids, a cute house in downtown Richmond, Va., and Jason was tenured, but VCU was trying to shuttle him away from teaching and research into administration,” says Sonja. “In 2012, we

2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

started looking at different options, and Jason asked if I wanted to go ranch. I said, ‘OK, as long as I get a horse.’”

Growing up in northern Virginia, Sonja tried to get in as much horseback riding as her parents and schedule would allow, and spent many of her days at a farm across the road from her parent’s home, helping her 80-year-old neighbor, Mr. Beach, in the garden and the barn and calving season.

“Jason’s grandparents, and generations before him, were raised in West Texas, so he spent summers helping his grandpa ranch and really enjoyed it,” Sonja says.

“We researched ranches for about a year using a set of parameters, and we picked this place,” she continues, noting Killpecker Creek Cattle Co. was named for one of the large creeks running through much of the ranch.

“Wyoming felt very

comfortable to us right away – the scenery was beautiful and open, and the people were kind,” Sonja says.

The Rifes loved Pinedale, especially the culture and the proximity of a ski mountain, and made the move out West in 2013.

Scottish cattle in Sublette County Just as Sonja and Jason researched ranches in the area, they researched the perfect breed of cattle to raise. During this research, Jason’s brother jokingly mentioned their grandfaContinued on next page

Scottish hardiness – In his research, Jason found Galloway cattle were suited for the cold climate due to a double coat with high hair count. Courtesy photo

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Galloway benefits – Sonja shares one of her favorite parts of raising Galloway cattle is cute Galloway calves, in addition to their calm demeanor. Courtesy photo

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Rife family – Pictured from left to right, Max, Sonja, Madelaine and Jason Rife each contribute to the daily work at the ranch. Courtesy photo

ranch stocks loose hay

Horse power – Lennie Campbell mows grass at his grandparent’s homestead on the Campbell Cattle Company Ranch in Sublette County. Joy Ufford photo

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Year-round job – Campbell Cattle Company is a Centennial Ranch started by homesteaders Lorenzo ‘Lennie’ and Rita Campbell in 1913 where the third, fourth and fifth generations still help year-round. Joy Ufford photo

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2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Continued from previous page ther’s last name was Scottish, and Sonja’s maiden name was Scottish, so Sonja and Jason should get Scottish cattle.

“Being the research scientist he is, Jason thought it was silly, but he started researching Galloways,” Sonja shares. “It turns out, they are actually a perfect match for this climate – they have a double hair coat with an incredibly thick hair count.”

Additionally, Sonja says Galloways have never been bred to work in the industrial food system, so their digestive system processes forage very efficiently.

“They are slow-growing, so we have never seen a case of brisket disease in a Galloway. We use some heifer-weight Angus bulls and even in 50/50 crosses, we haven’t had a case of brisket at 7,300 feet,” she says. “The Galloway cattle grow slowly, but they grow well.”

It takes roughly 24 to 27 months to finish the cattle on grass, and Sonja says the meat marbles well, is very flavorful and tender.

“There is no need to finish these cattle out on grain,” she adds. “They live very healthily through the winter at this elevation.”

Galloway cattle have a calm demeanor, and are smaller framed, which Sonja shares fits perfectly with the way they like to work cattle and manage rangelands.

Low-stress cattle handling “Part of our management and raising of cattle is very gentle cattle handling techniques,” Sonja shares.

“On any moves longer than our daily moves, we know something has gone wrong if anyone breaks into a lope. We tend to work cattle at a slow walk.”

She continues, “We quietly move cattle where they need to go and sort very gently if we need to.

The goal is to stay as calm as possible.”

Jason and Sonja have noticed it takes about a year of calm handling for purchased heifers to meld into the herd.

“We firmly believe in low-stress handling,” Sonja says. “Even if our 15-yearold son might want to move a bit faster some days.”

Managing for healthy pastures Pasture and soil health is a very important component of Killpecker Creek Cattle Co. management decisions.

“We wanted to improve the ground we purchased and we attack every grazing season and animal season with the dual-pronged approach of both raising healthy, happy meat and improving pastures at the same time,” Sonja explains.

“There is not one move we make with the cattle that doesn’t take into consideration what the pasture needs are.”

Jason and Sonja have studied both Gabe Brown and Jim Gerrish’s pasture short duration grazing principles to create a plan for their ranch.

“We discovered rotational grazing from June through the end of September works for us,” Sonja says, noting cattle are moved daily through a long series of electric fence grids, both permanent and temporary.

She continues, “With such a short growing season in Wyoming, there are some really strong pastures that by moving through quickly, we might be able to hit three times.

At the same time, we leave about half the ranch fully recovered by the end of

September.”

Sonja and Jason don’t hay the ranch, but instead purchase hay from Farson to supplement cattle nutrition and provide nutrients to the soil.

“By not haying and instead buying hay, we are spending money on a forage source, but it all goes back to adding nutrients,” Sonja explains. “When we feed, we focus on feeding where the soil has been depleted of nutrients and work on distributing nutrients across the entire ranch.”

In the future, Jason and Sonja would like to see cross-species grazing on the ranch.

Marketing grass-fed beef “Jason and I are both proponents of real food and good food,” Sonja says, noting portion size is a practical attribute of

raising Galloways.

“When processing a smaller animal, we can get more appropriate portion sizes of cuts because the muscles are not quite as big,” she shares. “We have heard from some restaurants and consumers that in order to get an eight-ounce tenderloin out of larger animals, it has to be cut an inch thick and this just doesn’t feel like tenderloin.”

Many of the ranch’s repeat customers are people who appreciate carefully raised meat, have health problems that require real food diets or are themselves vegetarians who serve meat to their families, according to Sonja. The Rife family enjoys interacting with all of their customers.

Killpecker Creek Cattle Co. can be found direct

marketing beef at the Pinedale High Altitude Farmers’ Market, as well as in gourmet burgers at White Pine Ski Resort and for sale at Slow Food in the Tetons in Jackson.

For more information

on Killpecker Creek Cattle Co., visit killpeckercreekcattleco.com.

Averi Hales is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Small frame – With a smaller stature, the portion sizes of meat harvested from the Killpecker Creek Cattle Compnay’s Galloway herd is more appropriate than larger framed animals. Courtesy photo

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2021 Fall Cattlemen's Edition • Wyoming Livestock Roundup

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