It’s hard to believe we’re already in the middle of March. The last time I wrote was in January, and somehow the weeks have flown by. I’m not sure if it’s having kids or just the general busyness of life, but in the blink of an eye, months have passed. So I thought it was time for an update.
While a lot of families are planning their summer getaways, our version of vacation usually happens in the quieter seasons—either sometime between January and the end of March or for a quick break in early August. We try to take advantage of the slower winter months to sneak away on little trips while the kids are still in school. This year, we did a quick two-day getaway to Great Wolf Lodge, squeezed in some time at a trampoline park, and had a few slow days at home playing endless rounds of Battleship. It’s the kind of quality family time that fills our cups before the whirlwind of spring and summer hits. Once we get into calving season, especially by late April or early May, our days (and nights) are full—we’re often up checking heifers at 11 p.m., then again at 1 and 3 a.m. So sleep becomes a rare luxury during that stretch. That’s why getting away during this little window is something we’ve come to treasure.
As for the ranch, Brandon has been busy keeping everyone fed and making sure our livestock have water. Right now, we have two huge stock tanks parked by the house because there’s no water in our pond or creeks—January and February were bone dry. The lack of precipitation, from rain to snow, has been concerning, and if you drive around the ranch, there’s barely a blade of grass to be found. What is there just crumbles in your hand and blows away. It’s so dry, and as a rancher, that’s our biggest worry heading into summer—how to feed the livestock when you have no grass growth. And, of course, none of that happens without water.
We’ve had to supplement our cattle with hay this year, as I mentioned back in January. Typically, we love feeding hay from our own meadows, but we didn’t harvest enough last summer because we were already dealing with a semi-drought. Now, we’re watching our hay stockpile dwindle down. If we don’t get more moisture soon, we may have to feed hay clear through the summer—which, if you know anything about profit margins, is a tough hit.
So, it’s been a season of prayer. Prayer for rain. Prayer for a good snow that doesn’t just drift away in our crazy Wyoming wind, but actually settles and melts into the ground. Things could still change. Some of our biggest snowfall years have come later in spring—there was one year we had a blizzard on Mother’s Day, and I’ll gladly take it again. Even though I’m craving spring like everyone else, I know our livelihood depends on moisture.
The tiniest glimmer of hope came in March when we started to see a little water trickle back into the lake and creek beds. It reminded me that it can turn around. Two years ago, we had the biggest bumper crop of hay I’ve ever seen—it was like something out of Little House on the Prairie. Wildflowers bloomed everywhere, some I had never seen in my life. I would love to have a year like that again. I’ll attach a few pictures so you can see what I mean—it was breathtaking.
For now, Brandon’s days mostly consist of making sure the livestock are watered and fed, and finishing up small projects as we get ready for calving, which is just around the corner. Inside, we’ve both been busy doing our least favorite job—getting all the logistics organized for farmers markets. That means updating pricing, reviewing the livestock market, and making sure we’re in line with other producers across the Rocky Mountain region. We want to make sure our pricing is fair, equitable, and sustainable—especially with livestock prices being so high right now. It’s a lot of data, a lot of spreadsheets, and a lot of time sitting in front of a computer, which neither of us loves. I’d much rather be connecting with customers and sharing our mission, and Brandon would take a day outside under the sun with the livestock any day. But this is what ensures we have a smooth-running summer.
We’re also gearing up to pick up our new batch of summer sausages. We took a bunch of beef in for processing back in December and are excited to bring back our two flavors from last year: jalapeño cheddar and garlic parmesan. We’ll have those with us at the markets this summer, along with all our snack sticks and jerkies you saw last year. We’re coming into the season strong on our cured meat products and can’t wait to pick them up any day now. Plus, we’ll be bringing back some lamb to the farmers markets this summer!
On top of all that, I (Brittany) have been knee-deep in grant applications for the business. I may not have mentioned it yet, but we’re getting a new walk-in freezer installed in April! It’s going to be such a game changer. You’ve probably seen our big freezer trailer if you’ve caught us on the road, but this new freezer will be at home base. We’ll be able to walk in, grab what we need, and build bundles and subscriptions so much easier. It’ll make things run more smoothly for us—and for you! Our goal is always to grow sustainably, and this is a big step in that direction.
In addition to the freezer project, we applied for two federal grants, and we’re hoping to hear back in April. If things go well, we’re looking at potential new branding, updated marketing, and a few other exciting projects to help us grow and connect with more families. So, fingers crossed!
That’s the latest from us on the ranch. Thank you for following along on this journey with us—we appreciate you all more than we can say.
Talk soon,
Brittany
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