It was a bitterly cold winter on the ranch that year. The snow came fast and heavy which accelerated the cattle drive from fall to winter ground. The cowboys worked tirelessly for days to move the herd but were still out 40 head. The lost cattle were getting weaker by the day with their feed buried in the snow. Hope of travel to join family for the Christmas holiday was quickly lost…everyone understood the herd came first. The whole team banded together in extreme conditions and after many long hard hours and little sleep, the herd was finally located. A path was bulldozed through the snow and cowhands and their trusty horses trailed the weakened herd to safety just in time.
Some have said the cowboy way is a dying way of life, but you wouldn’t believe it today. Today, in Owyhee County, there is a consistent moo in the corrals and branding irons warming on the fire. Young and not-so-young cowhands circle the pen waiting to throw their next loop. Neighbors have come from miles around and little cowhands anxiously await their turn at a steer ride, while rocky mountain oysters cook on the fire. It’s branding season in rural Idaho.
Visit a family ranch anywhere in our country and you will witness many stories like these. You will also see sons and daughters working alongside parents well before their feet can even reach the stirrups. It’s not uncommon to find an infant in a car seat riding shotgun in the tractor with mom or dad or an older child helping to fix fence or chase the cows out of the wrong pasture.
At Arrow B Grass-fed, cowhands as young as five have responsibilities on horseback on the annual three-day cattle drive. At Thomas Cattle Company, young cowhands can also be found on horseback and helping in the office.
To ranchers, this life is more than just a job, it is a way of life. A life that allows us to work the land we love with our children, teaching them by example essential life skills of hard work, responsibility, and grit.
Challenged with increased production costs and red tape, family ranches in the 21st century are evolving to sustain this lifestyle that they love. To a rancher, giving up is never an option. Many of today’s ranchers are instead rising to the challenge by meeting a growing demand for local and responsibly produced meat.
Elizabeth Thomas of Thomas Cattle Company said they started selling Angus beef direct-to-consumer in 2020 because they wanted to diversify their operation.
Thomas said, “As agriculture changes and becomes more complex with more red tape, we want to be sure we find ways to diversify our operation so it can be around for our kids and their kids if they so choose.”
Clint McKague of Cabin Creek Ranch said they started selling their American Wagyu beef directly to consumers because of increased inquiries for locally sourced and healthy beef.
Similarly, Hoagland Meats in Homedale, Idaho said their purpose is to offer a unique program “where people can get fresh clean beef at an affordable price…”. Hoagland Meats sources with their own animals and other local ranchers’ meat.
At Arrow B Grass-fed we started selling directly because we wanted others to enjoy the same quality slow grown natural grass-fed beef that our family enjoys.
For a rancher to be successful, the health of the herd must be top priority. Caring for animals is more than a nine-to-five job with weekends off.
For us, there will always be missed ball games, holidays, family vacations and date nights. There will be days of fixing fences with the sun beating on our backs and days of trailing the herd to safety in a snowstorm.
Regardless, this is the life we choose. We choose the wide-open spaces and the serenity of nature. We choose working with our children and building our legacy together.
As the cowboy singer and songwriter Chris LeDoux once said,
“But he’s still out there riding fences
Still makes his livin’ with his rope
As long as there’s a sunset, he’ll keep ridin’ for the brand
You just can’t see him from the road.”
You most likely will not see us from the road but we’ll always be out there riding fences and praying that the good Lord will continue to let us and our children live this life for generations to come.
These five ranches are just a sample of local farmers and ranchers who sell direct to the consumer. Producers can be found on Saturdays at your local farmers market or online with a quick Google search. Each ranch has its own specialty with one sure to fit the needs of your family.
Arrow B Grass-Fed Oreana, Idaho
arrowbgrassfed.com
Online, Capital City Public Market, home delivery, local pick-up, lower 48 shipping
208-316-7373
Cabin Creek Ranch Elgin, Oregon
Orders are taken by phone or text
Website coming soon
208-861-7464
Hipwell Ranch Oreana, Idaho
hipwellranch.com
Online, Nampa Farmers Market, Reko Treasure Valley, home delivery, local pick-up
208-495-6818
Hoagland Meats Homedale, Idaho
hoaglandmeat.com
Online, Nampa, Meridian, and Caldwell Farmers Markets, home delivery, Homedale retail shop
Thomas Cattle Company Oreana, Idaho
thomascattlecompany.com
Online, home delivery, local pick-up, lower 48 shipping
Mandi Boren is an Owyhee County rancher from Arrow B Grass-Fed and a contributing reporter for the Owyhee Avalanche. Mandi is a mother to a pile of cowboys and one cowgirl. She moved to Idaho from Dallas, Texas after she married her rancher husband.
To ranchers this life is more than just a job, it is a way of life. A life that allows us to work the land we love with our children, teaching them by example essential life skills of hard work, responsibility, and grit.