Late February brings new calves on our place. We always look forward to the new kids and the arrival of spring. Winter had a cold, snowy grip this year and warmer temps and sunny sky's are sure welcome. Our cows have wintered well and as of today we have had 5 head calve with TWO sets of twins! Pretty amazing since last summer was really dry and we had to bring our cattle home almost 2 full months earlier than we usually do. But we have kept them on good hay and supplements and have a good mineral program in place. That has kept them in great condition all winter. We also got a new heifer calf from our Artificial Insemination program! I bred a beautiful heifer i bought from Lazy H ranch here in Vernon to a fine Hereford bull from Westcliffe, Colorado that is pictured in a previous post on my blog. We crossed our fingers and hoped she would become pregnant and really hoped she would have a heifer calf! She DID!!!! Can't wait to see what she grows into and both the cow and the new calf are doing great! I feel pretty blessed and fortunate to live the lifestyle i do and on this amazing west desert. I look to the south and see "Dutch Peak" on the Sheeprock mountains which was named for my ancestors who settled in the valley where i live and just over the mountain at the ranch. I have a beautiful wife who is the best person i know. She is a wonderful mother, a caring and thoughtful neighbor, a faithful daughter of God and a top hand on any ranch. Not to mention she makes the world's best pie! My two kids are great little stock men and always willing to help us with whatever we are working on. They even turned in science projects about "Where does meat come from" and "Using EPD's to choose a new bull"! Not bad for a 1st grader and 5th grader. I couldn't be prouder! So as i think of my amazing family, those who paved the way for me and those who walk beside me now, i am sure humbled and thankful for all i have. The Good Lord has blessed me abundantly and i tip my hat to the Master! Here is a picture of our new Hereford/Angus heifer and her cow.

Dodge honors agriculture

The American farmer and rancher has been under attack lately. Government taxes us literally to death and then regulate those of us left into almost oblivion. So-called environmentalists scream when we plow a field or let a cow eat grass. And some of the public seem to think their food comes from the supermarket instead of from farms and ranches. So it did my heart good to see a commercial during the Superbowl that simply said thank you! We all like to be told thanks and know we are appreciated once in awhile, regardless of what we do for a living. Dodge took an old Paul Harvey essay and put it with pictures and made a pretty neat advertisement that hardly mentions the trucks they sell. Please take a second and click on the link to the ad below. And remember that the typical family ranch has only 40 cows. They are multi-generational places that have been feeding this country and the world for decades and sometimes, century's. They are simply hard working families like mine, who love the land and the animals they raise. If you know a rancher or a farmer, take the time to tell them THANK YOU. It will mean a lot more than you know!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-PTovjvtsc