What in the heck has she been doing?

So, as you know, I’ve been out of the blogosphere for quite a while.  Somehow, I let life get in the way of typing & sharing my story.  I do share brief snipets & texts via Facebook & odd quotes & notes on Twitter as @GreenRanchMom.

I did share the story of MamaCow on our website a week or so ago.

So, I’ll catch you up quite quickly.

Farmers markets are tons of fun!  I love the connection with our customers & sharing our story with everyone.  Plus, then most people take home some yummy steaks or Beef Sticks : )

I was a very active Founding Member of TallGrass Grocery Coop  and we finally opened the store in September!!  It is located in Historic Valley Junction, so stop by & shop for some affordable, local, real Foods (including EbersoleCattleCo Beef).

 

We had a Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day in October.  It was super scary preparing for other beef producers to come to our ranch.  Then, once the day arrived, it was TONS of fun!!  Jill & Sean from Blue Gate Farm, even stopped by after market (& brought greens for us, so of course I sent some sticks home)!!

The next week, we unexpectedly welcomed nearly 50  Fullblood Maine Anjou cows to our Ranch.  It was a quick, rescue type of situation, so we have had to work really hard to improve their nutrition & health.  But, these cows are beautiful to look at AND work with.  Their dispositions are so sweet & willing!  We selected a fall heifer for J.ustaCowgirl to show  and she was halterbroke & lead-able in 3 days!!  This is nearly unheard of from a calf that had only seen a human about 5 times in her life before October!!  We are really excited to offer our Fullblood calves for sale!!  We will be selling about 5 cows & 10 Bred heifers  this spring in order to cover our costs of wintering 50 extra cows.  If you’re in the market for a MaineAnjou heifer or  cow, drop me a note.  We’ll have both Purebreds and Fullbloods.

And now, I’m just really enjoying the winter “break”!!  We’ve enjoyed a beautiful mild winter and have plenty of grass & hay for all of our cows.  Plus, we cleaned out the big barn, so we’ve all been riding lots : )  I’ve even started a couple of our colts, so we should have some great minded saddle horses to offer this spring.

 

Hope this catches you up a bit.  I'll share more stories as we go

Teenage Bulls are stUpid

So, here on the ranch if you're a bovine between 10 & 36 months, we consider you a teenager.

Many, many reasons why.  And remember, my kids are 11, 8 & 3 so I have no personal experience with teenagers.

1- They never stay where they're supposed to stay.  If their pen is full of grass, the ditch grass looks better to eat.  If you're in a nice toasty barn & its snowing; you go lay in a big snowpile until you're shivering. 

2 - Hormones  - ugh!  We sort the heifers (girls) from the bulls (boys).  We even leave the steers with the boys.  But, for some unknown reason even the steers feel the extreme desire to knock over gates to get into the heifer pen.  Apparently, their hay or grass is much tastier.  We know why the bulls want to get to the heifers, but reAlly. 

3 - Hormones - Boys!  As a bull, you've been raised with your group of brothers for your whole life.  The overwhelming urge to fight is ridiculous!!  Especially if you choose to get into a MAJOR fight the night before harvest with 3 of your brothers.

4 - Bulls!  Turnout time here on the ranch is upon us.  We turned out (well really, they turned themselves out to the cows) the 2 young bulls this past week.  Ultimate is about 2.5 years old & it will be his first year out with a big group of cows. He thinks that he is really tough, even though he is a sweetie on a halter.  "T" is 4 this year and our bull we use on heifers.  They have been neighbors for several months & seemed to get along ok.  But, when we gathered the cows this week to pull off a grassfed beef.  The two bulls were total PAINS.  Unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention.  Ultimate tossed T into the fence where I was standing.  I was able to move a bit & get into his flank area & not squished too bad.  Bruised my back & pretty sore.  But I was Lucky.

So, there's four reasons I really DISLIKE teenage bovines right now.

Hope you're all having much more fun with your teenagers than I am right now.

Btw, we put T in his own pen until we can sort cows & let him have his own group.  That way he doesn't have to deal with the little cocky bull that wants to fight.  T will be much happier with his group of heifers in a couple of weeks.

~GreenRanchMom - Mama to the Momma Cows @ the ECC

Cowgirl Marketer to MudCovered

Today was such a fun day!!  Started out the morning in pouring rain. Did I mention it was 40 degrees.  Cold to say the least with the wind blowing 40 miles an hour too. Literally.  I was hunkered down in my Columbia coat with the collars up to my nose & my neck tucked in like a turtle with the rain running off my hat when I would turn my head. 

I was freezing cold & wet.  But the calves were nice & dry in their deep bedded barn munching away.  They stared at me funny, because I was dripping.  One calf even tried to lick the water that was dripping from my hat.  Silly calf. 

Next I helped a neighbor haul cull sows to the buying station.  Again, more standing outside in the pouring rain & wind.  I tried to snap a picture of the drops forming on the brim of my hat as they dripped ever so slowly off the front.  Or a picture as they ran off the front of my hat in streams.  Too close for the camera to focus.  Oh well, It was pretty, even as the rain was beginning to soak thru my second coat of the day.  

The rain once again was cold for me, but I enjoyed the watering of all our pastureland.  I will really love how the grass will finally start to grow with the warmer weather.

Then I changed Hats.  Literally.  The Silverbelly work Hat,

was traded for the clean Black Dress Hat.






I drove my clean black hat into Downtown Des Moines.  Remember, my "car" is a dually pickup & that alone gets looked at quite strange in downtown.  Then I had to park a couple of blocks away from my meeting because of those dual rear wheel tires & tall truck that can't fit in a parking garage.  So, because it was still raining, I decided to take the wonderful Skywalk that DesMoines has.  It was about noon so all the business men and women were walking about having lunch.......   I think some of them didn't know what I was.  Double takes, stares, and several "Howdy" remarks later I arrived at my meeting.  I love people watching.  And watching people "PeopleWatch" me is even more fun!

My meeting was for the Downtown DesMoines Farmers Market Vendors.  Yep, that's right!!! So excited that we will be nearly regular vendors there this summer!!!  Had tons of fun meeting some of the other vendors, and Kelly & Lydia in person.  They are a great team & have improved this market 1000 fold.  I have several new things up my sleeve & tons of great beef that will be harvested.

After that meeting I was pumped up and super excited!  Picked up the munchin crew from "their Kim's house".  Ran a few errands and arrived home to a wonderful husband that had already started chores.  I switched Hats again (literally).  The old silverbelly & I were soaked & muddy within 10 minutes.

A GREAT DAY!!!  I love my life!  I love that I have the opportunity to switch hats & live this wonderful life on and off the ranch!!

GreenRanchMom - Mama to the Momma Cows at the ECC

Earth Day - Feeling Connected to the EARTH

Well, I'm guessing you know that April is Earth Month.  Many towns and cities are having Earth Day Celebrations this week and weekend.  During these festivities, there will be lots of recycling and showing how to care for the land and tread lightly.

As a Rancher, every day is Earth Day for us.  We really do c.a.r.e. for the land and the earth each and every day.  If we don't take care of the land, the land won't take care of our animals and our family.  But really, I do see this every day.

Two weeks ago it REALLY hit me, how much I depend on the Earth and use it each day.  You see, I was at the Natural Living Expo.  Yeah, Yeah, I know, at a "Natural" festival there will be lots of celebrating everything natural and sustainable and good for the earth.  But no, thats not how it hit me.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE all the other vendors at the Natural Living Expo and how much the sustainable community works together to help many others live more naturally on our planet.

My feet.  Thats how it hit me how much I truly rely on the earth.  After the expo I could barely walk for two days!  You see, its calving season, so Beau was at home with the calves and kids & I took care of the booth by myself.  What that means is I stood (mostly in one spot), on cement, for two days straight.  Highly unusual for me in several ways!  First, standing still.  I'm used to walking a lot.  On any given day, I usually log three to five miles, in my daily activities on the ranch. 

Second, I was not on the E.A.R.T.H.  I was on cement.  Many people think that farmers or ranchers walk funny (when they see them in town).  Why, because they're probably used to walking on dirt.  I know I am!!! Especially after the Natural Living Expo.  It really hit me Sunday morning as I was sitting down before the show.  I really do rely on our earth for many more reasons than one.  But I really do celebrate earth day in the most basic ways, starting at my feet.  The earth is soft and comforting when you're walking on it.  So why shouldn't we treat the earth with a soft and comforting hand.  My feet were deeply blistered from standing still on concrete for 20 plus hours in one weekend.  So the past two weeks I have been v.e.r.y. conscious of the soft and wonderful earth I am privledged to walk on each day.


Don't get me wrong, I really did enjoy meeting lots of new families and current customers!  But I really do LOVE the work I get to do each day on the ranch!!

So in honor of Earth Month (and its that time of year) we spread lots and lots of our All natural Fertilizer on the pastures south of the house this weekend.  Yes, I know the wind was out of the south and I still  had all the windows open, but I don't think it stunk.  Because It is real, natural, organic $^@& Compost!  So this week I'll keep spreading the compost and cleaning the lots, because its going to rain on Thursday and then the grass will GROW!!!  Then the beef will get to be on grass full time again!!! 

I know our cows are enjoying picking through the little bits of green that are popping up right now!  And this rancher will really enjoy not having to get into a tractor for months!!!!!  Until then wish me positive tractor driving vibes!

So, we're fertilizing our pastures for Earth Month, What are you doing to celebrate and improve the earth this month?

Btw, I have tons (literally) of free compost that is ready for spreading on your beautiful gardens!

This is one of the reasons I LOVE spring!!!!

His Momma, a heifer (first time mom) dropped him in a mud puddle and left him.  So, A.Cowgirl and I fed him a bottle, dried him off and put him in the barn with his mom.  His mom decided she liked him & wanted to nurse him.

GreenRanchingMom - Mama to the Momma Cows at the ECC

Calving Season........zzzzzzz

Well, its calving season around here.  So, I'm tired.  alot.  I don't sleep well anyway, so I always take the night checks, because If Beau's doing the checking, I'm awake the entire time too, so I might as well let him sleep.  If I really need to I can usually sneak a nap with my little man one or two days a week.  We only do night checks for the heifers (females that have never had a calf).  The mature cows know whats going on & we just check them before bedtime & when we first get up in the morning.

But, sleep aside, its my favorite time of the year!!! 

Cute little calves out running and bucking in the pastures!  and  calving means G.R.A.S.S!!!! Yeah, fresh grass!!!!!!!


I love my cows and will endure choring with the tractor during the winter for them.  So, when the grass starts growing, I get so excited that I won't have to start the tractor for quite a while!!!

If you would like, check out our Facebook Page, because I'm much better about posting lots of pictures through the week from my phone.

Thanks for followin along!!!

GreenRanchingMom - Mama to the Momma Cows at the ECC