Archive for July, 2008:
Summer Photo Contest Update!
By: Michelle
Wow, thank you to those who have sent us photos so far! There’s still time to enter the contest, which ends October 1st, so send those photos to our email address (raisingthesteaks@gmail.com) if you’ve got them!
If you want to see all the entries so far, check out our photostream via Flickr. Let us know what your favorites are!
And if you need the rules and regs on the contest, here’s the link for the Summer Photo Contest Flyer.
Thanks again, and keep ‘em comin’!
Fighting Fire with Fire
By: Michelle
Each time summer comes around, it seems to catch me off-guard. I think to myself that maybe, just maybe I will be able to take it easy and relax during this 3 month siesta from school. But as always I find myself up to my eyeballs with work, sports, and catching up with old friends. While I find my schedule to be crazy enough, it’s nothing compared to that of a firefighter in the height of fire season.
This summer has been especially grueling on the firefighters here in California, and it’s just the beginning. Normally fire season really heats up around the end of July and continues through October. But with one lightning storm sending over 5,000 strikes down to the already drought-stricken foothills that I call home, close to 500 fires sprang to life overnight. These fires have brought in forces in from all over the country and even some from Canada and the National Guard. These guys are using every ounce of energy they have to protect our homes and keep our families safe.
But why is it so bad compared to other fire seasons? Why is it that this year has been the worst fire season in California’s history and it’s only mid-July? There are a number of factors, one of course being the lack of much-needed rain leaving even the greenest of pastures a duller shade of brown. But most of these fires are in mountain forests where tall trees tower over low-lying vegetation that has been dead and dry for years. And with few animals to feed on it, all of this dead grass and dry leaves are just waiting for one little spark to set it ablaze.
So what can be done about this? Obviously the natural wildlife that already lives in these areas are not clearing out this dry forage. Approximately 85% of the U.S. grazing lands are unsuitable for growing crops, and some of this land includes forested areas. Cattle are natural firefighters by doing what they do best: grazing! And as far as the natural wildlife goes, cattle are a huge help in a number of ways. In a California based study by the Conservation Biology magazine (Summer 2005), the results showed that grazing cattle actually helped to maintain natural wetland habitats that are home to several endangered species. Outside of the Golden State, cattle ranching has been shown to play a crucial role in the survival of native species in the Central and Eastern United States.
There’s a difference between preservation and conservation, and many people think this means the same thing. Preservation means to leave the land untouched and let it sort itself out. While this may sound wonderful and “good-natured”, letting forested land go unmanaged is what leads to many of the wildland fires that fills our skies with smoke and keeps our boys away from home. Conservation is different. This means the land is maintained using minimal interference in what’s naturally occuring in order to keep the land healthy and maintain the precious balance needed for everything to survive. Many cattle ranchers are also great conservationalists by doing their part to raise their cattle and take care of mother nature too. Taking care of the land they use is a top priority and many ranchers like to make it better than before.
So while I tip my hat and give thanks to the thousands of firefighters here doing their best to protect our homes and lives, I also thank the cattle ranchers for doing their part to make their land the best it can be. I hope conservation efforts continue in the future and perhaps one of these summers, we’ll all get to relax with clear blue skies and our loved ones with us.
June 2007
By: Leticia
Dear Mrs. Hackler,
Last month was a crazy busy month on Eagle Creek Ranch, and I can’t believe that it is already July! I don’t even know where to start telling you about the month that we had.
June started out just like it always does: hot, dry, and a lot of work to do! We got all the branding done in the last few weeks of May and the beginning of June. Dad decided to do it pasture by pasture, that way it would require less help. Of course, he saved West pasture for last, since it is our biggest pasture. It was great, some of my uncles came down, my brother, Gabriel, took a break from farming to help, and our neighbors Frosty and Will came out, too. The round-up was smooth, and Dad let me ride up to ’normus hill. I love it up there, you can see the whole ranch. I guess the last time I was there was during your memorial service back in November. The cows gave us no troubles. We brought in about 110 cows and branded over 90 calves-we had a pretty good calf crop this year. And of course, mom cooked a wonderful lunch of roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and a cobbler for desert. Everyone had a good time. I love branding, it always feels like Christmas!
The next weekend we went over to one of our neighbor’s to help her mark lambs. It was just a good reminder for me to be thankful that we don’t run sheep on the ranch anymore! We also went over there one day to help out with a coyote drive. She has been having coyote problems down there, but she is still staying strong. It is true ranch women like her that have created the spirit of the American West.
The joint Stockmen’s Convention was held in Ruidoso this year where New Mexico Cattle Grower’s Association and the New Mexico Wool Growers, Inc met together to celebrate father’s day, past accomplishments, and another good year. It was good to see old faces and meet new people.
We also had three wells that were down. On two of them we were able to fix with no problems, but the last one really gave us some problems. We ended up having to pull the pipe just to get to the pump at the bottom. But they are all fixed and water is running out again.
And speaking of water, we finally had some rain! About three weeks the rain started. First one of the year brought us two inches! Since then we’ve had a little over five and the hills are turning green. It was getting pretty dry for a while. There was a fire that burned nearly 40,000 acres just south of Hope. All the forests were closed to camping, too, but with the recent rain they’re back open. The creek even ran for a while, which means we have some water gaps and fencing to fix, but we aren’t complaining.
On the fourth of July we went to Capitan to watch the ranch rodeo, now those are something to watch! The Runyan-Elkin’s Ranch team was doing a pretty good job. It was nice to take a day from work to just relax and celebrate with friends.
Well, I won’t bore you anymore. Sure we did more than just all this, but you wouldn’t want to read everything. Eagle Creek sure does miss you and it isn’t the same without you, but we know you’re there. Hope this update has made it up to you.
Love,
Leticia Varelas
NM Beef IS Great
By: Leticia
My mom and I were driving home from church the other day, and in the other lane coming our way was a single cab, white Ford truck with a flat bed. As he passed, we waved to each other. Mom looked at me and asked, “Did you know him?” I just shook my head and told her no. Then she said, “Well, then why did ya’ll wave at each other like ya’ll did?” The reason: On the front of my truck, just on as on his, there is a red and white liscense plate that boasts, “NM Beef Is Great.”
The men and women who proudly display this message on the front of their vehicle share a common bond. They know how it feels to lose sleep from worrying all night about calving heifers and then take pride in their healthy calves come branding time at the end of another long calving season. They share a passion for the land, the animals, and agriculture as it is today. Anytime I hear someone praise the beef industry or sit down to read the paper with headline news “Downed Cattle Abused at Portales Sale Barn,” I have to stop and think about the people who are working in the pastures to ensure that neither their way of life or public imagine are not harmed.
Last week, the HSUS released a new downer cow video. This time, the attack hit me a little closer to home, if you can imagine that. There target was the Portales Auction Barn, which is located just about two hours from where my family ranches. I agree with Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the HSUS when he says that these actions “…turn my stomach.” But I still have faith in the beef industry. We have worked in recent years to encourage proper care and animal husbandry through programs such as the Beef Quality Assurance Program. These programs work to educate producers about best management practices for our cattle herds. It pains me to see people who treat the animals poorly, but these people exist few and far between. John McBride, director of communications for the Livestock Marketing Association stated that, “[These are] unfortunate, but it’s isolated incidents,” Just as there are bad preachers, teachers, and lawyers, there will be those people who ruin the image of good agriculturists. The important thing is to listen and trust the majority who are doing the right thing.
And speaking of those who are moving to make a positive difference, just a few weeks ago, New Mexico Cattle Grower’s and New Mexico Wool Grower’s met in Ruidoso for the 2008 Joint Stockman’s Summer Conference. The theme was “Are You Prepared?” Here, producers learend ways to be proactive in ways to improve and protect the future of our industry. One issue that has spent a lot of time in the forefront is the reintroduction of the Mexican Wolf. Under the way the system is set up, ranchers’ hands will literally be tied behind our backs as our herds will be attacked by the wolves. Several things were discussed to solve the issue, and cattlemen are working hard to make their voice heard. Currently, we have an online petition that gives us a voice about the wolf. For more information, and to see the petition, please click here. This is just one example of how hard we have to work to protect our animals. So I ask you, who cares more for the animals: The undercover HSUS employee who stands by doing nothing as animals are abused so he can shoot a video that isn’t released for months, or the average rancher who puts a lot time and energy into working to make sure the animals under his care are given a fair chance?
I think everybody in America should go visit a CowBelle (or Cattle Women in most other states) meeting once in their lives. If they have no other exposure to the truth behind the agriculture industry, sitting through one meeting they could see first hand the honest, hard working women who work along side the men in our industry to supply them with a product they can trust. So, maybe now you can understand, why I get so excited to see any other vehicle proudly displaying “NM Beef is Great” on the front of their vehicles. It doesn’t even have to be the red one that our state association provides, I’ve seen a white “Eat Kansas Beef” and a few other states as well, and know that the person in that vehicle shares a common bond with me. We face a lot of issues together, and we also are proud to associate ourselves with an amazing industry. So go ahead, Eat Beef, because, you know, Beef IS Great…And so are the people who produce it!
