Stories from California Cattle Country

In this episode we speak with Matt Allshouse, Conservation Ranching Program Manager at National Audubon Society about Bobcat Ranch and how responsible grazing  is critical to native bird species. Survival by DegreesBird Migration ExplorerAudubon California Chapter Map

In this episode we speak to Wes Moore about how packs of once domesticated dogs, primarily let loose by area marijuana farmers seasonally, are affecting his herd and his families livelihood.

In this episode we speak with Vince Fontana of Flashlight Ranch in Half Moon Bay which is in San Mateo County... a region dealing with increasing Mountain Lion activity.Brooks Brother Support Fund

In this episode we speak with rancher Myles Flournoy of the Likely Land and Livestock Company in Modoc county about the prevalence of wolves in the area, the effects that they can have on ranching operations and what can be done, if anything,  to mitigate it.

In this episode we speak with Kirk Wilbur, Vice President of Public Affairs for the California Cattlemen's Association, about legislation he shepherded in to allow California ranchers access to their animals during wildfire events and what can be done to address predation.

In this Episode we speak with Dr Stephanie Larson, County Director and Livestock Range Management Advisor and Director of University of California Cooperative Extension, Sonoma County about fires in Sonoma county, rangeland management and how cattle can help.Match Graze

In this episode we talk to Mike Furlong about his ranching operation in Bodega Bay, his family's experience with fires in the area and what can be done, if anything, to mitigate them.More about the Redwood Empire Food Bank

In this episode we speak with California Rancher and Deputy Fire Chief for the Santa Barbara Fire Dept. Anthony Stornetta about increasing, in fact historical, fire behavior and what can be done to mitigate it. Anthony was instrumental in developing this series by linking me with ranchers in California affected by fire.

In this episode we speak with Dave about his experience with the fire, how wildland management is holding up and his feelings on the outlook for the future. I Cry for the Mountains and the Legacy Lost

In this episode we speak with Justin Lofton of AH Beef about the direct-to-consumer marketplace... its benefits and its difficulties. This episode is the 3rd to come out of imperial valley and frankly wasn't planned. We also talk about some delicious yet lesser known cuts.Calbeef.org Direct-To-Consumer DirectoryCostco Freezer

In this episode we speak with Mike Sulpizio of Superior Cattle Feeders about the feeding sector of the cattle business, water, quiet cows and the unique history of the Imperial Valley.Cattle BreedsRalph's California Beef Program (now defunct)

In this episode we speak with Joe Dan Cameron of Mesquite Cattle Feeders about the feeding sector of the cattle business, quiet cows and the unique history of the Imperial Valley.

In this episode we speak with rancher Rich Ross about his unique location, why a 77 year old attorney would choose ranching as a way of life and his partnership with another rancher, 77 year old Wally Roney. We also talk a bit about wolves (which is a first for this podcast). https://cei.org/studies/the-roney-land-and-cattle-company-inc/

In this episode we speak with Jake Parnell, owner of the Cattlemens Livestock Market in Galt California… 20 miles south of Sacramento about the livestock market, common misconceptions and why communication is critical between the ag and non ag community.

In this episode we speak with rancher Tim Neilsen about El Dorado ranch and his commitment to ranching almost 8000 acres of the Sierra foothills in collaboration with the American River Conservancy in an effort to preserve area biodiversity of Sierra Nevada oak woodland… with cows. This is a follow up to our last episode where we spoke with Elena Delacy from the aforementioned American River Conservancy where Tim's ranching operation is mentioned, in fact, celebrated.

In this episode we speak with Elena Delacy, executive director of the American River Conservacy about working with California ranchers in an effort to preserve critical ecosystems through land trusts in the American and Consumnes water basins.

In this episode we discuss the intricacies of direct-to-consumer sales, the appeal of the ranching lifestyle and the shaky future of a small city ranch under the looming shadow of suburban sprawl with lawyer/rancher Nick Avdis. 

In this episode we join Tim Lewis in his truck Whoa Black Betty to ferry some calves from a dairy in Escalon to a feedlot in Nevada returning with some cows to the same lot stopping only for fuel and truck stop burritos. We'll learn about the ins and outs of Bull Hauling and how Tim managed to get in this unique line of work.

In this episode we speak with Melissa about ranching in Nicasio, about her Angus and Long Horned Cattle, and the ancillary businesses she runs through agritourism to ensure the success of her operation through hosting and educating non-ranchers about the ins and outs of agricultural living.

My purpose for the visit was to highlight the importance of this county fair to the next generation of agricultural professionals. Specifically, those still in elementary, middle or high school. In this episode we speak with Ulises Garcia, a 17 year old who spent the last 10 months restoring a circa 1949 Farmall Tractor to original condition. We also speak with Chiara Stornetta, an 11 year old at the fair to auction a steer and a heifer she raised. 

In this episode we visit Sherri and Bob Brennan just north of La Grange, Calif. to bell some cows prior to the herd's annual pilgrimage into the Stanislaus National Forest at Eagle Meadows which sits at just about 7,400' elevation.

On this sweltering day I speak with Rancher Bart Cremers at his ranch in Sloughhouse. I first spoke with his wife Noelle via telephone, a former cca employee, about their operation. The Cremers a bit of a unicorn in this industry as they are first generation ranchers who only lease land throughout the west for their operation. Such an operation can allow for some operators to be nimble but also puts the operator at the whims of the landowner. On this visit the bulk of the herd was enjoying more temperate weather in Oregon with some bulls and replacement heifers on the property in Sloughhouse. We'll first hear a bit from Noelle and follow that with a visit with Bart. 

In this episode we visit Rita McPhee from the McPhee Red Angus ranch in Lodi California. McPhee Red Angus differs a bit from our typical cattle ranch in that it only has red hided angus cattle (commonly Angus have black hides) and that their businesses is principally selling bulls opposed to selling cattle for beef. The ranch is about an hour South of Sacramento, and though the address is in Lodi it exists in a spot bordered by Lockeford, Linden and Lodi. We toured McPhee Ranch, their sale barn, pet some horses and then sat with Rita and her son Royce where we discussed ranch history, why they prefer Red Angus Cattle and a bit about branding.

In this episode we meet up with Tim Curran in Sattley, California which is a few miles north of Sierraville... which is about 40 miles due west as the crow flies from Reno, Nevada. Note that the crow would have to fly over mountains at about 8000 feet to get there from Reno. Getting there by car is considerably more circuitous. The Curran's own and operate Circle Ranch, an outfit that is based in Ione, about a 3-hour drive from Sattley. Some of the ranchers we visit, primarily ones in coastal areas, are able to keep their cows on property year around due to a forgivable Mediterranean climate. But I'd say the majority of the ranches we visit have to move their animals seasonally to greener pastures... literally. 

This week we return to Humboldt County and speak with rancher Peter Bussman.In our last episode we spoke with Jason & Dean Hunt along with Justin Mora about ranching in Humboldt county with an emphasis on managing the areas Roosevelt Elk population.On that trip I had the pleasure of meeting peter Bussman, a rancher that was on hand to give biologist Carrington Hilson and I access to ranch property in an effort to find elk, which we did. In talking with Pete, I found that he comes from a long line of ranchers in the area, created a redwood tree farm in blue lake and volunteers his time to cook for large events over wood fire. We toured his cattle operation in the Arcata, drove to Blue lake to see his tree farm, and then cooked enough new york strips (he did ALL the cooking) for nearly 200 people and enjoyed them for dinner at the historic Carson Mansion in Eureka as guests of the Ignomar Club.

In this episode we venture to Arcata, just north of Eureka California and home to Cal Poly Humboldt to discuss ranching a few miles from the Pacific. Every environment presents a unique set of problems whether it be weather, invasive or native wildlife or urbanization. Ranchers in Arcata deal with all of the above.The reason for my visit was to talk about Elk. Specifically, Roosevelt Elk. These elk are endemic in the area but for a long-time, populations have waxed and waned. More recently the population has thrived... the Elk don't have many existing predators, are hard on fences and are prolific breeders. The Elk prefer the same feed that cows do and have the ability to access it.The Elk's size, population and reproductivity makes management difficult. In this episode we speak with ranchers Jason & Dean Hunt and Justin Mora about how they deal with the Elk and about what systems they have to manage them. We also speak with Carrington Hilson from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife who is tasked with gathering data on the Elk population in Humboldt County which should aid in better management practices in the future.

Darrel Sweet's ranch is nestled in the hills on the South side of the Altamont pass surrounded by these wind turbines. For this podcast, ranch visits are typically a hike. Ranches often exist in places where most people wouldn't want to live... mostly because they are remote. Livermore is located on the Eastern edge of the Bay Area just under 50 miles southwest of San Francisco. As I am sure you can imagine, in the last few decades land prices in the area have risen precipitously. The city itself is nestled in the Livermore Valley, a valley which runs east/west. Historically the area was critical to railroad infrastructure and agriculture... especially wine grapes with the Livermore AVA being one of the earliest ever created in the State. Darrel's family has been in the Altamont hills for well over a hundred years... if anyone could relate this story, it's him. 

Listen to Phil and Cindy describe a livestock auction and community in Fresno County and what to look for in a cow at a livestock auction.

In this episode we speak with Jim Keegan of Keegan Ranch about the impending wildflower superbloom and his family history ranching in Bear Valley.

Lunny ranch, also known as G Ranch, is part of the Pt Reyes National Seashore, which is located on the Pt Reyes Peninsula and maintained by the National Park Service. In 1962 a congressman from Marin County, Clem Miller proposed legislation for Pt Reyes National Seashore in an effort to stymie development and protect the areas flora and fauna during the Kennedy administration. At that time, cattle ranching had been occurring on the peninsula for over a century and language was included in the bill that would continue to allow cattle ranching to occur.In this episode we speak with rancher Kevin Lunny about ranch history and what it's like operating in such a unique and beautiful environment.

In this episode we speak with Wayne Stahl, an authority on Santa Maria BBQ and member of the Santa Maria Elks for over 50 years. We then speak with Sue Benech, a Santa Barbara rancher and biologist, who also attended the Elks dinner, about Ranching in such a unique environment and the importance of community.

In our previous episode we spoke with Cheryl LaFranchi about her ranch Oak Ridge Angus and its history... among other things. In this episode we meet up with her at the Red Bluff Bull & Gelding sale where she's selling 4 of her Angus Bulls. A bull sale isn't much unlike a dog show... at least to these eyes. The animals are just a lot bigger. An important part of a bull's genetic makeup is that he is docile. Walking down the row of stalls where the bulls are being prepped to be auctioned is more akin to a beauty salon than a barnyard. This is where I first discovered that they have blow dryers and hairspray for cows.

We initially decided to visit Oak Ridge Angus to pursue an angle in regard to Bull Sales... it's a fascinating process and not something we'd covered before on this podcast. After some research and my interview with 3rd generation rancher Cheryl LaFranchi, there was a whole lot more to unpack. This episode will be split in two. In the first we'll learn the history of Oak Ridge Angus, how and why they have over a decade long partnership with the Bear Republic Brewery and about the Range to Table Program where they partner with the Redwood Empire Food Bank to provide beef to Northern Californian's who are food insecure. Lastly, we'll talk about their experience with 2019's Kincade Fire which decimated their ranch.In 2 weeks we'll hear about how their 4 Angus bulls did at the Red Bluff Bull and Gelding sale.

This episode addresses the almost unprecedented precipitation in California and its effect on a Northern Californian rancher. The effects are in no way localized with extensive flooding, road closures, power outages, mudslides, property damage and loss of lives extending the length of the state. The cause has been a barrage of Atmospheric Rivers battering the state. We'd been hearing that many area ranchers were experiencing a multitude of issues in regard to recent weather. We thought we'd reach out to someone local and attempt to get a feel of the magnitude of the effects. We didn't have to go far. Justin Oldfield's ranch is 20 minutes south of Sacramento and less than 2 miles off of highway 99. Daehling Ranch was dealing with a multitude of issues.

Join us for a conversation with lifelong Parkfield resident and rancher, Kevin Kester where we discuss the towns of San Miguel and Parkfield, the second oldest bar in California and the ranching benefits of commercial drones.

Pozo is set in a bowl shaped valley. In fact, the word Pozo translates to well or hole in Spanish. The town originated as a stop on the Butterfield Overland Main stagecoach. Pozo is currently home to a Fire station, the Pozo Saloon (a temporarily inactive Civil War Era Saloon)  and the Vintage Cowboy Winery. That's it.I met rancher Steve Arnold at the Vintage Cowboy Winery where he was surveying water damage to the floor of the tasting room from a recent storm. Most of the time when I visit ranches I am first greeted and inspected by ranch dogs. This case was no different except rather than being greeted by a border collie or Australian shepherd I met a pair of Boston terriers... Hudson and Budrow.

Our recent visit to Te Amo Livestock in Gaviota gave us insight into rigors of ranch management. With one added complicating factor... not only is the ranch a fully functional cattle ranch... one of the largest producers in Santa Barbara county it's also an Underdeveloped Rural Residential Community.When we arrived at the Hollister Historical Working Barn, I saw a man in the tack shed who I later learned was Te Amo partner Will Ingram and co-owner Kathi Carlson. We toured the ranch and then sat down for an interview in the tack shed. Ranches are almost always located in difficult areas. If land is able to be farmed it will be as it's usually more profitable. But when topography becomes problematic and access to water unpredictable, ranching becomes more viable. It just takes a certain type of people to facilitate it. Ranching is not for the faint of heart. Imagine have hundreds of large animals, animals responsible for your livelihood, scattered over thousands of acres of uneven ground. And though cattle are adaptable, they need regular supervision and care. It's a saying that is meant as an exaggeration, but if you were to ask a rancher... herding cats isn't unlike herding cows. Despite their size they can get themselves into some pretty weird places.

Stories from California Cattle Country is taking a week off for Thanksgiving. We thought it would be fun to explore some of the stories that ended up on the cutting room floor for one reason or another. My co-conspirator, Katie Roberti, called and we conducted a short phone interview recalling stories from our travels… the strange ones.

Running a biweekly podcast which includes travel to remote areas throughout the state meeting subjects with dynamic schedules can sometimes present occasional logistical issues. For our ninth episode of our second season we had lined up a few potential ranches which ultimately fell through.With a few days notice we threw a Hail Mary reaching out to Ventura's Rich Atmore. Rich runs a cattle operation with his sons in Ventura along with R.A. Atmore & Sons an environmental contract service providing weed abatement, erosion control, vegetation management and environmental restoration for various entities like municipalities and utility companies.Rich is a bit of a unicorn for this podcast as he's the first first-generation rancher we've interviewed. Rich is tall, clad in denim and though he frequently enjoys talking about his impending retirement, has a youthful appearance and a matching exuberance for his operations, employees and family.Rich picked me up in a side by side and drove me around the property. His cows are calving right now so about half of the cows are being trailed by small calf's with the others about to give birth. We then sat down to chat about how he got into ranching, his various operations, and his harrowing experience in 2017's Thomas Fire.

When I first reached out to Bert Lamb about the podcast his response was..."Well. I can, but I would think you might find someone a hell of a lot more interesting than me!"Turns out he was being modest. The city of Camarillo was founded by Bert's great grandfather Adolfo Camarillo and his brother Juan in the late 19th century receiving land from their parents who acquired it from Jose Pedro Ruiz after he had acquired it via a Mexican land grant after Mexico gained independence from Spain.Bert and I later returned to Cam Lam Farms where we sat down for an interview to learn more about his families history in the area and how the legacy of his operations will move forward for years to come. We also speak with his daughters Maureen and Katherine by phone who are taking over the operations of the farm and ranch respectively.

In this episode we tour the Klamath Basin with Mike Byrne and discuss the storied history of one of California's most wild places in Tulelake on the Northern border of the state.

 I sat with the Swickards in their beautiful farm house in Willow Creek Valley and chatted about their ranch history, the future of Susanville, restaurant ownership and how to breed the perfect cow. 

In this episode we speak with Mark Lacey about his families ranching history in one of the most unique landscapes on Earth, how the valley adapted to the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power's takeover in the beginning of the 20th century and why his crew prefers to ride mares over geldings… don't worry it'll all be explained in the episode.

In this episode we travel down the U.S. Route 395 to Bishop CA, learn a bit about the E Clampus Vitus Fraternity, visit Talbot Cattle Company Ranch with rancher and veterinarian Tom Talbot and then follow him north to a ranch in Bridgeport to vaccinate a whole bunch of calves.

In this string of four or five episodes we're exploring ranches located in the Eastern part of the state off of U.S. Route 395. In the past 2 episodes we moved North from Kern County into the Owen's Valley which is flanked to the west by the Sierra and by the White/Inyo Mountains to the East. In this episode we hear from 5th generation rancher Maria Giacomini Kemp and her mother Alonna Cashbaugh Giacomini about ranching in Bishop and Long Valley. We also explore "Tom's Place", an unincorporated community in Mono County which was named for Tom's Place resort, a mix of a market, saloon and cafe which serves a respite for weary travelers of all sorts... including (and especially) me.

Join us on our travels up 395... especially the dusty parts.In this episode we'll talk to 3rd generation rancher Jean Crispin about the history of the ranch, her son Gabe about the logistics of moving cattle over a mountain pass and finally from Rissa (11 year old 5th generation rancher/Gabe's daughter)  who provides a game changing campfire cooking creation.

This is the 1st installment of our second season. We here at stories are big fans of continual improvement. Moving forward we're emphasizing the importance of rural communities as well as providing more detailed portraits of people from Cattle Country. We've devised somewhat of a formula to meet these ends. In this episode we visit Buck Owen's Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, the Glennville Jr. Rodeo and Laver's Ranch.

This summer is the first anniversary of the project known as "Stories from California Cattle Country". Though our first episode was released in August of '21 the conceptualization started around the beginning of Summer last year. My first ranch visit, literally my first visit ever to a ranch was Koopmann Ranch in Sunol CA. I was overwhelmed with all the facets of ranch living. Suffice it to say, I had many questions and the Koopmann's, Tim, Melinda, Clayton and Natalie were gracious to answer them.That visit seems to be from a long time-ago. The folks that produce this podcast are big believers in continual improvement with the goal of best serving our membership by relating stories from remote ranches and dairies to people that may not have the luxury of visiting them. We've tried a little bit of everything. This episode, our 20th episode, will be the last for our first season. We decided to drop in on the Koopmann's and cook a steak recipe... steak au poivre. I had caught up with Natalie Koopmann at our mid-year meeting and we got to talking about recipes. The Koopmann's offer beef for sale directly to the consumer and offering recipes proves beneficial to their clientele.

The beef cattle facilities which is a part of the animal sciences department are located just west of the campus and have the capacity for 650 head. It's there where we linked up with Marissa Fisher, the beef cattle facilities manager to talk about the role of the feedlot in the supply chain and how the University feedlot benefits students and the general public.

On May 16th, the California Cattle Council bused a group of chefs, butchers, and other hospitality professionals to Circle Ranch in Ione. Circle Ranch was ideal because of its proximity to Sacramento, relative beauty and its wonderful owners in Tim and Jill Curran.We've created a program where we bring hospitality professionals for ranch and dairy visits a few times a year with the intention of creating a better connection between producers and those that serve as the ambassadors of ranch and dairy products to the consumers.We were given a walking tour of the ranch and were lucky to hear from Tim and Jill Curran about many aspects of their operations and we also heard from Haydn Clement a technician from the Chico State Meat Lab.For those unable to attend we're providing a recap of the trip with the help of Molly Dennis who attended the tour and who is an industry veteran. To gauge the efficacy of the educational components of the trip we end the interview with an intensive multiple choice test.

A year ago, if you were to ask me about dairy operations I would say well… the cows eat grass and then they make milk.  I was ignorant to the complexity of their formulated diets, the incredible regimented pace of operations and the fact that the dairy cows don't moo. It's not that they can't moo, they just don't.  The silence is indicative of their contentment. One of the most fascinating parts of my tour of Rib Arrow is that operations are tuned first to cow comfort.  Tyler Riberio employs some impressive technologies to insure cow health and comfort and is about to introduce some more.