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Monday, January 20, 2014

LIVING THE LIFE OF A RANCHER'S WIFE....HOW IT ALL STARTED...


Howdy! This marks my second blog and the first one on living the life of a rancher’s wife…

Marrying into a fourth generation cattle ranch was a jump of sizable proportion for this gal! I was not raised in a rural community, although I was raised in a family that had some roots in farming (on my mother's side). I met my bull riding cowboy husband while at college; it was a romance that, more than anything, could be described as a whirlwind affair. He is still a man of “few” words, but he was definitely a man of “fewer” words then! He was silent, rugged, rather serious, and I was intrigued.... I simply couldn't get him off my mind. What I didn’t know for many months, was that he was so tongue-tied and nervous after our first few dates, that he would return to his apartment and throw up…..yikes! 
Regardless, I threw caution to the wind as we moved quickly into a serious relationship. He asked me to marry him and I said yes, without hesitation. Forty-two years later, I'm still enamored.


            Coming “home” to the ranch -- after our wedding -- actually felt like coming home to me. It was an old farmhouse, the original family ranch house, and had been rented out for years so it was in pretty poor shape. In fact, in one 24 hour period that first year, we trapped 29 mice in our old pantry!


            The ranch was established in the early 1870s, but part of the family (on the maternal side) had established their ranch in the 1850s. My husband’s family immigrated from England (on one side) and Germany (on the other) during the gold rush, so his roots here in our valley go back to the original settlement period. This area is home to a number of tribes and the conflict in those early days was harsh; California miners were not kind to the tribes at all. Today the tribes are still an active and vital part of our community, but like all of America’s settlement history, there are scars that will never heal.



            Living in a northern California mountain valley, only 40 miles from Oregon, our seasons are short; elevation starts at 2800 feet.  As ranchers, however, that works to our benefit because this creates a higher nutrient content for the hay we produce each summer and feed out in winter. Many people do not understand that this climate (with four distinct seasons, including long cold and snowy winters -- though lacking this year) -- is not conducive to growing commercial crops, but is ideal for cattle and hay. 



In the summer our cows remain on the ranch grazing on our own pastures, many of which are native grass, having never been farmed at all. The cattle live their entire lives on this ranch. We used to assist our in-laws in taking cattle into the mountains on horseback (which I loved) to graze – a practice today sadly misunderstood. Cattle co-habitate with wildlife beautifully and these wonderful bovines have the ability to convert dry, fire-kindling matter into feed, protecting the forests and mountain regions from fire. Would that California encourage more grazing – perhaps some of the recent grass and forest fires could be reduced significantly. But that’s another issue!



Our ranch has a historic natural wildlife area, which we preserve, and have for over a hundred years. That means we have an abundance of waterfowl and bird and animal life that thrives here: ducks, geese, eagles (including bald eagles and golden eagles), heron, blackbirds, etc., along with mink, otters, fish, and even a few stubborn beaver! Another interesting fact that few understand is that we are not unique; more than 75% of migrating waterfowl, for instance, are protected by ranches and farms, not by public lands. The view from where I'm seated right now, in fact, looks out over several hundred Canadian geese, busily and happily "grazing" on the remnant of hay the guys scattered out earlier for the cows. Their frequent honking is music in the stillness of the frosty morning air.



Life here is idyllic in so many ways. It’s been an ideal place to raise children, and now 2 of our 3 children have returned to work the ranch, with children of their own. There is a tradeoff, of course; as I’ve told my two daughters-in-law: you will always have security, a great place to raise a family, and an unending supply of great food <g>, but if you’re looking to get rich or to take long extended vacations, this is not the life for you. Vacations are few and far between. I’ve likened ranching to being a MOM. Once you sign on, the job is almost 24/7 – or at least it feels like it much of the year. But, again, the rewards are worth the “sacrifice!” Just this year, all of the women of the ranch, including daughters who are not "on" the ranch (that is 7 women all together!), have started our own business, Jenner Family Beef. We have been asked so often over the years about purchasing our meat, that we have entered into marketing it. We do raise 100% natural Angus cross beef, with no hormones, no antibiotics, grass-fed, and are excited about the direction the business is headed. For those who may be interested, our new website is: www.jennerfamilybeef.com. We do ship all over...



I love this life of mine and thank God daily for the beautiful valley where we live and for having the space and opportunity to live alongside cattle, our horses, the mountains, the wildlife, and my rugged, hard-working cowboy husband! I hope to share a more about life on a cattle ranch in weeks to come…and if you have questions, please respond. I'll be happy to answer whatever I can. And if you want to know more about me, check my Author page out on Prairie Rose or www.gailjenner.com. And I'll see you in two weeks -- on the first Monday of February...

My husband on far left; one of our two sons, in the center, working calves...with over 900 calves each year, it's a job!


16 comments:

  1. Gail, you must really have had an "eye-opener" when you married your husband and everything changed so drastically. Wow, 42 years! Congratulations! My husband and I are coming up on #35 in February. You really have an interesting life, and I always love to learn more about fellow authors and friends. I didn't know you shipped your beef! That's good to know. This is just a wonderful blog and I feel like I know you through it.
    Cheryl

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    1. Thanks, Cheryl, it's been fun getting to know the people at PRP, too! I do feel blessed; it's hard NOT to....as I've said, although life is demanding, there's a special freedom that comes with life on a ranch. I just can't imagine having lived my life anywhere else :-) We'll continue the discussion of ranch life in the weeks to come! And yes, check out our website: www.jennerfamilybeef.com!!

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  2. G. Thank you for giving the world a glimpse in to your life and family heritage in Scott Valley.
    Being able to share your life story in such a clear and exciting way is a gift.

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    1. And Ms. Hall, YOU have some rare insights into life in the country to add, I know!! (Jae Hall and I are not only OLD friends, we are also former writing partners and critique partners.....). She has just released her second novel in a series....her first novel is Timberbeast and you can check it out on: http://www.amazon.com/TimberBeast-Jae-Hall-ebook/dp/B00DMSGG1O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1390277498&sr=8-3&keywords=jae+hall

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  3. Great post. Left a comment but it didn't post so, just wanted to say congratulations on your long lasting marriage, a great place to live and on your new business venture. It is much needed.

    THIS IS FROM DORIS McCRAW -- she posted and it didn't show up.

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    1. Thanks, Doris -- I appreciate your feedback! Life is an adventure, isn't it??? :-)

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  4. Gail--wonderful post. You've enlightened me on many things. And I'm going to check out your new family business!
    Kristy

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    1. Thanks, Kristy! I am very open to questions, too, if anyone has them on ranching/rodeo/country life - cattle, etc....and if I can't answer them, I have my dear hubby :-) I hope you will check out our new business; our beef is quite special and I know people care more and more about where their meat comes from! BTW, have you started ACROSS THE SWEET GRASS HILLS yet? I hope you enjoy the story! Cheers --

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  5. Gail, this post has my aching to at least TRY your life for a day! I am so jealous in such a nice way. And your love story, wow, there's a love story just in that: him barfing after your first dates.I LOVE HIM. May God bless your new business venture with great success. Wow, girl, what a history, what an environment.

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    1. Thanks, Tanya! BTW, we love visitors! So, if you're ever traveling through northern CA, past Mt. Shasta, give us a call....when you drop into our valley, it's a little like dropping into Shangri - La! Truly.....a pretty special place. I have to say my hubby is a special kind of guy... sweet but rugged. And thanks for the encouragement. We hope the business is one way to let people try delicious beef :-)

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  6. What a wonderful family history. Thank you for sharing. When I was a kid, we raised cattle, but it was on a farm my dad bought from my uncle where my grandparents lived. Your post brought back many happy memories.

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    1. I didn't grow up on a ranch, of course, but I have been so blessed to have our kids and now our grandkids (not all of them) live just down the road from us! But all of our grandchildren know and love the ranch and it's their favorite place to be...what a legacy and what a unique opportunity. I hope you have shared some of your stories. Anymore, less than 2% of our U.S. population lives on farms or ranches -- what a loss for everyone.

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  7. It's wonderful to be part of something so historic! And congrats on the 42 years, despite your man having a hard time getting those words out. :)

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    1. Thanks!! Yes, he did struggle for quite awhile....thankfully we have learned how to communicate pretty well :-)

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  8. Gale, you;re living the dream. I think it's funny that a man who rides bulls would choke just being in the presence of the girl he loves. How wonderful to live in a farm house with such extensive family history. I loved your blog and your description of the place you've come to love and call home.
    I'm glad to have met you and look forward to learning more about you.
    All the best to you and yours.

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    1. Thanks, Sarah! I do feel pretty blessed to live the life I do! And yes, my dh is a man of many contradictions!! He doesn't hesitate to jump in icy cold water to save a baby calf that slips into the water, but "freezes" when he has to walk into a room filled with crowds of people. His hands are big, a little gnarly, but he has a very gentle touch --- :-)

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