Friday, August 17, 2012

Veater Ranch

A lot of my acquaintances at college are aware that I live on a cattle ranch, 
but when I show them pictures they are almost always in shock. 
It is never what they had pictured. 

Let me explain... first, we ranch cattle, but we live in the mountains. 
That means that we don't exactly have open, rolling fields of grass. 
In fact, what we were given was something more like steep draws and thick brush.
And if you know anything about cattle (or can picture having to ride a horse through brush while gathering...) you know that's not ideal.

But my dad had a vision that it could all be something better, something more useful. 
So he went and bought a bulldozer, and started clearing the brush and leaving trees. 
The government loves him for it (hello useable land!), the fire station loves him for it (less brush=less fire hazard), we all love him for it (brush isn't exactly a piece of cake to gather cattle in), and the cows love him (when there is less brush, the land can grow more grass).

So this is what he does. 
He takes his bull dozer, and pushes brush down these steep mountains into brush piles.  
(which will be burned when it's not so hot)
My little brother (who isn't so little anymore), comes behind him and sprays the regrowth to make sure it doesn't look the same again in 5 years.
[clearing in the mountains really takes a toll on this guy]
[brushpiles]

[Look at the difference between the cleared mountain in front and the brush in the back!]

The end result is really something beautiful. 
In the winter, we are surrounded in breathtaking green, 
and in the summer we find magic in acres and acres of golden oats.

At least that's my take on it :)
That middle Veater daughter

2 comments:

  1. Those are some beautiful pictures of your property. It's nice of how your father decided to do something about it instead of just letting your land as it is. And as you've said, lots of people (and cows!) benefit from the bulldozer.

    Redbull Equipment

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    1. Yes absolutely! Sorry we missed your comment when you left it. We are so grateful for people who appreciate what we're trying to accomplish.

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