Welcome to the Ranch!

As I sat in a waiting room yesterday afternoon, I flipped through the February issue of “Better Homes and Gardens” magazine.  A word on a page caught my eye as I was skimming through the pages of the issue.  It was “grass fed beef.”  I had to stop what I was doing and begin turning back the pages one by one as I tried to find that page again.  What could the words “grass fed beef” have anything to do with bettering one’s home or garden?

I found it.  It was on a page devoted to heart healthy foods.  Actually it was the second food listed on the page.  Grass fed beef was on the same page as many other well-known healthy foods like salmon and oatmeal.  Grass fed beef made it on the list because of high levels of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA).

According to Wikipedia, CLA is most known for its anti-cancer properties.  Their article goes on to list other beneficial qualities of CLA.  These acids also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, fight inflammation, reduce body fat, etc.  Who would not want any of these benefits while eating delicious grass fed beef?

In addition to grass fed beef, other foods were listed as heart friendly foods.  Grape juice, blueberries, and other berries made the list for their antioxidants.  Almonds and salmon were chosen for their omega-3s.  Soybeans appeared for their protein and fiber.  Canola oil was listed for its low saturated fat.  Oatmeal is famous for its fiber as well as its ability to lower cholesterol.  Last but not least was spinach.  It apparently has so many benefits for the heart that they could not name them all.

It was exciting to see grass fed beef classified as heart friendly in an unbiased magazine article.  It was not surprising though.  I have occasionally shown research about the benefits of eating grass fed beef.  For example you can read, “Top Ten Reasons to Buy Grass Fed Beef“  or “The Health Benefits of Grass Fed Beef.”  I think it is exciting to see that grass fed beef  is becoming more mainstream.

Cross Creek Cattle Company can supply your family with healthy, nutritious, and delicious grass fed beef. At this time we are taking orders and are harvesting the beef based on supply and demand.  In other words, we are not publicly declaring a harvest date, but rather supplying the beef when a whole cow is purchased by one or more persons.

Place your order or contact the ranch by phone if you are interested.  We will need a $100.00 non-refundable deposit to secure your order.  Please visit our website for further information and/or contact me.

Kids of Cross Creek Cattle Company

Most people do not live in rural areas anymore.  A complete switch has taken place.  More people now live in urban areas.  Living in the country has its advantages.  It also has disadvantages.  Like everything in life, you have to weigh both.

My five children have lived on Cross Creek Cattle Company for most if not all of their lives.  They have chores that most kids their age do not have.  They take turns milking our goats.  They feed our chickens, sheep, goats, rabbits, dogs, and cats.  They can grow and harvest vegetables.  They can catch and clean a fish.  They can work cattle.  Depending on their ages, my children are either quite experienced in these areas or they are in training.

All of them are raised to avoid cow patties as they stroll through the pasture.  They know to watch for snakes.  They know where the barbed wire fences are even if the sun makes the wires seem invisible.  They can identify poison ivy regardless of the season.

When people visit the ranch, they are quickly given a crash course in the potential hazards.  Likewise when we travel to urban areas, my children receive a much different training.  Don’t talk to strangers.  Look both ways before crossing the street.

I thought it would be interesting to hear from my children today.  I asked each of them, “What is your favorite thing about living on a ranch?”  The following are their answers.

Clayton said, “I love hunting deer in December.”  He is a great shot.  Clayton also loves observing the plentiful wildlife throughout the year.  Watching the deer is his favorite.

China Berry tree in autumn.

Kyla said, “I love watching the colors change on the leaves.”  About the only trees that change from green to brilliant color are the China Berry trees.  She went on to say that she loves being able to observe God’s creation everyday.

Jake responded, “I love being able to work with the horses all the time.”  He loves horses.  He even writes his own blog about horses called Cross Creek Horsemanship.

Isaac said, “Riding horses!”  He sure loves to ride.

Andrew is too little to answer, but he also loves to ride a horse.  My guess is that he enjoys tractor rides even more.

Well, the kids have spoken.  They love living on Cross Creek Cattle Company.  And, they have different reasons.  I love the fact that they are growing up on a working ranch.  They have so many opportunities to learn skills and enjoy the outdoors.  Living in a rural area has its perks.

Kenton Holliday

This week the owner of Cross Creek Cattle Company celebrates his birthday.  If it was not for Kenton Holliday, our grass fed beef customers would have to buy beef elsewhere.  4-Hers and members of FFA would have to look for winning show heifers in other places.  My immediate family would live and work somewhere else.  I don’t know about you, but I am grateful that Kenton was born.

Kenton Holliday is living his dream.  As a young boy, he wanted to be a cowboy when he grew up.  This dream never faded.  Instead as Kenton grew closer and closer to his grandfather, the desire only strengthened.  His grandfather was a great man and played a big role in Kenton’s life.

Kenton’s grandfather was born in the late 1800’s and was raised in the Texas Hill Country.  Being a cowboy was second-nature to him.  He began riding horses and working cows as soon as he was physically able.  And, he was a natural.  When duty called during World War I, the United States government ironically put him to work as an infantryman.  He was never even considered to be part of the cavalry.

After the war, he returned to Texas and settled near Houston with his wife.  Together they raised three boys on their working farm.  Many years later Kenton was born.  Kenton is the oldest child of four.  Anytime his family visited the grandparents, he spent the majority of his time with his grandfather.  They had a very special bond.

Kenton learned to shoot guns, to ride and train horses, to grow vegetables, to raise animals, and countless other skills.  His desire to be a rancher and cowboy continued as he went to college.  He graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Farm and Ranch Management.

Sadly both his grandparents died.  Kenton was starting his own family at the time and moved into his grandparents farmhouse.  After my brother and I were born, Kenton began teaching us the same skills he had acquired from his grandfather.  We tended a humongous vegetable garden, trained horses, raised livestock, etc.

Kenton bought some land in Grimes County.  From this parcel of land, Cross Creek Cattle Company was created.  As real estate became available, Kenton expanded the ranch.  He switched from crossbred cattle to raising the Beefmaster breed.  He left “traditional” ranching.  He goes against the norm by not feeding his herd grain or by giving his cattle antibiotics, hormones, etc.  Like our ancestors, he believes that cattle do best on grass as nature intended.

Under his guidance, Cross Creek Cattle Company offers grass fed beef to the public.  Our business is growing as word of mouth spreads.  Kenton is a rancher and a cowboy in the 21st century.  Through hard work and perseverance, he built and grew a successful cattle ranch.  He never let his dream of becoming a rancher die.

So, here is to Kenton Holliday.  And, here is to following your heart and making your dream come true.  From everyone at Cross Creek Cattle Company, have a very Happy Birthday!!

Yesterday I received a text message from my aunt.  It said, “Can you say global warming?”  As most of you are experiencing, an artic cold front is making about 60% of the mainland United States experience freezing temperatures.  The temperature outside is dropping steadily.  It is already well below freezing with a chance of sleet today and snow flurries tomorrow.  Temperatures are expected to be well below freezing for at least 48 hours.  We are not used to this kind of winter weather.

If we are not used to it, then neither are our animals.  We took extra special precautions yesterday by rounding up horse blankets.  Stores all over the area were selling them like hotcakes.  I personally had to call three different stores and have them hold blankets for us until one of us could make it to town.  Using our fingers to do the walking worked.  We were able to find enough blankets for all of our horses.

Some of the horses were not too enthused about having a blanket strapped around their body.  But, I bet they are thanking us later today.  It is rather awkward to wear a blanket.  Straps go in front of the chest, under the heart girth, and between their back legs.  The latter is the most strange to the horses.  They are not used to feeling straps around and between their legs.  Some of our horses rolled around on the ground trying to lose the blanket.  After several attempts at rubbing the blanket off, they gave up.

In addition to putting blankets on the horses and ensuring that they have plenty of fresh, unfrozen drinking water, we are also increasing the amount of feed they receive.  We expect them to shiver and shake, which burns more calories.  We are trying to account for this by providing them with more fuel for their bodies.

The cows are fine, but they are going through the hay at a much faster rate.  The best part of this time of year (and I say this sarcastically in light of our weather this week) is that it is calving season.  Usually this is not a bad time to be born in Southeast Texas.  The temperature is cool.  The fire ants are down in the ground.  In the dog days of summer, calves have to fight not only extremely high temperatures; fire ants can prove to be fierce predators.  They have been known to blind calves and occasionally even kill them in these parts.  Fortunately, Cross Creek Cattle Company has not lost any calves this way.

But I digress, this week will be unlike most winter weather patterns we experience.  This is not good when cows are having babies.  The calves can literally go into shock.  Think about it.  Calves have been happily enjoying living in an “oven” at about 103 degrees.  Suddenly they are pushed out, hit the ground, and it is 15 degrees.  Not only is their body having trouble adjusting to the rapid change in temperature, but the wind chill is in the single digits.  It can be a potentially dangerous situation for the health of the newborn calf.

What does this mean for my husband, the ranch manager?  It means keeping close watch over the herd.  It means being ready to intervene with blankets, colostrum, etc. as needed.  It means walking quite a distance in below freezing conditions off and on all day long for days.  He has to walk now because he almost got stuck this morning.  The rain that came before the front soaked the already saturated ground.  It means discomfort for the ranch manager.

As my dad always says when things on the ranch don’t go smoothly, “Welcome to the ranch!”  It is part of the life of a cowboy.  It is part of the life of anyone running a ranch.  The animals are our livelihood.  You have to take care of them regardless of the weather.  Thankfully, it will be 40 degrees again soon enough.  I don’t know how the ranchers do it in Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, or everywhere else where this weather pattern is the usual.

I just hope that everything does go well for us, our home, and our animals.  I will let you know.