Welcome to the Ranch!

At Cross Creek Cattle Company, we do not just raise grass fed beef.  We garden organically.  We pick wild grapes and berries.  We tend our fruit trees.  We eat fresh fish from our lake and ponds.  Our family believes in the health benefits of eating real food.

Recently I received many phone calls by family and friends who viewed The Oprah Winfrey Show last week.  I did not watch it as it aired, but Oprah was interviewing Michael Pollan.  He is one of the most famous proponents of natural, healthy foods.  When he eats meat, Mr. Pollan chooses grass fed beef, which is why I received all the phone calls.

Michael Pollan has written many books like, The Omnivore’s Dilemna, and has delivered many speeches on the subject of food.  You can search his name on YouTube and you will have many different choices of videos to watch.  His most recent project has been a documentary called “Food Inc.“  I have not seen the movie, but it has intrigued me.  To see more about the movie as well as watch its trailer, click here.

To see a portion of Oprah’s show from January 21st about Food.  Watch this video.  It starts out with a food quiz.  You will not believe how much antibiotics are given to livestock in one year.  It is astounding!  The clip also gives a peek into the documentary, “Food Inc.”

Oprah’s interview, “Food 101 with Michael Pollan” is available to read.  Mr. Pollan also has a new-book out called, Food Rules.  In short, Mr. Pollan wants America to get back to what our great-grandparents ate, to eat real food.  He calls out other nations in the world that live on seal blubber or cow blood mixed with milk and have little heart problems and/or type-2 diabetes.  This line of thought and the desire to eat what our ancestors enjoyed daily is very similar to one of my favorite authors on food and nutrition, Sally Fallon.

In an article, “Review of Nourishing Traditions,” I go into further detail about Ms. Fallon’s theories on health and nutrition.  In my opinion, her book Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, is a must-have for anyone concerned about how and what their family eats.

In light of all the national debate on health care reform, I think that it is safe to say that we are all concerned about our health.  The connection that Michael Pollan makes is how our health is affected by the foods that we eat.

We are concerned about what we eat here on Cross Creek Cattle Company.  We are also very happy to be able to offer grass fed beef to the public.  Our beef might cost more than a steak at a Super Wal-Mart grocery store, but as Michael Pollan asked, “What are the long-term health costs of buying the cheaper food?”  I assure you that our grass fed beef has been raised as a herd on grass.  Our beef has not been raised on antibiotics, growth hormones, steroids, or grain.  If I might add, our grass fed beef is not only nutritious, but also very flavorful and delicious.

There are fewer and fewer full-time ranch managers anymore.  It is a job description that encompasses many skills; it requires much more than being a cowboy.  So I thought I would interview the ranch manager of Cross Creek Cattle Company to give a better idea of what his job entails as well as tell you about the ranch.

Lane DeHaven

Lane DeHaven has been working for Cross Creek Cattle Company for four years.  He brought many skills to the ranch and has acquired many more through on-the-job training.  He is a husband and the father of five children.

What is your most challenging job as ranch manager?
I think it is like most jobs where your biggest challenge is keeping the boss happy.

As ranch manager, what are your main responsibilities?
I am in charge of pasture management, equipment management, managing cattle, managing horses, fence building and repair, and wildlife management.  There is always something to do.

Why did Cross Creek Cattle Company make the switch from traditional ranching to grass fed beef?
It was a family decision.  We saw a need for more healthy beef and wanted to enter this new and exciting market.  We have always enjoyed eating our own beef, and we thought we would extend that privilege to other families.

What is the biggest change for you as ranch manager since the switch?
I spend a lot more time out in the pastures.  I really have to watch the grass and rotate the herd accordingly.

In what ways, if any, is the ranch environmentally responsible?
Well, this is something near and dear to Mr. Holliday’s heart.  We created a wildlife refuge.  As mentioned previously, I really watch the grass in the pastures to ensure proper grazing which eliminates erosion.  We keep our waterways clean and uncontaminated.  We do not use antibiotics or hormones in our cattle.  This translates into healthier food for ourselves and our customers.

What is the biggest advantage to having your family live and work on a ranch?
There are so many advantages to this lifestyle.  We are able to provide our own food.  We raise other animals, have a garden, and of course raise grass fed beef.  But the absolute biggest reason and the reason that I continue being a ranch manager is that I get to see my family throughout the day.  It is so wonderful to work and play alongside my wife and children all day.

Are there any downsides to your job?
I enjoy being outdoors and doing physical labor.  For some, these would be the downsides.  However, I guess the downside for me is knowing that I will never be retiring a multi-millionaire.  I think it is much more important though to invest ones time in the things that matter like family.

What is your vision for Cross Creek Cattle Company in the future?
A bigger tractor would be nice.  Naw, I am just giving the owners a hard time.  Seriously, I would like to see this ranch more profitable and a leader in the grass fed beef industry.  I would like to see our grass fed beef sold by the cut to families, restaurants, and grocery stores.  Most of all, I would like to see the ranch continue to be family-owned business for generations to come.

There you have it.  The words of a full-time ranch manager who obviously holds his family and its business dear to his heart.  If you want to contact Mr. Lane DeHaven, click here.  If you would like to read about or order the grass fed beef that Lane serves his own family, click here.

We all know how important fresh drinking water is.  It is equally important to cows.  Cattle can smell water from miles away.  Typically they drink twice a day.  Each time a cow generally guzzles 12 gallons of water in one sitting.  We had one pasture on the ranch that had no supply of water.  Therefore when the cows were on this particular pasture, we had to open up a neighboring pasture for their water needs.

New water trough

As this was not an ideal situation, we carefully weighed our options.  One option was to dig a tank and wait for it to fill with rain water and run-off.  Since we are in a drought, this option was not suitable.  We did not want water next year; we needed it now.  Another option was to have a water well dug.  This option is the most expensive.  Having a water well installed costs about $6,000.00 depending on how far they have to dig to hit a good water table.  In addition you have to have electricity run to the pump.  All in all this was too expensive.  The last option was to lay water line from the nearby lake and install a pump to fill a water trough on the dry pasture.  Okay, sounds great, but how does one do that?

Well, you have to think like my husband, Lane, who is the ranch manager for Cross Creek Cattle Company.  He came up with the idea and thought all the steps through before purchasing the supplies.  If you have a similar problem on your ranch, you might want to really pay attention.

First he rented a trencher and used it to dig the water line from the lake to the desired spot for the water trough.  Unfortunately for Lane, the ground was like cement and even the trencher was put to the test digging through the hardened ground.  Then he decided where the pumping station was to be and laid the pipe from it in opposite directions.  One side going to the lake and the other to the trough.

The pumping station complete with solar battery charger.

Then Lane installed the pumping end into the lake.  First, he fitted a screen on the end of the pipe so that minnows, tadpoles, debris, etc. would be sucked up into the pump.  Then he extended the pipe about 15-20′ off of the shore and down deep onto the bottom.  He did not want anyone fishing, rowing, etc. breaking the tip of the pipe.  In addition he put a cinder block around the pipe end to help protect it even more.

Now he installed the round water trough in the most level place he could find.  Lane hooked up a faucet end that he will reinforce with bigger pipe and fill between the two pipes with sand.  This not only gives the pipe more strength, but the sand also acts as insulation when the temperature drops below freezing in the winter.

Lane then hooked the pump up to the battery, which is charged by solar energy.  He turned it on and looked for any leaks that might appear from the joints of the pipes.  Fortunately, there was none.  He filled in the trenches with dirt and packed them down with the tractor.  Meanwhile the pump is steadily sucking water out of the lake and filling the trough uphill and about 200′ away.

It did take some time for the water pump to build enough pressure to actually begin pumping the water.  But once it began, the water streamed through the pipes flawlessly.  Now the cattle will have plenty of fresh water on an otherwise dry pasture.  Ingenuity at its best right here on the ranch.  The supplies for this option cost relatively little.  The pump was $65.00.  The solar charger was $40.00.  The pipe and fittings were about $45.00.  The trough was $299.00.

Not only was this option the most inexpensive; it was the most practical option as well.  Lane did a great job.  I have to tell you, I was impressed with his ability.  I guess that it is a good thing when your husband never ceases to amaze you.

We rotate our pastures intensively to ensure good grazing of the grass. This helps take care of weeds as well. Rotating our pastures also ensures that erosion is not taking place as cattle’s hoof prints can tear up over-grazed land easily. It also provides great nutrition to our cattle, which allows them to keep in great condition.

We manage our ponds and lakes also at Cross Creek Cattle Company. We look for a healthy balance of fish and plant life in the water. If we catch fish out of one pond and do not eat them, then we can replenish another pond with these fish. A great benefit from keeping all of your ponds stocked is getting to catch and eat fresh fish whenever you get the craving.  Our cattle and wild animals all drink from this water supply.  It is everyone’s best interest to keep the waterways safe.

Another focus of the ranch is to maintain the native animals: white-tailed deer, squirrels, birds, etc. Many years ago, cattle ranchers and the wildlife fought against each other as the animals competed for land and food. At our ranch, we have always wanted them to co-exist. In fact, we have put into place a wildlife refuge which I will write on in another article.

We encourage wild grapes and wild dewberries and blackberries to grow in designated areas. Our entire family enjoys getting out and picking the ripe fruit. The birds enjoy some of our crop as well. You can tell that the berries draw insects because of the spiders that build their webs on some of the briar bushes.

Doing all of the above encourages a healthy eco-system on the ranch. Using environmentally responsible methods, we hope to pass down a great treasure to our grandchildren one day: a sound ranch with safe drinking water, healthy food, great fishing, a good wildlife population, and wild fruits.