Grazing Cattle Birdwell and Clark Ranch

 

This family.  Yep, this family.  Life at the Birdwell and Clark Ranch has changed since the arrival in July of Scott Graham and his family.  We've known this family for years.  Scott built the barn, perimeter fencing, and the house the family lives in (formerly referred to as Omar's house) and Scott, Layten, and Gaige worked during shipping week for years.  But move here....work here...take on the Ranch Manager position...slip into the ebb and flow of activities as if they had lived here for years...

I'll leave the details of the "ask" and the "acceptance" for another post.  What I will share now is the morning after Scott, Lisa, and girls accepted the position, Emry and I jumped out of bed with enthusiasm, optimism, joy, and hope; feelings that were lost for much of the past two years.  At any given time the family will be practicing in the arena, show up at the Big House to take care of dogs or play with grandkids, assist in ranch functions like Dove Salute, simply ride across the ranch, or drop off a surprise birthday cake.  The ranch feels fuller with the arrival of this engaged, committed Graham family.

Mikayla Graham is in her second year of nursing at Vernon College, competes in the Women's Working Ranch Association, and soaks in her time at the Headquarters getting to know the ranch spirits and ghosts.  Layten Grahm is a freshman at Midway, enjoys basketball, roping, and cow horse events and has already staked claim to the Ranch Manager position when her dad retires!  Gaige is in the sixth grade at Midway, loves everyone and everything, and is prone to take a walk-about to explore the ranch all alone on any given day.  Lisa is both the fire in the family and the glue that holds it all together, can be found saddling and unsaddling horses, going over reining patterns, cheering the girls on while giving them solid feedback, and can make it from the center of the ranch to JAC Electric Coop in Bluegrove where she works in 30 minutes (look at a map to understand why this is amazing!).  Scott Graham is multi-talented, competent, open, hardworking, eager to learn why and how we ranch the way we do, and an even keeled influence that supports ranch life here.

Yep.  This family.  The Scott Graham family.  #grateful #ranchlife #nevergetsold #beef #regenerate

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