Life on the Ranch

The Carbon Ranch

According to The Quivira Coalition: "Climate change is the most pressing issue confronting humanity. It is also a tremendous opportunity. Right now, the only possibility of large-scale removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere is through plant photosynthesis and other land-based carbon sequestration activities. Strategies include: enriching soil carbon, farming with perennials, employing climate-friendly livestock practices, conserving natural habitat, restoring degraded watersheds and rangelands, and producing local food."

All of these practices reflect what we are currently doing here on the Arapaho Ranch. Finding a local market for our grass-fed organic beef is our greatest challenge. Our greatest advantage is that we control close to 600,000 acres of prime native habitat. But we are located in an area of sparse population, and a demographic that generally chooses to buy products based on convenience and price rather than sustainability. What has happened across much of America is that shopping has become more convenient, and so many products have become popular specifically because of their ease in preparation. In order to get a product to a high level of convenience, it is heavily processed. This is what has caused the demise of local food production across America. Americans need to realize that this heavily processed food, while cheap and convenient, is killing us. Way too many of our health problems in this country can be directly attributed to what we eat, including heart disease, obesity, diabetes and many types of cancer.

And as The Quivira Coalition has so eloquently pointed out, we need to return to responsible land practices in order to protect our precious natural resources. The Arapaho Ranch believes that everyone has an ethical responsibility to take care of the land and the natural resources. Along with this, each of us has an ethical responsibility to take care of wildlife and native plant communities. Only in this way can we ever hope to save our planet.

Aldo Leopold in 1949 in the Sand County Almanac wrote: "A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise."

These are simple, yet noble thoughts. How do we determine between what is intrinsically beneficial and what can be sacrificied for the sustenance of man? My view tends to be extreme in this matter: man is an invasive species. Of all the known invasive species to any natural system, man is by far the most invasive. The idea of environmental ethics would be wholly unnecessary if it weren't for the intrusion of man. So, how do we begin to fully understand the effects of this intrusion? And if we can begin to grasp just how intrusive man is, then, and only then, can we begin the work that will be required to lighten our footprint.

This is our only hope now. Man must begin to understand how he fits in to any ecosystem, and how he can become less intrusive. We have made a mess of almost everything that we have touched. I believe that urban areas need to be more clearly defined, and only farmers should be allowed to live outside these urban areas. Wild areas must be guarded against man's greed, and farms must become more sustainable. And by sustainable, I mean they must follow organic practices. In my opnion, organic practices are the only truly sustainable agricultural practices.

It bothers me that certified organic operations must continually document every practice, and record every off-farm input. Organic operations must show extreme diligence in proving their integrity - that is, they must prove beyond any shadow of doubt that their practices never fall outside the clearly defined USDA's National Organic Program Standards, while conventional operations, those that are allowed to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides with virtually no oversight and no documentation, are allowed to operate without any recognized standards or guidelines. It is true that chemicals are labeled with warnings, but who is overseeing their application? And even when properly applied, what are the long term effects of their use? The soils in conventional agricultural operations have become so dependent on chemicals that they can no longer support natural plant communities. We have destroyed most of the native ecosystems in this country by conventional, industrial agricultural practices.

What is the effect - both negative and positive - that humans have on the natural world? This is the question that we must try to answer. And this is why we now need an environmental ethics. In 1962, Rachel Carson predicted the negative consequences of our continued dependence on chemical pesticides and herbicides, especially as targeted pests developed resistances to pesticides while weakened ecosystems continued to fall prey to unanticipated invasive species.

While in theory, contemporary chemicals are supposed to be environmentally safer, who can know the true legacy of our continued, wide-spread use of petrol-chemicals and herbicides. We haven't eradicated invasive species. On the contrary, what we are witnessing today are invasive weeds and pests that are not only more adaptable, but more aggressive as well. And through conventional agricultural practices, we have compromised natural systems to the brink of annihilation. We have developed a monocropping system that has depleted the nutrients in the soil and created, in most cases, irreversible problems with weeds and pests. These monocropping systems, therefore, have become increasingly dependent on chemicals.

I agree wholeheartedly with The Quivira Coalition, that only through responsible agricultural production can we hope to begin to turn around these long-term negative effects to the environment. It is up to each of us to do what he can to promote responsible, sustainable agriculture. And while most of us can't become farmers, each of us can choose to become more educated when buying food. While local food products might cost more initially because of their higher costs in production, these products will pay long term benefits both to your health and to the health of the environment.

The Arapaho Ranch has begun the process that will allow it to sell directly into the Whole Foods’ stores in the Rocky Mountain Region. In order to provide the highest quality, most transparent and the most verifiable product possible, the Arapaho Ranch has made the decision to begin selling under its own label. Prior to this decision, the ranch sold to Panorama Meats, Inc. of Vina, California that, in turn, distributed into the Whole Foods’ stores in Northern California, the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountain Region. The ranch was the sole supplier of the cattle that provided the entire product to the Rocky Mountain Region, but the program was set up whereby the ranch sold carcasses to Panorama and it, in turn, handled processing and distribution.

During our many cooking demonstrations and promotional events in many of the Whole Foods’ stores in the Rocky Mountain Region, we encountered many customers who were confused by our relationship with Panorama. It was frequently asked why we didn’t sell directly into Whole Foods? A lot of things have gone into this decision. But, ultimately, we needed to take this step to satisfy the needs of our loyal customers. Whole Foods does a wonderful job of presenting our product in the best possible way, and it gives its customers the highest level of customer satisfaction. The biggest advantage in marketing our product with Whole Foods is that we share its ideals - and believe strongly in its mission and integrity. The Arapaho Ranch and the Northern Arapaho Tribe are very fortunate to be given this opportunity to sell directly to Whole Foods.

The transition will take between three and five months. We are sorry for this delay, and any inconvenience this might cause our loyal customers. But, we feel this move is absolutely necessary for us to provide the most cost effective and most traceable product that we possibly can to our customers. By selling directly to Whole Foods, Whole Foods’ customers can be assured that the product always comes from cattle born on the Arapaho Ranch, raised with the greatest dignity entirely on the ranch, always handled with the greatest care, and harvested in the most humane way possible. It will be the most vertically integrated organic beef product in the country. And the Arapaho Ranch will stand behind its environmental stewardship programs. We always welcome guests here at the ranch. We are proud of our sustainable practices and will always take the time to show anyone around the ranch, whenever possible. In order to give you a meaningful tour of the ranch, we would suggest that you give us some advance notice so that we can have someone available to show you around.

We are currently in the process of getting our beef label certified through our organic certifying agency, International Certification Services, Inc. (www.ics-intl.com), and the USDA. We have also lined up our harvest and processing facility. We have all the necessary third party verification audits required by Whole Foods, except the audit by Global Animal Partnership (www.globalanimalpartnership.org) for the humane treatment of animals. This might take some time to get done, but the ranch is confident that it will have no problem satisfying all the requirements to reach the highest level of animal welfare. Not only is the ranch certified organic, but it is also age and source verified, certified under the USDA grass-fed program, and Verified Green through IMI Global, Inc. (www.imiglobal.com).

This is an exciting new venture for the Arapaho Ranch and the Northern Arapaho Tribe, one that I think will prove to be very rewarding for both the ranch and Whole Foods. It is unfortunate that it will take some time to get this new program set up, and we apologize for the fact that our product will be unavailable during this transitional period. We hope to get everything done as expeditiously as possible, and get our product back in the meat cases of the many wonderful Whole Foods’ stores in the Rocky Mountain Region.

In the meantime, if anyone should have any questions about our decision, or any questions about the process involved in establishing our own beef label, feel free to contact me anytime at the Arapaho Ranch office: 307-867-2342.

I appreciate your loyalty and patience during this transition.

Best regards,

David W. Stoner
General Manager
Arapaho Ranch

Looking Forward to Spring

I am getting a sense of spring, with temperatures approaching 60 degrees the past couple of days. It won't be long before we begin seeing more and more green grass. Photosynthesis is a remarkable process in which plants convert carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using just the energy from sunlight. It seems like a simple process, although it is actually quite complex. But basically plants utilize carbon dioxide, water and light to produce carbohydrates and oxygen. Carbon dioxide is converted into sugars through a process called carbon fixation. These carbohydrates are then utilized by the plants to grow stem and leaf. The reason grass, along with most other plants, appears green is that plants absorb light primarily using the pigment chlorophyll, which is a green pigment. The real beauty of this process is that it is a self-perpetuating process - that is, as long as there is sunlight, carbon dioxide and water, the plant will continue to grow more and more stem and leaf. A plants' only purpose in life is to produce a seed head. It will go to great lengths in order to accomplish this. And in producing more stem and leaf, the plant will become more efficient at utilizing photosynthesis to produce more carbohydrates, and thereby fixing more carbons and other nutrients in ths soil that, in turn, will continue to supply its growth needs. It is a mystical, wonderful system. And the beauty of this system for us is that cattle, through the microbes in their rumens, are able to break down the cellulose in grass and convert it to protein. Human beings are not capable of breaking down cellulose, but they can break down and utilize the protein found in meat. And the protein, conjugated linoleic acid and the Omega-3 fatty acids found in grass-fed beef is healthier for humans than the higher ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids found in grain fed beef. And we believe, here at the Arapaho Ranch, that the symbiosis between grazing ungulates and perennial grasses is an environmentally healthier ecosystem than the less than natural dynamic created by a system that requires the production of corn to feed animals in a conventional feedlot.

This requires a lot of other considerations as well. Since our cattle are never in a controlled setting, and since we don't have year around grass production, it takes longer to finish our cattle on grass than it would take under a conventional feedlot system. Even at that, our cattle do remarkably well on a 100% grass diet. We do not supplement our cattle with anything other than pure white salt. Even in the winter, they graze out on native plants. So, they are happy to see spring, with its lush new growth. Our grazing management plan here imitates the wild ungulates, in that the cattle follow the different growth cycles of the different species of cool season grasses. The perennial species, such as Western wheatgrass, needle and thread, and Prairie Junegrass thrive at lower elevations and begin their production cycles earlier in the season than Idaho fescue, Bluebunch wheatgrass and Indian ricegrass. So, like the ungulates, our cattle move up in elevation following the heaviest production cycles of the perennial bunch grasses. And they are pushed down by the heavy snow in winter to utilize the bunch grasses and forbs that hold more nutritional value through the winter. This is a natural system, and we have found that imitating nature as closely as possible gives us the most productive and efficient management program. It does, however, present certain problems with providing a year around supply of cattle for beef production. We definitely have seen a reduction in live cattle weights over the winter.

For those of you who are not familiar with our program, I should tell you that the Arapaho Ranch is the sole supplier of organic, grass-fed beef into the Rocky Mountain Region of Whole Foods. It has been a wonderful program, both for us and, I hope, for Whole Foods. It is not only a local program, but it is the only program that I am aware of, anywhere in the country, where all the product supplying a major retailer comes from one ranch. This gives the Whole Foods' customers in the Rocky Mountain Region the guarantee that this product is fully traceable to its point of origin. We interact as much as possible with the customers, through cooking demonstrations and other promotional events. And we have an open invitation policy for anyone who wishes to visit us here. We want consumers of our product to feel comfortable with how each and every animal is raised, and where it was raised. I believe this trend - in which consumers are asking for more and more information about food production - will continue to grow in this country. And I believe strongly that this is a good trend, and it should grow. This would also indicate that growers and producers will need to be aware of this added responsibility to provide this information to the consumer. If consumers are making efforts to become better educated about what they are buying, then growers need to make concerted efforts to provide useful information to consumers concerning growing practices and animal welfare.

Well, the clouds are beginning to roll in. The weather gurus are calling for rain mixed with snow over the next couple of days. I am hoping for rain. And, with the rain, the smell of spring. I know it is getting closer, even though, in the back of my mind, I also know that old man winter probably hasn't released his icy grip just yet. But we have rounded the far curve, and we are heading to that time of year that is fullest with the promise of regeneration. I am always thankful to have gotten through another winter. Here's to spring - and green grass! Enjoy!

Wyoming Winters

It has been a long, hard winter in Wyoming. As a range conservationist, one of my duties is always to ensure that there is adequate forage for our livestock. It becomes particularly critical in the cold winter months as the energy needs of cattle increase. This is why it is so important to know what your range is capable of producing. It is also important to understand which native plants will provide which nutrients even through the winter. The symbiotic relationship between livestock (and wildlife) and the native plant communities they rely on must be taken in to consideration on a year around basis. All of us can consider ourselves good range managers in the productive spring and summer months. But one must be especially watchful of the nutrient requirements of the cattle in the winter, and must have a basic understanding of which perennial grasses and forbs will meet these requirements.

At the Arapaho Ranch, our cattle range out on a year around basis. Since we produce organic, grass-fed beef, our range management becomes vital to the success of finishing cattle through these long, hard winter months. We have seen a decrease in live cattle weights recently, which equates to lower carcass weights and smaller yields. We will have completed our first year of this program in February, so we really don't have a lot of data to look at.

Besides diminished live cattle weights, another concern through the winter is road conditions. Since we ship one load of cattle each week to Colorado Springs for slaughter, we must keep a close eye on weather and road conditions. We lost one week's production in November because of highway closures in southeastern Wyoming. Last week it looked as if we might face the same problem, but, fortunately, Garritt Miller, the driver for Miller Ranch Transportation that hauls our cattle, braved the strong storm and was able to get the cattle delivered on time to the slaughter facility. There is a local slaughter facility that is in the process of modifying its coolers and loading dock in order to qualify for federal inspection. Once it obtains its federal inspection certification, we hope to work with this facility to acquire its organic certification. When this is accomplished, we will be able to kill locally, which will give me fewer sleepless nights, and reduce our trucking expenses significantly. It will also allow the product sold locally (at the Little Wind C-store in Ethete and at 789 Smokeshop and Casino south of Riverton) to be labeled organic. This product currently, while it comes from certified organic, grass-fed cattle, cannot be labeled organic for the simple reason that it comes from animals killed in a non-certified plant. This will change once this plant is certified organic.

During our many conversations with customers in the Whole Foods' stores in the Rocky Mountain Region where our beef is sold, one thing that is stressed time and time again by our customers is that they want a local product, and that they want to have a personal connection with the producer. They want to be able to look the producer in the eye when they ask where the product comes from and how the cattle are treated. They do not trust conventionally raised and processed beef. They also have very real concerns about protecting the environment, as well as the compassionate treatment of the animals that provide the product they choose to buy. These consumers are becoming more and more educated in animal production practices, and they demand a product that is not only healthier for them, but a product that is raised under sustainable and environmentally conscientious standards. This is one reason that we are seeing a dramatic rise in demand for grass-fed beef. The organic certification only gives them an added assurance that the product comes from animals raised with great concern for the environment, along with ethical animal treatment standards.

We must always keep the interests and demands of the customers above everything else. Fortunately for us these demands and our production practices go hand in hand. This is the most rewarding aspect of producing a beef product instead of just producing a commodity product. We are able to connect intimately and directly with the end user. They tell us what their concerns are. And we make ourselves available for their questions about the ranch and how we care for the cattle. We are always able to give them the answers they are looking for because we care as much as they do about protecting the environment and promoting healthy and balanced ecosystems - actually, probably more because not only does our livelihood depend on it, but the Northern Arapaho Tribe is deeply committed to the proper care and protection of its land. The compassionate treatment of animals has always been practiced at the Arapaho Ranch, and now we have the bonus of knowing that our cattle will be treated compassionately and with dignity right through the processing stage. This gives us a great sense of satisfaction. Cattle producers most generally lose control over the handling of their animals once they are sold. I would like to see more and more producers take a greater interest in what happens to their cattle once they leave the ranch. I think this would have a positive effect on beef production.

Well, another week is in the books. I hope to keep up with these posts on a regular basis. My plans are to write a weekly posting. It has taken some time to get this aspect of our website up and going. But it is running now, so I don't have any excuses for putting off writing these posts. So, I should be back next week. Thanks for sharing these thoughts with me.

The most recent load of cattle left the ranch this morning at 7 o'clock. Each week one load of cattle leaves the ranch bound for G & C Packing, Co. in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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