Here we go!

I'm back at it gang, it's been a roller coaster of emotional, health, and life issues, but many of the lessons bear sharing.
I'm going to ease back in here by answering one of y'all most asked questions. How do I do everything?  I just do what must be done. I need to work, take care of my responsibilities, and try to make a little time to have some fun. I've made a few epic mistakes, but at the same time learned tons!
 One of the biggest lessons that I've learned is to trust my intuition. Listen to that still small voice, you know, the one that says "Yes! This is right!" Or "Hang on a minute here, something is off." Most of us ignore these signals and end up in a world of hurt we neither need nor want.
I speak from experience when I say, weigh your options, look at the whole picture, and decide if it's something that you want to live with. I can't tell you what to do,  but by sharing my journey you may pick up a valuable tidbit or two.
I can't say that coming back to California was a mistake,  it wasnt, I can say that not having details nailed down and relying on others to make the pieces fit was. Oh boy! Was it ever!
I hit California expecting to have a home ready to move in to, a job waiting for me, and a relationship that was going to be the best. The only thing that materialized was the job, my time at Cal Poly Pomona was wonderful, and I'm glad I was able to complete my duties there in a positive and professional manner. The house, oh lordy! Was still in a state of remodel, 2 weeks became never, and a duplex in Hemet just wasn't going to work. The relationship,  let's just say that I will always be grateful for the lessons.
I'm currently in the central valley, having come through the hormonal disaster that is Thyroid disease, dropped the 50 pounds that I gained back due to major depression caused by this and other factors, and found family and friends that are truly blessings in my life. I'm still raising cattle,  getting all the logistics ironed out about what to keep, what to sell, and where the next step leads. The journey is amazing,  and there are people that I need to thank for being my anchors,  sounding boards, devils advocates, and best friends. Mom, Darren, Lori, Fashia, Adela, Carol, T, Ken, Ernie, Daniel, Yvonne, Serise, Robin, I love you all more than you know. Thank you!
Until next time.....remember, you can do anything!
Meg

Relaunch! A year of lessons and coming out ok!

As promised, I'm relaunching the blog! For almost a year my life was in a state of flux, and not feeling inspirational or uplifting in any way I laid my pen aside. That, was the first mistake! Allowing outside influences to completely derail me was another.  I'll bring you through the lessons I learned, the fight to get back on track,  and my continued passion for agriculture. Sometimes it may not make sense, but many of you have told me that I helped in some small way. Here we go! Pull up those bootstraps and saddle up!
Love to you all
M

Preserving history and changing lives.

Ok let's get right to it!  I've been getting a ton of questions lately about why I am leaving Southern California. The answer is very basic.  Water.
And Economics.
We are in the midst of an epic drought with no end in sight. I had to make some very tough choices in the last year, Selling off the majority of my commercial herd to make sure that our registered cattle had enough to eat,  deciding which career path to pursue,  what part of the country to call home, etc. Add to that the loss of income from an entire season due to a listeria outbreak at the processor, and the economic impact on us seemed insurmountable.We lost my mom's home of 47 years. Became renters for the first time ever while we figured out what to do going forward. Kentucky looked great! Land, friends etc. but from a financial perspective it was a no win option. There just wasn't enough coming in to grow the business, and frankly, merely existing sucks!
Then came an offer I couldn't pass up! My salary would be doubled if I consented to base out of Oregon for the next few years. Done!  But what to do with the livestock? The original plan was to ship everything to the Jordan Valley ranch and pray. Drive six hours one way every few days and hope it all holds together.
Then the most amazing thing happened. A friend got wind of what was going on, lives 20 miles from my office, and happens to have enough pasture space for the bred heifers.
I went up, got familiar with what I need to do, spent time with my friend and his wife, and a new partnershio was born at their kitchen table! How's that for a gift from heaven? Pretty awesome I'd say.
Together we are keeping a Century herd in tact, building their place into a working ranch, and will be able to afford to grow for the future. I intend to show you all each facet of this  growth and transformation. It won't always be pretty, but it will be genuine, hard work and the love of the land has huge benefits for us all. Sometimes friendship really is the most valuable asset.
Now don't you get all bent out if shape!  I'll be in California once a month for  the foreseeable future.  And I fully intend to spend plenty of time with those of you that I love. Thank you all for your continued love and support. Now if you'd just buy beef shares! That would be really great! I best get back to packing.
Next time I'll let you in on some of the personal journey stuff. Remember, as my amazing brother says, "breathe in, breathe out, walk, don't run.
M

A promise and a commitment.

I've had a heck of a time getting motivated to pick up this blog again. I felt unworthy, incapable of inspiring anyone because I was going through hell. But, I survived! Not without some scars and setbacks, not without fear and rage, not without loss and heartbreak. I survived!!!!
It hit me, I heard Trent Loos' voice in my head saying, "Dummy, tell them!" I heard Mel say, "Don't you quit!" So here I am, a bit battered and bloodied, a whole lot wiser, and looking forward to walking through this year with you all, sharing ranch stories, life stories, and hopefully inspiring you to learn about where your food comes from, those of us that bring it to your table, and how anyone can improve their lives, one step at a time.

Back in The Saddle!

Wow! The last few months have been rife with changes and more than a few setbacks. My feet are firmly on the ground and I'm back in the saddle! I hope you continue to follow along on my journey, health, wellness, and life from a ranchers perspective, these things are what make me who I am.
I'm pulling myself up by my bootstraps, holding the hands of those I love, and sharing this crazy and amazing ride. I'll be in San Luis Obispo Oct 17-19 talking to folks about sustainable ranching, my road back to health, and embryo transfer! What a mix! Nov. Takes me Down Under and I hope to take a few close friends to Kentucky for the Holiday's. Life keeps getting better even when major obstacles get thrown in the way. I love you all! Let's Rock This!

I am Amazed.....

The last week or so has been hectic to say the least! Getting back in the saddle and taking care of the cattle and making some major life decisions has been difficult. But the biggest thing is I am Amazed!
By what? Well for starters the support of the music community for those of us that work, no, Live in the world of Agriculture. I have been looking for months for a venue and support for a group that I hold dear, Rockstars of Agriculture, to hold a fundraiser to help youth in Ag reach their goals, as showmen, students, farmers, or in Ag Media. No one seemed willing to step up, until I talked to a friend that happens to be a Rock and Roll singer, never thinking that he would be interested, Boy Was I Wrong! In less than 5 minutes he said "Let's Do It!" Whoa! And Knuckleheads on Front Street gave us the venue and the support of their establishment, MIND BLOWN! Even more Amazing, The restaurant is now serving Grass Fed and Finished beef and Lamb, (from Whisperwood Ranch Partners Llc.) ( pastured Berkshire Pork (Loos Family Farm) and Organic Produce from local farmers! Holy Heck YES! Soooo, Sunday August 4th, starting at 4 pm and going until ???? We're having a fundraiser! Bring your voice, Your instruments, and your Appetite to Knuckleheads and Join in the fun! Local feed stores and markets have donated raffle items and $1.00 of every plate sold goes to help the cause! This is a Youth friendly venue with beer and wine available for the over 21 crowd. If you can't make it out for the event itself you can sure mail a check payable to Rockstars Of Agriculture. Thanks Guys! You're making a huge difference for the future of Youth in Agriculture, and have made this rancher Proud!

Why must we hate what we don't understand?

It's darned hot here in Southern California! But My cattle in Texas are swimming, my range land in Oregon is drying out 3 months early, and we're having rain in Kentucky that is wreaking havoc with the quality of forage back there. There isn't a blanket fix, we have to handle each ranch and manage it according to the seasons and the whims of Mother Nature. Regionalism is diverse and a challenge. I can't grow the same grasses in the Northwest that I do here, we have to deal with Blister beetle in Texas so Alfalfa is a no grow,  endophytes and Naturally occurring cyanotoxins in the grass are a big concern in the East.
 It takes Knowledge and skill to keep livestock and forages healthy, a lot of hard work goes into bringing food to your table, and one devastating event can set you back years. I should know! One year ago this week we had an issue with the USDA processor we use here in Southern California, It resulted in a wholesale loss of over $40,000, Yeah Ouch! and let's not discount the fact that there was zero profit made from that loss. I am eternally grateful for those customers that talked to us, that stood behind us and have waited for us to be able to deliver what we promised, A year late! They get it, they know that there is an inherent risk in farming and ranching, they believe in us, and some of them have even put boots on the ground and cash in our hands to help. Wow! That's community! On the flip side, there were folks that rather than come out and talk to us, ask questions, or offer suggestions to assist, turned to bashing, and outright lying about us to make themselves feel better. In all honesty they darn near succeeded in California. Forcing us into bankruptcy to save the home place and watching sales dry up because people would rather believe hype than seek the truth. We've adjusted, accepted that people may not want to find the truth, and are moving forward.
Scarily, for me at least the same has held true for my return to health. Many of you know that I was a big fan of Paleo when I started out, in fact I still adhere pretty closely to the food aspect of the movement. But when I was vilified for not following the dogma, it was time to go. The trend toward misinformation to further a cause is something that I cannot support. I'm a rancher, albeit an overeducated loud mouthed one, but I know the facts, I know how the system works, where it is broken, and Just how hard we are working to bridge the gap between the consumer and the growers. Just because someone does things differently doesn't make them evil, in fact, they may have something to share that can help you. And if you're going to start cursing and calling people names just because they don't do things the way that you wish that they would, I really can't take you seriously. Let's talk rather than accuse, let's take constructive criticism and use it to become better communicators, let's learn from each other and reach out to help everyone succeed. That is the only way we are going to survive.
I want the hate to become understanding, and the viciousness to become positive discussion. Let's learn from each other and stop hating what we don't understand.