With Labor Day quickly approaching, we thought we’d share another beef recipe. And rest assured, Idaho’s ranching and cattle feeding families are always working hard to bring you healthy and delicious beef for you to enjoy!

Here is a quick and easy carne asada recipe. We love how simple it is and lets the wonderful taste of beef shine through. Cumin gives it a smoky flavor and who can argue with the combo of garlic and lime?!

This is really versatile too and can be used with any cut for grilling. Slice it thin and serve over rice or in a homemade tortilla.

Wishing you a Happy and Safe Labor Day Weekend!

Cattlemen take great pride in raising a safe, wholesome and nutritious product. As part of our son’s senior project, he hosted a Beef Quality Assurance workshop at our ranch this summer. With the assistance of our county beef extension educator, producers and 4-H kids from our area received a refresher course on vaccine storage, handling and administration, livestock handling and record keeping. At the end of the workshop participants were give an exam and earned a three-year BQA certification.

The event was also a great opportunity to visit with our neighbors to discuss kids, cattle, grass and all our other many blessings. We appreciate our friends and neighbors who took time out of their Sunday to support our son’s senior project and hopefully gained some additional knowledge to improve the quality of product that they are raising.

~ Megan

Megan lives with her husband and three sons on a multi-generational cow-calf ranch in south central Idaho. She was raised on a small cattle operation and developed a love for the land and livestock at a young age.

“My favorite part of being a cattle producer is knowing, as the last calf is loaded on the semi, that you have done all you can to care for your animals and land, and both are in good condition. If you take care of them, they will take care of you.” she says.

Megan spends her spare time working and playing with her family, reading, gardening, fishing and watching her sons play football.

 

Aside from owning a ranch, I am also a member of the Idaho CattleWomen and the Idaho Cattle Association. I have sat on the ICA Board of Directors and served as Chairwoman for the ICW. Now I am responsible for the scholarships that are given out each year to college students from our great state that are going into some form of agriculture-related field.

This year we had an unfortunate situation. The applications that were mailed to our main office in Boise then mailed to me have been lost in the mail somewhere. We are hopeful that they will show up, but would like to ask all of the students who did submit an application to please do so again either by mail to by emailing to me at lablvid@gmail.com. The new deadline to submit applications will be Sept. 15, 2014. Scholarships will be announced at Convention and monies paid to the respective colleges for the spring 2015 semester.

Applications can be found at this link: https://www.idahocattlewomen.org/about-us/

Thank you and good luck with your future endeavors.

~Lyndella

With less than 30 short days until I say “I do,” I can’t help but think about what the future holds. Unlike what seems to be the bulk of my generation, I believe that marriage is a union worth taking seriously. These days it seems as though couples I know get divorced on a monthly basis. And every so often I find myself wondering if we know what a big journey we’re about to embark on.

So how does ranching relate to the life of a pair of newlyweds? The fact is—ranching has everything to do with it. The relationship between an ag couple is far different than any other marriage out there. You wake up together, you eat breakfast together, you work together, you raise a family together, and at night you fall asleep together—just to wake up the very next morning and do it all over again. His hardships are yours, and yours are his. One year, you may make more money than ever before, and the next two years you’ll be lucky to break even. Neither of you know what’s to come, but something deep down inside keeps telling you that no matter what happens, it will all work out. Of course there are things worth looking forward to. You sweat together, you laugh together, you raise your family in a place you have strong ties to, and if you’re lucky, he’ll spin you around the dirt floor in the barn at 2 a.m. while you’re waiting on a heifer to calve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ranching is a scary business. Yet, the occurrences a couple faces—the good and the bad—are what help to strengthen the bond they have. I don’t know a thing about marriage statistics for those in the ag industry; but nonetheless, I’d put down $100 to win that divorce rates are less prevalent among couples who work in agriculture, than among the general population. We’re lucky that we’ve been taught how to live and how to love by some of the greatest relationships out there. This ranch has almost 70 years worth of marriage in its blood, and that’s one of the primary reasons its been able to withstand tough times.

 

Neither of us has ever started something just to throw it away, and this union is no different. We both know our chosen way of life will test us more than anything else, and that’s fine by us. There is nobody in this world I would ever be willing to take on such a life with, and something makes me think that he must feel the same.

Those 70 years of marriage that I mentioned earlier? Well, I’ve got a feeling that the Jarvis’ will be adding another 70+ to it.

~J

Hi, my name is Lyndella and I live in beautiful Round Valley in Challis. My husband and I are first generation ranchers, learning and living a new life every day. We have been ranching now for more than 20 years in this valley. Ranching was a dream both of us had and were able to make come true. We are always open to inviting friends to our ranch to experience what we have grown to love…amidst the hard work, long hours and satisfaction of accomplishment.

In July, our daughter, a large animal veterinarian practicing in California, came to visit with her first child, Lochlan, who’s six month old. While she was here, I bribed her to come help vaccinate horses, shear llamas, check on pigs and take a quick run out to Copper Basin where our cattle range.

Getting to the ranch is always a challenge. Alicia and Lochlan arrived in Idaho Falls, then still had a 2 ½ hour drive to the ranch. Since Nana (that’s me) has a full week planned for them… we had steaks for dinner!!

First stop was Island Park, where we lease ground for heifers. We are hauling salt and mineral up for them. We also had horses and hay to leave at the cabin for family coming in that week. Alicia vacinated horses for me there. She loves doing dentistry on horses so she also floated several of the horses teeth the next morning. Nana took care of Lochlan and Alicia and Dad went for a horse back ride. I watched Lochlan scoot across the floor trying very hard to crawl.

The next stop was our ranch where we spent Monday relaxing.  Well, most of it!! We decided to shear the old llama once it cooled off a little. Very interesting trying to get Tractor, our old male, into a head catch in the cow barn!! But, we succeeded and sheared his very heavy fur coat.

Tuesday afternoon promised to be warm, so we got up early to vaccinate the horses and work on their teeth.

It’s always great having the kids and grandkids home to our ranch, as we love having visitors. The visits never really seem long enough though.

~ Lyndella