Hecht Creek Ranch and Black Market Farm

01/18/2026

the

🃏Lucy Sigel🃏 is on Snapchat!

04/22/2020

Meat Sale
All inventory!
BEEF $6 lb.
PORK $4 lb.

09/23/2019

08/28/2019

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1791212377690189&id=190757041069072

Thanks to Randy Comeleo, Committee Chair of the Benton County Oregon Agriculture and Wildlife Protection Program, and Oregon Small Farm News for this excellent article! Livestock losses are an unfo…

08/27/2019

Beef is a controversial food, and everyone seems to have a different opinion. However, there are many health benefits of eating beef - here are 11 of them.

07/03/2019

Summer nights. .

06/27/2019

This is how today is going for Jameson... hopefully your day is going better 💪😅👍 **p

06/22/2019

Day 2 of summer on the ranch. 😜

06/14/2019

Black Market Farm practices “delayed calving”

A number of Wyoming producers typically calve between late February and mid-April. However, the calving season providing the closest match between animal nutritional requirements and nutrient availability from standing forage would typically start in May or June! Here are more detailed reasons why delayed calving has been found to be a better practice in the state of Wyoming:
Delayed calving is more economical: Nutritional requirements for later calving cows are lower during the winter months. This means you have to feed the cows enough nutrients to just maintain a constant body condition, which is extremely expensive during the winter season. Cows are better able to maintain productivity on low quality standing forage in the summer, which provides opportunity for ranchers to capitalize on energy stored fat reserves accumulated during the summer for the winter season.

Additional stress is put on early or late developing forage species when calving is done in winter and spring. Logistical constraints with March calving requires each rangeland pasture to be grazed at the same time of year. Consequently, range conditions can deteriorate. Late calving provides greater flexibility in land management decisions by allowing us to utilize and rotate the rangeland space.

A reported benefit of late calving is lower veterinary and labor costs because of less health problems in the calves. Calf growth can be impaired and deaths can be at a high due to calves being born on congested feed ground where infections spread easily. Warm weather calves seem to have lower birth weights and calving difficulty was virtually eliminated, even among first calf heifers. Plus, calves born in May and June reach market weight in March and April, which is the typical seasonal peak in fed cattle prices.
Therefore, we practice delayed calving due to it’s sustainably-and-agriculturally-focused management philosophy: enabling forage to be harvested with livestock rather than machinery, shifting our ranch practices more towards efficient renewable resource consumption, reducing chances of risk, and improving profitability an @ Hecht Creek Ranch and Black Market Farm

06/13/2019

This breed of cattle dates all the way back to Scotland in the 6th century! Can you guess what it is?
If you guessed Scottish Highland cattle - YOU ARE CORRECT ~ The oldest registered cattle breed, Highlands are an ancient Scottish breed that are known for their lean meat, their mountain-climbing skills, and their ability to withstand the harshest conditions!
Most breeds of cattle keep warm by storing excess fat in layers of their skin (subcutaneous fat). However, Highland cattle have a double coat, which acts as a natural insulator, protecting them from the severe cold, high rainfall, and strong winds. This allows our cows to expend more energy on growing calves and maintaining their own health, nd storing fat intramuscularly- the number one contributor to meat tenderness.
When in warmer climates, Highlands can adapt by producing less hair, allowing them to be suitable for many areas throughout the U.S.
COOL FACT: The long fringes over their eyes are known as ‘dossan’ .
Highlands eat what other cattle pass by… they clear a brush quickly, they love to eat grass, they will also eat the fresh, newly emerging leaves of various bushes, oak leaves, cedar saplings, and even pine needles.
In winter Highlands do not increase their feed intake until the temperature drops to -18 degrees F, while other breeds increase their intake at 32 degrees F. Because of this, highlands tend to be more feed efficient, and the meat produced tends to be leaner yet more tender than most beef.
These are the reasons why we raise Highland - Galloway crosses here at Black Market Farm 👏🐮 @ Hecht Creek Ranch and Black Market Farm

05/30/2019

HIGH FIVE 🖐 if you like Farm-to-Table dinners!!! Dinner and tour will be served THIS WEEKEND ~ 6/1/2019
The tour will be at Hecht Creek Ranch, and dinner will be served at The Post in Centennial 👍 .
Sign-up here to reserve your Farm to Table seats: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/black-market-farm-brynn-hirschman-bj-bender-matt-sigel-19117787251