Hop'n Ridge Ranch

06/12/2026

Join us for Youth Farm and Ranch Safety on June 20 in Deer Park. Practice tractor driving and learn other safety skills around equipment and animals. Call to sign up!

06/10/2026

06/09/2026

Quite peaceful awaking to the sound of rain in early June.
We planted alfalfa into the fields which we intended to develop this year. This rain and the upcoming warm days should stimulate germination and growth. The Eptam herbicide integrated into the soil should ward off w**d germination but I expect we will need to spray for cutworms and army worms…
We completed spring w**d and insect abatement on all the existing fields, and even employed the use of an agricultural spray drone for many of the grass fields.
Although we did apply compost to all the fields in the fall, I regret that the high cost in fuel and extremely high cost of fertilizer prevented us from getting higher concentrations of the macronutrients out there for the rain to soak into the ground.
Yesterday, we awoke to frost damage on one 17 acre alfalfa field for the first time on a June day. It turned all the most recent growth on every plant yellow… we will cut and pelletized sooner than expected to allow for healthy recovery.
Fortunately, despite quite few years of drought, most of the existing alfalfa fields show a potential for better yields this year during the first cut. We pray that we encounter very few equipment problems and for more rain following first cutting.
We are grateful for the blessing of God and the love of friends and family.
Enjoy this rainy day.

05/17/2026

🥶⚠️‼️

05/15/2026

Come visit us at Gather & Grow! 🌿 We will be at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds on Friday May 15th 11-7, and Saturday May 16th 10-5!

05/05/2026

Hey it’s Katherine!

I will be at the Super 1 in Colville at 1pm today (May 5th) with my livestock ultrasound machine!
If anyone wants to meet me there comment or send me a message! I have time to do a few more stops in Colville or between there and Deer Park if you can’t make it there.

Dogs, cats, rabbits - $10
Goats, sheep, pigs - $15
Alpacas, llamas, mini donkeys, mini horses- $20

04/18/2026

Visit with Ainsley at The Eclectic Cottage in Spokane. She has wool pellets and bird nesting stuff.
Also tell her congratulations on graduating from WSU in May.

04/15/2026

Join us in Suncrest and pick up your wool pellets for your garden.

02/13/2026

50 Years of Growing Together!
For half a century, the Stevens County Conservation District has helped our community grow—from large-scale reforestation to natural backyard habitats. This year, for our 50th Anniversary, we’re doing something special!

We know our locally adapted native trees are just one part of your landscape goals. To give you the best variety and support our local economy, we are inviting local growers and sellers to join us for a new yearly tradition!

When: March 27th & 28th | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Where: 232 Williams Lake Rd., Colville, WA

What to expect:

Pre-order Pickups: Collect your SCCD native tree orders (Orders are still OPEN—website in bio).

Local Vendor Booths: Shop an even wider array of plants and products from regional growers.

Educational Workshops: Learn about proper planting, site selection (right tree, right place), pruning systems, and soil blocking tech demos!

Call to Partners: Are you a local grower, seller, or educator? We want you there! If you’d like to host a booth or teach a class, please get in touch with us to sign up!

01/31/2026

PELLETIZED WOOL: ADDING VALUE TO WASTE WOOL

BY Lynn Roberts

You’ve probably all heard of pelletized wool by now: wool that’s been shredded and run through a pelletizing machine, and used as a soil amendment/slow-release fertilizer. Does it really work? What are the benefits to sheep producers, agriculture/home gardeners? What are some of the challenges in developing markets for it, and in marketing it effectively?

Read Lynn's full article in the Spring 2025 issue of the Maryland Sheep News (page 9-11).

https://marylandsheepbreeders.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Maryland-Sheep-News-Spring-2025-Issue.pdf