Four Winds Ranch

10/09/2026

Seeding pastures is apparently a spectators sport 😆😆

10/07/2026

Have you ever had a sandwich, made and delivered by an 8 year old boy who walked close to 2 miles across several pastures to bring it to you?

I have. It was the best sandwich I’ve ever eaten. It was made by someone who saw his parents working long days in the fields without stopping for meals and wanted to help. Nobody asked him,he just saw a need and stepped up.

I tell him all the time, when God decided I needed a little boy in my life, he chose him. And man, I hit the jackpot! 💕

10/06/2026

10/06/2026

October is one of the busiest months for us on the farm…hay deliveries, Fall branding and planting winter pastures. All to provide the best beef possible….never mind us if we are absent for a bit 💕

09/30/2026

Throwback to 2023….Ive always had a special place in my heart for a chain saw…wonder who I get that from?

09/29/2026

Let's talk about checking cows....

If you're not native to the country life, you may wonder why we seem to so frequently check cows. Contrary to popular belief, its not just a good excuse to leave a social event, get out of the house or dip out on dish duty after a meal.

Checking cows is equivilant to assessing vital signs in the ER. We learn a baseline, we see what is out of range, and determine what when we may need to intervene. I was recently talking to my kiddos about this, and told them one thing I ALWAYS do.....

Pay attention to who is last.

Think about that. In the bovine world, it could just be that that particular animal is a little slower than the rest, or just was further away when it was time to rotate pastures and just happened to be last. Or it could be more. Is she sick? Is she weak? Is she lame? Usually if one is dead last, there's a reason for it.

While moving cattle this weekend, this girl was a couple hundred feet behind the others. She was moderately lame, and as she got closer, we realized why. We pulled her up to a pasture, got her in the chute and took a good look at her feet. This dry weather has affected more that just the ground. It makes the hoof wall more brittle and friable than in more moist conditions, and for this poor girl, it resulted in multiple hoof cracks.

Don't worry, we are keeping a close eye on Rosie, and she will be back to her normal self soon. But just proves the importance of paying attention to who comes in last.

Want to learn more about our beef program? DM us for more information!

09/27/2026

Golden hour at the farm, as we finally are seeing a break from the brutal summer 🌅

09/21/2026

We love a happy ending and a new beginning! Wagg is the best! 💕

MY LONGEST PROJECT IS COMPLETE!!!

The Cartwright Gas Station Momma Dog is now officially:

DOLLY THOMAS.

She loved her new Moms instantly. I couldn’t have found a better family for Dolly to end up with. She has 4 dogs to play with. She gets to float the river.

I had a crush on her when I met her at the gas station. She was brave enough to walk up to me, and make sure I understood she was hungry.

Thank you K9-Mind Dog Training and Kathy Stoica for helping her get a shot a life that includes living in a house.

09/10/2026

What would yall rather have right now…rain or cooler weather?

09/09/2026

Here’s the part of ranching that folks don’t think about when they buy a package of beef. And probably don’t want to think about.
It’s easy to be disassociated with this when you have no involvement on how the meat is raised. Death is very much a part of ranching operations. We’ve had 3 losses at Four Winds this year, all related to extreme weather. It hurts every time we lose one, and like most responsible cattle raisers, we go to great lengths to keep our cattle safe, healthy and protected during extreme weather. Sometimes it just can’t be helped. It’s been a tough year for sure. Regardless of the weather conditions, we are always in it. Whether it be below zero or triple digits….fellow farmers and ranchers, we are all in this together 😞