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canon city, co
cassidy@casskjohnston.com

casskjohn

As a rancher, what I most want people to understan

As a rancher, what I most want people to understand is that we're about way more than raising beef.

We are about stewarding the land so that the land and the cattle can work together to thrive.

We are about keeping wide open spaces as wild as possible, and as healthy as possible so they can support as many different kinds of plants and animals as possible.

We are about protecting these lands from development.

I think it's easy to forget this when you live in a city, but there are still places in the world (so many of them!) where we can walk out our front doors and be surrounded by nature. In the United States, many of those places are ranches.

To me, this doesn't look like the environmental devastation that people (fine, activists and the media) associate with beef production. Because that narrative is misinformed and leaves a lot out.

This looks like nature that is thriving, and deeply alive.

So, the next time you hear someone railing against ranchers, I hope you'll remember this video and these words and know there is so much more to the story.

Death is just part and parcel of caring for animal

Death is just part and parcel of caring for animals and being a part of the natural world: sometimes animals die. Sometimes they get sick and we can't save them, sometimes they get hurt, and when we're very, very lucky, the animals most important to us die of old age.

Over the weekend, we said goodbye to our Zombie. He was 28 and took care of our little boys so well. We are heartbroken because good horses like him don't come along very often, and Wacey in particular is really missing his friend. But, 28 is a good long life for a horse, and we're happy we got to spend the last few years with him.

Sometimes people think that ranchers are heartless animal abusers, but that's simply not the case. We care for our animals deeply, and sometimes they become extra special parts of our lives.

Bert buried Zombie him next to one of his favorite dogs who died a few years ago, and put a big rock on top of the spot. Next week, the boys and I will venture over with paint and brushes so that no matter who lives on this ranch in years to come, they will know our beloved animals are resting there.

We might be complaining in November but right now

We might be complaining in November but right now we're sitting on our porches in a cool breeze while it's swap a$$ season everywhere else 😀

#mountainlife #mountainliving #ranchlife #rockymountainhigh

A little ranchy ASMR from our morning gather on Su

A little ranchy ASMR from our morning gather on Sunday!

We branded our last big group of calves over the weekend, and were lucky to have friends and family near and far come to help.

Also peep Wace just being a cowboy! It's always a little surreal to be trotting out in the morning next to this kid who was an infant like, last week.

This morning, I was IRRITATED. Bert left early

This morning, I was IRRITATED.

Bert left early for the other ranch, and I was so proud of myself for getting up early to get ready before I drove everyone to town for school (it's a preschool day for Kirby.)

We were on time, moods were high...and a tire on my car was completely flat.

Now, being a ranch gal, I'm no stranger to flat tires. But. I took my car in for an oil change yesterday, and asked them to check a slow leak in that tire. They assured me that they checked it, all was well, no hole.

Well, obviously, that's not the case. It's so flat I can't even scootch it over to the shop to air it up and take it into town to get fixed. I could, of course, pull it off and put on the spare, but our road crew is doing this fun new thing where they drag giant rocks from the bar ditch into the road when they grade it, and I'm not going to test a donut on that mess.

(Yes, I know I need a full-size spare for my car.)

Normally, I'd just hop in the truck, but it's having some power steering issues and I don't feel super comfy driving unreliable vehicles down a mountain with three children when Bert's 200 miles away dealing with a mess on the other ranch.

So, I said eff it, we're staying home.

But there's state testing at school today for Wacey, so of course I feel bad that now he's going to have to make it up, even though I think state testing is kind of stupid for third graders.

I was in my feelings. VERY irritated at the tire shop, irritated at myself that I don't have a full-size spare, irritated at the road crew, irritated that I got everyone out of bed and out the door at 7:00 only to abort mission, irritated that one of my two dedicated kid-free mornings to work was derailed, irritated at the whole situation.

So. I made a cup of tea, and reframed. I'll save hours today not doing the school run, and I don't have any pressing errands in town, so it's not a big deal that we can't go. Wacey can re-do today's testing. With all three boys home, they can hang out with each other while I get work done, and I can use the extra hours to catch up on housework that has been slowly piling up. This afternoon we can have fun.

Reframe.

"You should smile more." "I thought you'd be talle

"You should smile more."
"I thought you'd be taller."
"You sure you can lift that?"
"Leave it to the men."
"If we're going to pay you like a man, you need to work like a man."
"Is that your jacket or your husband's? Yours? You wore it out like that all by yourself?"
"I need to talk to someone about a bull. Oh, that's you? I thought it would be your husband. Is he around?"
"In my day, the women made lunch. They weren't out here with the men."

Oh the things I've heard as a woman in this industry!

But, I've come to appreciate what it means to be a woman, even if it makes things harder sometimes.

A lot of women in this business move through it with a chip on their shoulder, making everything a competition or a "There's not enough room for the both of us!" scenario. They'd rather tear other people down than realize a rising tide lifts all boats, especially if it's women supporting other women.

But even more, women move through this business with grace, grit, and the willingness to reach behind and haul other women up behind them. I wouldn't be where I am today without the women in my corner encouraging, teaching, hiring, coaching, and showing up for me. I'm grateful for the women in positions of leadership who are making things better and easier for all of us--and designing women's workwear that functions just as well as men's so I no longer get asked if my jackets are worn out because my husband wore them first.

I used to think I needed to do all the things that men can do, but the fact of the matter is that I can't always. I bring other things to the table that more than make up for the fact that sometimes I need to stand on a bucket to reach something, or that I carry a fence stretcher with me, or that there are some jobs I'm going to need a little help with. Tough looks a lot of different ways.

So today, even in a man's business (maybe especially) I'm glad to be a woman. I'm glad to have the opportunity to serve ag in my own way, and I love seeing what other women are doing to make this industry better every day. We have a long way to go, but I feel as though we get closer all the time. It takes all kinds of kinds, and we're better for it.

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