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Castle Rock Ranch Camp is a summer camp for girls 9 – 14, on a working ranch in the mountains of northern Idaho where we raise grass finished beef and grow all of our own food.

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You know the cows are super disappointed in the hu

You know the cows are super disappointed in the humans when they line up and give you ‘the look’.

To be fair, normally when they hear the skid steer fire up, it’s bringing them something delicious (alfalfa). This time it just brought a bucket of small humans intent on picking up rocks out of their pasture.

This is time of year when the animals are feeling frisky and impatient - waiting for grass to grow, calves to drop, horses to shed, the ground to dry out - but the humans are busy getting the infrastructure ready for a smooth transition to our busiest seasons.

✨✨✨

#grassfinished #cdariverbeef #castlerockranch #springinidaho #idahome #regenerativebeef

Luckily we don’t get much of a mud season here b

Luckily we don’t get much of a mud season here but when we do, all the critters (4 and 2 legged alike) get a little grumpy - we’re ready for sunny skies and green, growing grass! Except the ducks. They’re pretty joyful in all weather and nearly ecstatic and super purposeful on the wet, sloppy days: the worms are out, the puddles are deep and plentiful and mud provides lots of bug-hunting opportunities. They are a good reminder to embrace the small joys, even when the joy is covered in mud.

#belikeaduck #wateroffaducksback #northidaho #zone6b

Meet Melanie, our lovable milk cow. She’s a half

Meet Melanie, our lovable milk cow. She’s a half Dexter/half Dutch belted and while she’s much hardier than the jerseys we’ve had in the past, we still like to give her some extra feed/treats and scratches during wet weather, especially since she’s getting closer to calving.

After the brief season of ‘fake spring,’ we’

After the brief season of ‘fake spring,’ we’re back in ‘winter’s last gasp’ (maybe last, you never know !) - and you won’t hear us complaining! This month’s snow is a little more insurance for us against drought, a little more protection against summer wildfires, a little more water banked up in the mountains to slowly melt and flow down to the river to help keep us all cool in the dog days of August. This fresh batch of snow is also protecting the pastures from damage from animal impact. You can still smell spring in the air and the robins are investigating the area, wondering whether it’s okay to nest yet. The animals with fur are all starting to shed and everyone is acting a little frisky - it may not look like spring this week but they can sense the oncoming wave of green grass in their bones.

#cdariverbeef #castlerockranch #castlerockbeef #grassfinishedbeef

Winter garden harvest - February 9th, 2024 Our wi

Winter garden harvest - February 9th, 2024

Our winter this year has seen some dramatic swings - from sub-arctic to almost sub-tropical - but there are some really tough plants out there. I usually overwinter some experiments outside in the garden : the hardiest varieties of carrots, parsnips, kalettes, Brussels sprouts and leeks. The years they do best are the years we have consistent snow cover (it makes a little igloo over the plants and acts as an insulating blanket that keeps the soil from freezing solid) and we get to have a big harvest throughout March and April when we’re out of stored vegetables and we’re dying to get back in the garden. This year, with erratic temps and minimal snow, we have to stay on top of harvesting the winter vegetables because when they’re uncovered, either turkeys will jump in and eat them, or winter weather will come back and turn the exposed plants to sludge. Harvesting fresh vegetables from the garden in February feels like some kind of secret magic, but essentially it’s pure laziness paired with great soil and some good luck 😅

Leeks and parsnips for the win today!

#wintergardening #zone6b #overwinteringvegetables #elliotcoleman #the4seasongardener #castlerockranch

January weekends are for making jerky! We sell all

January weekends are for making jerky! We sell all our premium beef, so what ends up in our own freezer is the not so premium beef and right now, a lot of offal. A few times a year, we grind hearts, livers, cheeks and other random cuts we have lurking around in the freezer and make jerky. It’s a great way to get the nutrient power house of organ meats into our kids because otherwise they can be pretty squeamish about them.

(Not pictured in the process is the jerky gun which transforms the ground beef/organs into pretty little orderly lines).

#grassfinishedbeef #organmeat #offal #castlerockranchbeef

Resilience / Gratitude We don’t make resolutio

Resilience / Gratitude

We don’t make resolutions - they’re a good way to disappoint yourself. But I’ve been thinking a lot about a word for the year (@jill.winger ‘s recommendation). For 2023, it would have to have been ‘resilience.’ We survived a hurricane of unfortunate events, accidents and feelings that probably would have destroyed us 5 years ago : injuries, surgeries, and spending an entire growing season of my waning prime on crutches; livestock loss from heat waves, cold snaps and just plain bad luck; deaths of multiple beloved grandmothers; and catastrophic animal loss that represented everything we’ve been working toward for the last ten years. There is so much joy in a life spent with animals but it will also completely gut you when you least expect it.

On the flip side, 2024’s word of the year is ‘gratitude.’ We’re beyond grateful that we’re still here, that we get to live in this stunning place (even when it’s negative 20 degrees and feels Arctic like today), that we have a cozy house to stay warm in and plan for the season ahead, that we have plenty of organic alfalfa/grass hay to keep the cows’ and horses’ bellies full to be able to withstand the hardships of extreme weather, that we’re all healthy and capable of achieving and fighting for the future and the life we want to live. And we’re beyond grateful for the people who choose to spend time with us, in all the ways ✨

Here’s to 2024 and winter reflection - Happy New Year⭐️✨❄️

#regenerativeranching #castlerockranchbeef

Nailed it! Happy Thanksgiving y’all. We’re so

Nailed it!

Happy Thanksgiving y’all. We’re so thankful for this bountiful fall - Can’t believe we’re still eating grass (with some hay too) in November. Hope your bellies are full and life is fulfilling wherever you’re spending your days this holiday ✨🌾

#grassfinishedbeef #regenerativebeef

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