Some people know it's spring when they see asparagus and rhubarb at the market, or bunches of daffodils in the neighbor's yard. Maybe they celebrate by planting potatoes and peas on March 15. It snowed in Wallowa earlier this week and there isn't a flower in sight, but we know it's spring because we're welcoming a new crop of calves. Mostly, cows handle the birthing process on their own. We don't have to pull calves often, but sometimes the birth isn't going as it should, so we try to assist. Take cow #292. She's a three year old and this is her second calf. She's been in labor for several hours and her calf's feet are showing, but she's exhausted and...
Hi everyone I know I’ve been a little scarce on the blogging front, but yesterday was so remarkable I wanted to share the story and post a few photos. Carman Ranch just hosted the first Plate & Pitchfork (P&P) event to take place outside of the Portland area, and it was a blast! P&P is a summer dinner series that actually happens on the farm or ranch where some of the food is grown, creating a meal that uses mostly local ingredients (Scroll to the bottom for the full menu from yesterday). I tell the story of Carman Ranch as Dave & Plate and Pitchfork Founder, Erika Polmar look on. I met P&P Founder Erika Polmar through a friend less than...
Things have been busy on McClaran Ranch. Summer is quickly going by and we have been trying to keep up. We breed and raise all of our own horses to ride when we move cows. We raise our own horses so they are born and raised in the environment they will work in. This results in our horses all being comfortable with the landscape and being sure footed. This week we moved our brood mares and babies to a new pasture. My dad, Beth and I went and checked on our yearlings. They are all grazing happily and getting fat on the summer grass. We continually rotate the yearlings through pastures to give the plants rest and time to re...
Hello everyone! My name is Maggie McClaran. I am fourth generation cattle rancher in Wallowa County. Our family ranch was started in 1919 by my great grandfather Joe McClaran. I am the youngest of three daughters to be born to my parents Scott and Vicki. We are all currently home working on the ranch together to take care of our 1,000 head of mother cows. Due to the large size of our operation we are partnering with Carman Ranch to meet the growing demand for grass fed beef. I am a going to be a senior at Oregon State this fall pursuing a degree in Agricultural Business Management. I am here to give updates on the happenings of the Carman...
