Ebersole Cattle Company

Well, we live in the middle of nowhere.  When I drive out to go check cows, this is my view for about 2 miles.

I enjoy living out in the country, but it is hard to find good help.  But, having a family farm, means that I DO have some help.

My help is little right now, but they're learning!  My Cowgirl is great.  She can open gates, and with the help of a good dog, she can move cows pretty good!

These are the happy beef out in our pasture!  These cows and calves live the good life!! They get to graze and walk and move to new pasture each week.

Now is the time of year when we are harvesting GROUND BEEF!  So, I have put some of our Ground Beef Bundles on SPECIAL!!  I have added some new bundles of 50#.  If you live in Iowa or within 50 miles of any Iowa Border, I will ship your beef for free (you have to call me).

If you do call my cell, I might even throw in a discount for a reservation of a Refrigerator Sized Bundle of ALL Steaks this week.  Call me and reserve your Winter BEEF Quarter this week.  I'll make it worth your time!

Enjoy the view!  I get to see it first hand, as I go check cows.

Shanen-Mama to the Momma-Cows at the Ebersole Ranch

We moved cows the other day.  I thought that I would share some of the beautiful views.  This is one of my most favorite views on the earth.  Cows out front moving together to new fresh grass.

Beau is on a Quarter Horse we raised "Ozzie" who is King P234 bred, and I am on Dakota Red Buck (our Stud).  'Koda was pulled out of the mare band just one hour before this picture was taken.  He hadn't been ridden much this spring and not at all since April when the first colts were born and he was let out with the mares.  He was an awesome horse to ride and has tons of cow!!

We grouped these cows from about 130 acres and then pushed them through another  60 acre Timber area and through a creek to the hilltop.   We like to walk the cows and once an old cow finds the gate, she usually remembers where they are going.  This is really important because we added about 20 new cows to this group, and they took a while to group up near the gate.  But, once they did, it went well.

It was a little slow going, because a new calf was born that morning.  He was up and going, but a little wobbly and his umbilical cord was still a little wet.  Mama-Cow did NOT want Beau to put her baby on his horse, and was a little aggressive about it.  So, we walked her slowly and he kept up pretty good.  We tried again to sneak the baby up, for a ride, but again, Momma-cow was having none of it.

I hope you enjoy our little cattle drive.  It was fun!!  This next picture is the best view you can get from the back of a horse.  Cows walking to the next pasture in a nice neat group.

We still have a few Refrigerator Bundles available.  And we are now accepting reservations for Winter Harvested Beef Quarters and Halves.

http://www.localharvest.org/small-pastured-beef-bundle-C13892

Drop me a note at Ebersolecattleco@yahoo.com to reserve your beef now.

Have a great day!!

Shanen- Momma to the Mama-Cows at the Ebersole Ranch

It's summer Show Time! We always have a couple of really great heifers to show at some shows through the summer.

Here is my oldest little Cowgirl with her heifer "Freedom".  This picture was taken at her very first show a couple of weeks ago.  They were named Grand Champion New Calf Crop.

This year we will also have a Fall born bull at the Iowa State Fair.

We'll have tons of fun showing our animals and helping our kids learn.  Right now, my Cowgirl gets up at 5am and goes outside with her Dad to wash her heifer and feed her every day.

I think that this kind of dedication to our animals and hard work will serve her well in her future.

If any of you are coming to the Iowa State Fair, drop us a note so that you can come pet a calf or meet us and reserve your Winter Beef now.

We have 3 beefs that have not been spoken for yet, and we will reserve now for Winter Delivery (you can pick a date from November thru February).

I hope y'all are enjoying your summer and having fun in the sun!!

The cows are out on pasture.  First, sorry I took a little time-out from blogging.  The business aspect of moving the Ranch has gotten to me, and stolen all of my time.

We had our first real snow here in southern Iowa this Sunday.  It was beautiful!  However, as you know, I don't like cows and claves in dry lots.  It makes for sick critters, and since we don't use antibiotics, we don't like to do it.  So, out they went.  All of 'em.  They love it!  They run and play and have fun foraging thru the snow.  They bed down at night in the deep grass, and down into a low spot with trees.  It is so pretty at night with all of the white snow reflecting the dark cattle bedded down into it.

It is also fun, because that means that I get to call the cows in to feed  and check them.  In the pasture, I shake and bang buckets together and call "come BAAAAASSSS".  Once the first cow hears me, she sticks her head in the air and bellows.  Everybody looks, and starts coming for me.  Some at a run and others slowly ambling along.  After a few days, they get smart and start to run,  because I only feed two to three buckets, and the "pigs" eat the biggest share.   Then the work begins.  Any cow that doesn't come up, gets checked.  If I have my munchkins with me, out in the truck we go, if not, maybe a horse.  Mostly the other cows are just relaxing and enjoying the pasture. No sick or hurt ones yet!

Now, for a short note on the business side of things.   One of the most heartwrenching things for me is taking calves to the sale barn.  I don't like it!  It is conventional farming at it's worst!!  The calves are penned with other calves to be sold together.  Then, after they are sold, they're pushed in semi-trucks with strangers to go who knows where, and be fed in whatever way is cheapest.  The heifers are implanted (hormone implants in their ears) to keep them from cycling, and the steers are implanted to keep them growing like bulls. (I HATE IMPLANTS!! and I rarely use that word).  Then they are shipped again and sent to a packing house and harvested and handled very disrespectfully.

So, this is what I've been trying to figure out.   How do I expand my beef production, so I can keep everyone that doesn't meet the quality to be kept as a cow or a bull?

So, ITS SALE TIME!!!  I would love for this to work!!!  I want to sell shares of 8 more calves by the time we have to take them to market in the beginning of January.  Please, if you are at all interested in the highest quality, most humanely raised beef possible e-mail me.  I will be selling ground beef for a 10% discount, and beef shares for a 15% discount.

I also lowered our base prices to reflect the current markets.  Hurry, before markets go back up, and I have to cave to my husband and increase them again.

I have also made a great "buy-as-it-grows" plan.  You would place a small down payment and recieve some ground beef at that time (to give you a great tase of what's to come) and then you would make installment payments as the beef grows.   This will allow me to make our farm payment in January and pay for feedstuffs as we need them.  I think this arrangement would work best for all of us.  And most importantly to me (and the calves), I won't have to take these calves to the sale barn!

I know that you want the highest quality beef.  So don't go to the store, come to the producer.  That way, you get the best value, and the calves will get the best care!

I hope to hear from you, and find a beef package that meets your needs and budget.   ~Shanen

 Yes, this is a story from Sunday's Moving cows and yes, Beau was taught a lesson.  But it was Very Funny, (at least I can admit it now).  And of course, you can laugh!  I always do!

Well, if you have read my first two blogs on Local Harvest you know that we have moved our Ranch this summer.  Our new barn has been built for some time, and the corrals have been built for a month.  Everyone around here kept asking what we were going to use that BIG barn for.  We kept telling them for the calves and colts.  They would look at us with a question and ask if we had any cows.  You see we have not had ANY cattle on this farm except for the bulls (and they were only here for 1 month).  None of our new Ringold County neighbors had ever seen us with any cattle at our homeplace.  The cows have been at the rented pasture this summer.

As I told you on Friday, we moved the cows home this weekend.  We did it!!  All by ourselves.  Beau had to work in town on Saturday, so we just got everything set up.  We set up the portable corral at the pasture and fed the cows in the corral.  This convinces them that this is a good place to be! ; ) 

Sunday morning bright and early we loaded up the kids, and the dogs and off we went.  Our rented pasture is only 15 miles from the house, so it is a short trip.  We arrived at the pasture, and made our plan.  I would take the 4-wheeler out and around the pond to move the cows to Beau and he would "call" the cows into the corral.  Well, he had more luck than I did.  He locked up ~25 while I was still on the other side of the pond. 

I made my sweep around the pond with the dogs close behind.  The cows weren't happy about being woken up early and were slow to go to the corral.  I managed to push in another 25 or so.  Then it gets tricky!  The last cows are ALWAYS the worst.  They don't want to go in and the want to run and chase.  We decided to haul a load home and bring the horse.

We are able to haul about 10 calves and 12 cows each trip.  Made the trip and arrived back at the pasture with the horse.  This time we switched, I was calling and Beau was pushing on Ozzie (the horse).  We made a sweep and not one cow came in.  We put the 4-wheeler away (I hate those things!) and tried again and cought 5 pairs.  We were both severely frustrated and decided to haul some more cows home. 

We made another 3 trips (I will tell you a funny story about one of theese trips later this week) and we got LUCKY!  The crazy(mean, ornery and taking the rest far, far, away) cow was standing in the gateway.  We were VERY sneaky and we finally got her locked up!!!!  YEEE HAAA!  Unfortunately it was dark and we were done for the night, but they were all locked up at the pasture and at the house. 

I LOVE our new facilities @ home.  We did not have to worry that the cows were going to go hunting for their calves and get out, we had easy fresh water and it was great!  After a long day and another long one to go we could still sleep easy.

If you enjoy these types of stories, leave me a note and I'll keep them coming. 

We did select some great beef calves that will be worked and weaned this coming weekend.  Please e-mail me to reserve your shares.  I think we have 4 whole shares left, so please let me know and I can put your name on a calf.

I will have that funny story from Sunday and the story of Monday later in the week.

Shanen : ))