Even though it feels like summer has already arrived the spring cleaning still continues here at MMR.  Joe has been hard at work in the garden cleaning out last year’s hollyhock, taming the herb bed, and tending to the already sprouting plants.  Many of the fruit trees are already flowering, which has made our bees very happy. We have brought in loads of new mulch for both the garden and the surrounding flower beds; this mulch will help to conserve water and keep away unwanted weeds.    The tack room is finished and looks fantastic, with new stained saddle racks, horseshoe hangers, and new bridle racks.

As the weather continues to warm the elk and cattle are getting ready to give birth.  The elk are due to start in the first week of May, and the MMR cattle will begin May 20th.  Our chicks are growing up quickly and have moved from the brooder to a stall in the barn until they are big enough to join the rest of the chickens outside.

Every April and May, as the Arkansas River begins to warm, a natural phenomenon draws throngs of anglers to the annual Caddisfly Hatch. The starting time can vary from year to year depending on the weather, but once the hatching begins, the air will be thick with millions of insects buzzing around and the fly fishing community will be abuzz about where the hatch is the thickest.

Caddisflies look like tiny moths. They belong to the insect order Trichoptera (hair wings). There are over 11,000 types of caddis worldwide, but they all have the same insect life pattern: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. They all require water for the larval stage, but trout love them in whatever stage they are in.

The adult caddis live for several days to a few weeks, emerging to complete their life cycle and lay eggs back into the water again. After dropping their eggs, the females die and lay spent on the surface. It is during this brief cycle each year that trout gorge themselves, and as all anglers know the best time to catch fish is when they are feeding.

Curious spectators and fly-fishing enthusiasts alike are invited to participate in this incredible experience at beautiful Maytag Mountain Ranch. Bring the whole family and enjoy the other activities the Ranch has to offer such as horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking, or just sit back on the porch and enjoy the beauty of Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

For many who live in the Wet Mountain Valley gardening is not only a hobby but a way of life.  In our high altitude environment with a short, unpredictable growing season the challenges to gardeners are unique, requiring different techniques to generate maximum production.  One way to turn out high yields in climates that are less than ideal are through the application of permaculture principles.  Permaculture is about developing a layout to a landscape or garden that allows for the flow of energy and elements, such as water,  within the living system.  By utilizing the natural resources available in perennial systems rather than human work to thrive, this bringing together of  “permanent” and “agriculture” increases production while decreasing labor.  These concepts require practitioners to think away from conventional gardening and farming methods and instead focus on sustainable living environments with minimal environmental footprints and maximum outputs.

As part of our summer community outreach, MMR will be hosting a free workshop on permaculture and high altitude gardening in conjunction with Sustainable Ways of Westcliffe.  Sustainable Ways is a non-profit 501C3 organization whose mission is to educate, advocate, and demonstrate ways of living that are sustainable for ourselves, our families, and our community.  The workshop will be directed by Becky Elder of Pikes Peak Permaculture, an associate who was involved in the design of MMR’s own permaculture garden.  Topics covered will include the basics of permaculture and garden design, how to work with nature to grow food in our climate, meeting wind and water challenges in microclimate environments, applying permaculture principles to your own property, and the long term effects of implementing permaculture in dryland environments.  There is no charge for this workshop, but reservations are required as the number of participants is limited to 40.  A tax deductible donation of $20 is suggested, with all proceeds going to benefit Sustainable Ways and the Westcliffe Food Co-op. If you would like to reserve a spot at this workshop or would like more information please email Jen at jcole@maytagmountanranch.com as soon as possible - this workshop is likely to fill very quickly!

Schedule for the workshop is as follows:

9-9:30 Introduction and circle, asking participants about why they came and what they want to get out of the workshop
9:30- 10:30 Introduction to Permaculture
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45 -11:45 Forest Garden (including microclimates, zones and sectors -emphasizing extending season and dealing with wind and water)
11:45 - 1:45 Tour of Maytag Ranch Garden and BYO picnic lunch (lunch in the garden weather permitting)
1:45-3:00 Participatory Home Design (Bubble Chart) exercise so students can walk away with an idea of what they might do on their own property
3:00-3:15 Break
3:15-3:45 Q & A
3:45-4:30 Bill Mollison’s PBS show on Drylands
4:30 Close and cleanup - Becky will be available for individual questions/comments if any of the participants want more information

As spring continues, the staff here at MMR has been busy preparing projects to promote beef sales and educational opportunities for owners and area residents.    MMR Beef has organized a sponsorship for Rocky Mountain PBS to promote our first sales year of USDA organic certified calves.  We have also produced and published the first in a series of newsletters on our grass-fed beef; this month’s issue includes information on the environmental, health, and nutritional benefits of consuming grass-fed beef over other types of meat products.  Contact Montana at canterbury@maytagmoutnainranch.com if you would like to receive a copy.  We have also been working with local associations in Westcliffe, and now have plans in place to participate in the weekly Westcliffe farmer’s market this summer, which has an organic and sustainable focus.

Next weekend, April 18th, MMR will be hosting a free fly fishing clinic for all owners and their guests.  This clinic is designed to get us ready for the beginning of the world-famous Caddis Fly hatch on the nearby Arkansas River.  Whether you are looking to learn new skills or just brush up on old ones, our friend and neighbor Jim Yourishin will be able to help you.  The clinic will begin at 9AM; please email Jen at jcole@maytagmountianranch.com as soon as possible if you have not already informed her of the number of people (and the number of fly rods) you will be bringing on Saturday. The schedule for the clinic is as follows (session details will vary based on the experience and desires of those attending):

Classroom discussion of:
* Basic entomology (streams and ponds)
* Trout feeding habits
* The flyrod and line vs spinning (what you throw)
* Knots with color-coded guides and practice

Casting practice on the lawn:
* Roll Casting
* False Casting
* Line Introduction

Pond Session:
* Tying on the fly
* Introducing line to the cast
* The retrieve plus variations
* Hook setting and fish playing

Advanced Session:
* The Dry Fly and casting

Last week the weather blessed us with a perfect spring snow.  The 8-10 inches that fell overnight created few problems on the roads and melted quickly into the ground, giving the grass a nice head start into the growing season.  The morning after the snow was incredibly beautiful to see, and with the sun back out in full force it was a pleasant morning to be outside feeding the cattle and horses.

With the approach of Easter, Murdoch’s, the local farm store, has been importing different breeds of chicks.  Jake supplemented our laying flock with three new breeds: Dark Brahma, Araucana, and Australorp.  Brahmas are known for being gentle and fun to watch as their feathers grow all the way to the ground, covering their feet.  Araucanas are also known as the Easter Egg chickens, as their eggs are generally blue or green hued.   The Australorp is known for being a good egg producer, with the world record egg producing hen being an Australorp who laid 364 eggs in 365 days!

In addition to new snow and new chicks, we also were able to add two new horses to our ranch herd last week.  Meet Zip and Jack, two American Quarter horses who will be joining our horsemanship program.  Zip is a 5 year old sorrel gelding with a flaxen mane and tail who has performed all types of ranch work, including pasture roping,  and doctoring and working cattle.  He is an experienced trail horse with a good handle and a friendly and outgoing personality that will be able to teach anyone, from a first time rider to an old hand, some new tricks.  

Jack is an 8 year old sorrel gelding that comes from a long and proud line of working ranch horses.  He is an excellent riding horse with a comfortable, easy lope who has been used extensively in the feedlots and out on the trail.  Jack is alert and inquisitive, but has a much more reserved personality than Zip.  Jack’s attitude will help to create honest and true horsemen out of our MMR riders.