The rain has continued for over 6 days now, a rare bit of continued moisture not often seen in this part of the country that has given us over 1.5 inches of much-needed water.  The clouds have been gorgeous to watch and riding out during the sunny parts of the day has yielded incredible views of the Seven Sisters shrouded in mist and rainbows falling across the valley.   The grass and flowers are growing at a tremendous rate and even the cacti are preparing for a bloom this year.  It is the perfect week for the start of our calving.  The 16 calves we already have on the ground are looking fantastic.  Montana expects another 30 to hit the ground this week as the weather warms back up and the sunshine hits full stride again.

Our pivot was able to run across the alfalfa for a few days so we have now turned to irrigating some of the fields with the water we have running in our ditches.   The grass-fat cattle are looking good and we should have the first of them ready to go by July 1.  Beef sales are going well; we’ve had a good response to our beef newsletter as well as ads placed in the surrounding county visitor’s guides.  Let your friends and family know that they should reserve their selection soon!

Saturday brought a rare bit of rain to us here on the ranch and the misty morning gave our plants and grass an extra burst of energy to grow.  Everywhere  you look you see various shades of green, from the bright almost-yellow of newly forming leaves just popping out on the oak brush to the dark emerald green of the established grass in the wetter areas.  The songs of the bluebirds and the buzz of the hummingbirds fill the air – life doesn’t get much better than this.

Our first few calves have hit the ground without any trouble thanks to Montana’s careful management and we look forward to the rest of our 93 cows calving in the next month.  Pictured above is our first calf of 2009!  Wednesday is the official starting date for our calving this year, so by the middle of this week we should be in full swing.  The horses have almost finished shedding out and are now the smooth, sleek animals of summer instead of the woolly mammoths of winter.  The snow in the mountains is melting fast in the warm weather we’ve been having so hopefully we will be able to run our pivot over the alfalfa field soon to give it some much needed water.

The garden is incredible to walk through right now; the irises are up and blooming, the raspberry bushes are growing tall, the herb garden is spilling over its borders and onto the paths, and the grape vines are just sprouting their first leaves.  The owners and guests of the ranch have already been enjoying the asparagus and chives that were the first edible plants to come up, and the cammomile has already flowered and been cut to dry for use in tea later.  The first vegetable and annual seeds have been sown by Joe our gardener; our organic tomato seedlings will be planted next week.

Our Permaculture Workshop was a great success.  We had over 40 attendees, and our speaker Becky Elder gave everyone a good introduction to the principles of permaculture.  The MMR garden tour was the highlight of the afternoon, and all participants went home with new, innovative ideas for their own home garden designs and plants that will work well in our high altitude environment.

We have had the immense pleasure of having many owners and guests visit with us so far this May.  The MMR staff have enjoyed having extra help with building fence, tending to the pregnant cows and growing yearlings, and grazing the horses.  Everyone has been working hard, but there is always time out for a trail ride in the beautiful Colorado sunshine.

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.

The warmer weather has brought changes not only in the landscape, as it turns greener each day with new grass, but changes in the wildlife patterns as well.  For the time being it would seem that the elk have moved on, having been replaced with mule deer and a small population of whitetail deer.  Thanks to them we have been finding shed antlers everywhere.  The antelope have returned and can often be seen hanging out near the horses, halfway up Running Bear road.     Our daffodils are in full bloom and the bees have emerged from their hives, buzzing around to search for the first signs of nectar. This will be the week we start feeding our hives to give them a good start until more flowers emerge.

The ponds are now completely unfrozen, and Stephan managed to land a beautiful 24 in. fish behind the cookhouse on Sunday with his fly rod, quite a catch for the first of the fish right after winter.  In honor of St. Patrick’s day Deanne made wonderful lunch in the cookhouse for ranch staff and guests consisting of an Irish stew, soda bread, and even chocolate cupcakes made with Guinness.  A big project for this week has been staining and sealing the cookhouse deck furniture, the results of which look very good.  By the end of spring all of the teak outdoor furniture for the cookhouse and the cabins should be looking better than new.

Maytag Mountain Ranch will be hosting the 2009 Division of Wildlife Landowner’s Meeting on March 17th at 6:30 pm in the Cookhouse Lodge. This will be an open forum for local landowners to discuss their concerns and needs with the Division of Wildlife.  Let your voice as a concerned owner be heard by attending this meeting.  For information contact Montana at canterbury@maytagmoutnainranch.com.

As our current grass-fats continue packing on the pounds Montana has been busy with follow up calls to last year’s beef customers.  The reviews have been unanimously positive and many customers have already planned their orders for our first crop of organic beef this summer.  We also had a chance to meet with FlyWater consulting, a fishery management and improvement company that specializes in managing and creating river systems to give the best habitat for the fish, the surrounding wildlife, and of course the anglers! We feel that their knowledge and skills will be quite an asset to us this summer.  After completion of his big tack room reconstruction, this week Jake will take on his next big challenge of re-doing the cookhouse floors.  The Hughes family has been very kind to let us borrow their unique wood floor cleaning machine, and we expect the results to be as good as refinishing.

Our gardener, Joe, was able to stop by this week and give our fruit trees a good watering.  He also checked on our bee hives to make sure that honey supplies were adequate to keep our insects happy and healthy through March.  Local beekeeper Mike Anaya will be visiting our garden on March 15th to give Joe and Jen a lesson on beekeeping, bee feeding for spring, and advice on splitting hives, building hives, and caring for hive health.  We still have room for last minute garden requests, so if you have any particular sunflowers, lettuces, or tomatoes that you just can’t live without this summer get your picks sent to Jen.  In addition to keeping our budding garden weed and pest free, our chickens have been laying rather well so we now have 36 new eggs in the incubator.  Hope for more chicks in 21 days!  Our ranch horses Otto and BJ received their new shoes this week from our farrier Mike Wolford; they will be ready to try them out on a trail ride this weekend.

Spring has sprung at MMR: the flowers are blooming, the trees are budding, and the chicks are hatching! Since the arrival of our new roosters this winter Jake has been waiting patiently to hatch some chicks. Jim and Julie Sperry were kind enough to lend us their incubator in the beginning of February, and 21 days later the sounds of peeping are now filling the shop. Say hello to the first chick to hatch here at MMR!

The horses and cattle have been busy munching on the new grass that is starting to poke up out of the ground, but Montana has been keeping our grass-fat and yearling calves well fed on a blend of organic grass and alfalfa hay with the hopes of an earlier finish this year. We are even irrigating some areas with the runoff we had coming to us from the warm weather already. Jen and Jeannie have been busy looking to find the perfect new ranch horse, but so far none of the prospects have quite measured up. As for the MMR horses, they got a workout with a visit from the Hughes family this weekend. We had three adults and three kids who rode BJ, Banjo, and Otto around in the 60 degree sunny weather after they had spent an epic day skiing the powder up at Monarch Mountain. Being able to ski and ride in the same weekend in fantastic conditions for both sports is what makes Jen smile, and she has been smiling a lot this winter.

Montana and Jake spent a day conquering their fear of heights this week. The Genie Lift that was rented to caulk the upper interior of the cookhouse helped the job go very well. All of the seams are in good repair, the beams have been checked, and even those hard-to- reach windows were cleaned. Many of the culverts and ditches got a good spring cleaning this week as well, and Jake has been knee deep in woodchips as he remodels the tack room with new saddle and bridle racks. Our gardener, Joe, will be submitting the seed order for the garden in the next week or two, so any special requests for particular veggies, herbs, or plants that you’d really like to see growing this year should be sent to Jen as soon as possible.