Seven Persons Community Pasture

Following are some photos from life on the ranch. Though I only worked there for one summer, it was one of the best experiences I've ever had. Faye and Harry Kroeker (right) managed the place at that time; there were about 1300 cow/calf pairs pastured in seven or eight different locations. Some of the pastures had automatic pivots and some had the old ditch system from the 40's. Water from the main irrigation ditch would be let into the side ditch, which went down one edge of the field. Using tarps to dam the ditch at certain places, we would direct the water so it spilled out into four or five panels at a time. It would run all day and then we would re-set it for the evening. Gophers, by the way, are pretty good swimmers.

During the afternoons I would take the green horses out when the cowboys went to doctor calves. I even got one of them to try my english saddle, but he didn't appreciate it very much. My favourite place to ride was near the "Lone Tree", a single elm growing out of the irrigation ditch on a 3/4 section of original prairie.

Pirate was originally one of Harry's horses. He's not a very good cow horse though, as he once had a Belgian Blue bull try to go underneath him. He has gotten to the point where he's OK as long as the pointy end is away from him, but I think he's happy not to do much cattle work these days.

 

Irrigation tools - shovel and tarp.

 

First the tarps are set to dam the ditch...

 

Then syphon tubes or sometimes just dirt channels are used to pull the water out into the field. The field is divided into panels with little dirt rows (you can see in the background) so the water flows all the way to the end.

 

Moving cattle - last one to leave the pasture. You can see the lone tree on the horizon.

 

Me and Fancy, one of the nicest mares I've ever had the pleasure to ride. She was smart enough she'd take really good care of you if you just let her do her job. She was really ticklish though, she caught me by surprise and bucked me off one day when one of those tall, stiff indian paintbrushes gave her a poke in the belly.