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Ahh . . .The Lazy Days of Summer . . . NOT at Grieb Ranch!

 

Chocolate Chip Pancake Santa Barbara County Fair 2014 shown by Ethan Willems

Chocolate Chip Pancake Santa Barbara County Fair 2014 shown by Ethan Willems

Summer brings an increase in activities for Grieb Ranch, as animals are prepped and then taken to “The Fair” bringing on a whirlwind of activities. This year Ethan took a Replacement Heifer to the Santa Barbara County Fair held July 5-12. A Replacement Heifer is a female cow around 24-32 months old that is pregnant and is due to calve her first calf in the Fall. A rancher will purchase the Replacement Heifer to replace an older cow in his or her herd.

At home Ethan prepped “Chocolate Chip Pancake” or “CC” for short, and worked with her to prepare her for being judged in the Replacement Heifer Class and the Showmanship class. He also worked with his 4-H group in designing the stall area for the Fair.

Saturday, July 5 was Prep Day. The stall area was set up by the 4-H kids, which includes educational posters and decorations and name cards for each animal. Ethan’s 4-H group was awarded 3rd Place in stall decorations.

Sunday, July 6 was Move-in Day. This is probably the craziest of the days as EVERYONE who is camping at the Fair grounds is moving in their camper, trailer or whatever into a very large parking lot to settle in for the whole week. Another trip brought the animals and got them and their food and gear situated in the stall area. Imagine cows, pigs, turkeys, sheep, bunnies, chickens and more all arriving with their owners to get set up for a week of fair activities.

Each animal type has a different show schedule during the week. Since Ethan “just” had a Replacement Heifer here is what the rest of his week turned out to be.

Monday, July 7 was Animal Inspection Day. “CC” was weighed and also pregnancy checked. She had to meet the minimum weight and had to be pregnant (due in the Fall) in order to qualify to be shown at the fair. She passed both as she weighed in at 1408 lbs and was 6 months pregnant.

Quiz Jam Flyer for Santa Barbara County Fair.

Quiz Jam Flyer for Santa Barbara County Fair.

Monday evening was the “Quiz Jam” for the fair participants. This was a new event for this year’s fair and sponsored by Farm Supply. This timed event challenged teams of 4 to compete against other teams in agricultural challenges. The challenges were: put on a tractor tire, make an irrigation structure, rope a dummy calf, paint brand the dummy calf, ear notch, band (a form of castration), fill a syringe to give a pretend shot, and gear up in a safety suit which included the boots, gloves and goggles.  It was great fun to watch. Following the Quiz Jam was the Exhibitor’s Test.

Tuesday, July 8 was Rest Day. Nothing major was on the schedule so Ethan kicked back with friends, but still did his barn duties. There really is no rest when taking care of animals.

Wednesday, July 9 was Show Prep Day. This day was spent prepping the animals for showmanship and then the class judging. CC was bathed, rinsed, and groomed with a blow dryer and grooming tools to bring out the best in her coat. Here is a video clip of “fluffy cows” that went viral last summer.

Thursday, July 10 was Showmanship Judging. This class is judged on how well you show your animal. The Exhibitor is judged on his or her placement around the animal during the judging, how well he or she handles the animal, and the animal’s response to the exhibitor. This is where practice at home usually pays off.

Friday, July 11 was the Replacement Heifer class followed by the Auction. Livestock in this category are judged on such things as traits, structural correctness and soundness, style and balance and degree of muscling. CC didn’t get any major awards but she showed well. She then went to the Replacement Heifer auction that evening and was purchased by a local rancher to fit into his cow herd. So Ethan said goodbye to his friend CC.

Saturday, July 12 was the Market Animal Auction. This is the day that all the animals destined for the market are auctioned off. This is where the Junior Livestock Exhibitors get their monetary reward for all the hard work of feeding and caring for their animals. However, probably to biggest reward is all the experience gained and the friendships made and the fair memories to treasure for a lifetime.

Sunday, July 13 was a Quiet Day. With most of the animals gone the fair grounds are quiet.

Monday, July 14 Move-Out Day. Ethan and crew helped load-out the steers at 5 am, then took all the stall decorations down and loaded up the gear and left-over feed and hauled it all back home; another Fair in the books.

 

Meanwhile, back at the Ranch . . . Papa Carl took his first vacation in 5 years so Connie took on the feeding of all the ranch stock. Some days were better than others, but she was glad to have Papa back for sure.

 

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Beginning a Life Anew in the New World 1873: The Life of Konrad and Katharina

 

Konrad and Katharina Grieb originally migrated from Germany to Marysville, California in 1873. They traveled to the New World by ship just the two of them, leaving their 5 children behind in the care of Konrad’s sister and brother in Gumbach, Germany. 1873 was less than 100 years from the founding of America and only 23 years from California being admitted as a State in 1850. The voyage took them around the horn and back up the west coast of South America and then North America.

Konrad and Katharina were not settled in Marysville as the climate was unsatisfactory, the water supply was poor because the rivers were not controlled by dams and levees, and the land was not suitable for farming so Konrad began to investigate other California sites. Konrad corresponded with E.W. Steele a noted Dairyman living in the Edna Valley near San Luis Obispo, CA. Konrad inquired about the farming interests in San Luis Obispo County. Konrad and Katharina moved to Edna Valley and Konrad worked for Mr. Steele on his dairy while investigating farming interests for himself. Baby George was born during their stay with Mr. Steele.

DAC-Pacific-Coast-Steamship-13April1877

Pacific Coast Steamship Company Schedule 1877

steamship late 1800

Pacific Coast Steamship

To get from Marysville to Edna Valley they traveled by steamboat that was part of the Pacific Coast Steamship Company which served ports up and down the west coast. The steamship left San Francisco and landed at Cove Landing which is now known as Pirates Cove.  All passengers and freight traversed down rope ladders to small boats called lighters to get to shore, then cranes were used to unload the cargo up the steep banks. Harford Wharf was built in 1873 by John Harford. The wharf was in Avila Beach and he used horses to off-load and deliver cargo to San Luis Obispo and beyond. In the 1880’s he connected the wharf with a narrow gauge railway to move cargo and passengers.

Once settled on the Steele ranch Konrad left his wife and newborn son to return to Germany to bring back the rest of his family. His spinster sister Helga came to the New World on this trip to take care of the children. They all made it safely, although enduring a long and harrowing journey. The Grieb family lived on the Steele ranch for 2-3 years.

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Four Day Old Ducklings and Imprinting

4 days old ducks

The brand-new ducks are 4 days old in this photo. In a process called “Imprinting” they have learned to follow their mother, even though dad and big sis duck are also present.

Imprinting is rapid learning that occurs during a brief receptive period, typically soon after birth or hatching, and establishes a long-lasting behavioral response to a specific individual or object, as attachment to parent, offspring, or site.  – source: Dictionary.com

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Growing Beets at Grieb Ranch

Lil Daniel with a hoe and a hose.
Lil Daniel with his beet transplants.
Lil Daniel with beets in the ground.

Starting when Daniel Willems was 5 years old he raised beets and sold them to a local Farmers Market for Mrs. Fernamberg. Daniel started the beets from seed in a seedling box in the house for Spring planting after the soil was tilled. When the seedlings were big enough, he planted them in the ground and took care of them. Once ready to harvest, he would pull the beets and then wash and bundle them for sale. The Willems family enjoys eating them on salads.

beet seeds
Recipe for: Pickled Beets   From the Kitchen of: Connie Willems

Ingredients:

1 lb Beets
2 C. Sugar
2 C. Water
2 C. Vinegar
1 Lemon
1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Cloves
1 tsp. Allspice

Instructions: Roast beets. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wrap beets in aluminum foil, 3 at time. Place in shallow roasting pan and cook for 1 hour or until beets are soft. Cool before handling. Cold-dip and slip skins. Make a pickling syrup of the sugar, water, vinegar, lemon sliced thin, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Place cooked beets in sauce pan with lid, cover beets with pickling syrup and simmer with lid on for 15 minutes. Cool completely and refrigerate to use on salads.  For a different salad option, add warm beets to a salad that has goat cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

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Whoa! Hold your Horses

Leah on Tex

Proverbs 21:23 “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.”

How does 70lbs of little person control a 1400 lb horse? Each summer Grieb Ranch lends its labor and horses to help put on an Ag Adventure Day Camp. One of the highlights for the all the campers is to learn how to ride a horse. The bridle is one tool used to control the huge animal. The rider’s position and seat and legs are another tool. When all are used together with the right balance of aids, harmony and peace are witnessed in the horse and rider.

Scripture tells us to bridle our tongues. When we are gossiping or speaking in anger, we are not submitting to God’s control. Our tongues, writing pens, ipads should more often fall silent and then be filled with thanks for the restraint God can help us with. All too often we speak our own mind and not the mind of Christ.

When we want to show others what a difference Christ makes, we may need to look no further than the restraining of our tongue. Those around us and affected by us won’t help but notice when we honor God and choose to bridle our tongue and not say something.

Connie’s prayer: “Help me, Lord, to use my words not to tear down others or build up my own reputation, but to seek the good of others first, and in so doing to serve You and Your Kingdom.”

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A Child Again – Happy Father’s Day

Daddy sign

‘Twasn’t long ago,

I was sitting between my parents in church.

When we bowed our heads to pray,

My father reached for my hand,

And the years fell away.

I was a child,

Sitting in church on a Sunday night,

Holding my Daddy’s hand.

Even then it was gnarled and bent, calloused and worn,

And I held on tight.

A practical joke, a twinkle in his eye,

A father, a friend, a guide.

A man who plays as hard as he works,

A Dad who’s always on my side.

I turned to see my mother singing,

And my eyes were drawn to her lips,

And again, the years did slip.

I was a child again,

Leaning on my Mama’s knee,

Spellbound by her full sweet lips,

As she sat reading Bible stories to me.

A prayer on her lips,

a song in her heart,

A friend, a teacher, a mother.

A woman of God, with open arms,

A Mom to me and so many others.

So many memories,

So many things to be thankful for.

A Mom and a Dad,

Who give and give some more.

Poem By Margie “B” Grieb Runels

Photo: Western Wood Art Sign by Jessica Willems. Contact her at 805-688-7293 for purchase info and to see more signs.

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Proud as a Peacock is the Grieb Ranch Watch Dog

Grieb Ranch Peacock Watch Dog

Grieb Ranch Peacock Watch Dog

Grieb Ranch has a different kind of watch dog, it’s a Peacock Watch Dog. He arrived at the ranch because someone dropped him off and he seems to enjoy his new home.  Grieb Ranch has a resident peahen also, but they do not hang out together.

How is this peacock a watch dog? If you have ever heard a peacock “scream” you know that at first the scream is unnerving as the sound is quite piercing. However, this peacock uses his scream to alert those on the Grieb Ranch to potential “dangers”. He screams if the bear comes through the yard. He screams if you shut a door. He screams at any noises. He screams day or night.

Sounds quite unnerving. However, he has become Barbara’s friend as he often sits on the bench on the front porch and peers in at the them (Barbara and Carl) through the window. Barbara tells him good night every night and he calls back to her. He has become part of the family at Grieb Ranch.

Proud as a Peacock is the Grieb Ranch Watch Dog

Proud as a Peacock is the Grieb Ranch Watch Dog

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Memorial Day at The Ranch

Carl attending the BBQ
First Course.
Western Motif
Tools
The kids made a new friend.
As the sun set, we remembered those who gave, “the last full measure of devotion.”

Good friends, good food, good fun and remembering the sacrifices of our fellow Americans who gave “the last full measure of devotion” filled up a Memorial Day BBQ at Grieb Ranch.

“It’s Always A Hit” Salad
Steaks cooking on the grill.

Good food started with a first course of salads,  followed by steaks cooked over oak on an open grill. The kids played hide and go seek and even found a new friend. Adults enjoyed each others company. A pleasant afternoon/evening was enjoyed by all.

 

“It’s Always A Hit” Salad Recipe

Ingredients: Romaine lettuce, Granny Smith apples, sugar-coated toasted almonds and feta cheese with a homemade mustard vinaigrette dressing.

Sugar-coated toasted almonds:

2/3 cup of raw slivered almonds

6 tbls sugar

Place nuts and sugar in a heavy sauce pan. Put over medium-low heat. Stir frequently until the sugar begins to melt. Stir constantly as sugar melts and the nuts toast. Do not leave this unattended as the sugar can burn quickly. Once the sugar is all melted and the nuts are toasted and brought to a lovely brown color, pour them out onto foil and spread to cool.  Keep little and big fingers from grabbing the freshly made nuts because the nut mixture will be extremely hot! Set this aside while you make the rest of the salad.

Salad Makings:

2 stalks of heart of romaine lettuce washed and shook-out and then chopped

2 Granny Smith apples, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 8oz carton of blue cheese crumbles

Salad Dressing:

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tbl sugar

1 tbl Dijon mustard

Place all dressing ingredients in a baggie (for traveling) or bowl if serving on-site. Mix together.

Making up the Salad:

Place chopped lettuce in bowl, add the chopped apple pieces and either the entire or 1/2 (depending on how cheesey you like your salad) carton of blue cheese crumbles, and place the sugar-coated toasted almonds on top. Dress salad just before serving. If traveling with your salad add the nuts just before dressing and dress salad at destination. The apples can also be cut on-site or add lemon to them to keep from turning brown. Mix salad together and watch people devour and exclaim how tasty it is!

 

For more recipes by this author check out http://crazyfreegf.wordpress.com/

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Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek

 

 

Pecked out eggs.

Pecked out eggs.

Yes, Grieb Ranch hens are getting creative with their hiding places for laying their eggs. They are doing this due to the return of the attack on the eggs. Predators like the Stellar Jay birds that peck holes in the unhatched eggs, or raccoons who are stealing the eggs know to seek out nests in the barn (where a nest is provided for the hens) thus disturbing the nests and causing the hens to go elsewhere.

 

golf balls keep the hens laying

Golf balls added to the nest keep the hens laying when eggs are removed to enjoy or destroyed or stolen by predators.

 

As long as the eggs nests keep growing (more eggs added or not destroyed) the laying hens will “go broody” which means they keep laying eggs. Therefore golf balls are added to the nest as these won’t get stolen or pecked out and the hens will keep producing eggs to enjoy or to hatch out. The eggs to enjoy have to be grabbed before the predators get them and replaced with a golf ball. It is important to know where the nests are so the eggs can be gathered.

Just how many hidden nests can one come across at Grieb Ranch? Several. One hen discovered the security of being underneath the bench seat in the old truck. That one took awhile to discover.

The old truck made a secure hiding place.
Hide and Seek under the truck seat.

One hen found security in the garden shed. Several hens have set up house in the Gooseneck trailer and have gone to town more than once. One of the Gooseneck traveling hens ended up out of the trailer at Templeton Sales Yard and had to be caught and returned at a later date!

Why did the hen go to town? Because she set her eggs in the Gooseneck trailer and went to town!

Gooseneck trailer going to town.
Gooseneck trailer loft nest.

 

Once it comes time to hatch out a nest the hen and her eggs need to be moved to the large hen coop. This is best done in the dark, however demands of the ranch can keep one from doing so . . . even at 2 am sometimes there still isn’t time to move the hens!