Spring is Go-Time: Why This is Our "Busy Season"

Reporting from the pastures here. Proud to announce we are 90% sold out of our grassfed beef shares. There are just a few shares left. So. If you haven’t yet grabbed your grass fed beef share and you were hoping to get some beef this year - head to the website and place your deposit now to reserve 2026 beef. We only do this 1 time per year. So if you miss this round, you have to wait until the middle of 2027 to buy a 1/8 cow share or any other size and sit on the waitlist until then.

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Let’s talk about the pace and flow of the year. This is our “busy” season. Reflected in nature the bees, birds, plants all pushing to produce. Spring is the propulsion towards growth, reproduction, mating dances of the turkeys blocking our daily commute to school down the driveway. The cattle are gaining weight every day, eating the most lush pastures. This is what is happening on the ranch right now in spring for our grass-fed beef in Sonoma County.

At the height of the summer, things slow down for us. The cattle have reached their peak weight at the end of the green grass season and they are harvested with great care and reverence. The heat, the pause in the grass, brown in its senescence calls us to slow down and find shade. The soil is mostly dry, except for those treasured springs and ponds which become the hot spots for bull frog song and dragonfly dance. We rest our bones best we can this time of year (in moments amidst the summer camps, family reunion travels, beef share pick up - a highlight for sure, and controlled burns) aiming to laze in the slow rivers and settle in along the rhythmic ocean shores.

Autumn picks up a bit for us, reviewing contracts for the year, fixing up fencelines, running and checking water lines, troughs, trails and gates. Preparing for the winter arrival of 1000s of hooves. For our bio-region, the first autumn rains begin the transfer of energy back into the soil, the falling leaves, cooling air, tall dried grass now laying on the ground decomposing into soil with the foggy moisture and light rainfall. 

Winter is the beginning of our growing season. The green sprouts push out of the soil a few days after a real rain. The streams and vernal pools fill after the dry season. Life and energy returns to the land, though at a slower pace with the chill and short days. Everything seems to be soaking up and storing as much energy and water as possible while waiting for the return of the sun in the spring - waiting for the time to do the bulk of the energy work. 

And so it goes around like this every year. Some more wet than others, some years more dry, the earthly pulse remains constant. Tuning into this cycle brings ease and presence. We harvest our beef at the peak of plant production, animal nutrition and flavor quality, before everything turns. In a way, capturing and savoring this special late spring time of year so it can be enjoyed throughout the whole year. Enjoyed as a mid-summer grilled steak. Enjoyed in the cold of winter as a heartwarming stew, and celebrated with carne asada in the spring. We are honored to share our beef with you and feed you the year through.