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Caring for the ranch is akin to raising children. The land must be nurtured, protected and sustained. |
Ranchers
Ute Creek Cattle Co., Bueyeros, N.M.
Jack and Tuda Crews have spent a lifetime committed to the land — specifically, their Ute Creek Cattle Co., near Bueyeros, N.M. That’s why following Grazewell principles, which ensure the long-term sustainability of the land and the economic viability of their ranch, is so critical to them.
The couple wakes each morning to rolling grasslands and abundant wildlife nestled 180 miles east of Santa Fe. As she surveys the horizon, Tuda says even Merriam Webster couldn’t truly define what it means to ranch.
“Webster’s definition of ranch is ‘an extensive farm, especially in the American West, devoted to raising livestock such as beef cattle, sheep or horses.’ But that fails to define what a ranch means to a rancher,” she says. “A rancher is a land-steward in a life-long management commitment similar to a marriage.”
The Crews’ marriage to the land has been a successful one. Their bone-deep connection to their ranch has sustained multiple generations — and several species of wildlife.
“Caring for the ranch is akin to raising children,” Jack says. “The land must be nurtured, protected and sustained.”
A circle of thriving symbiotic relationships are visible in the ranch’s healthy range conditions, abundant water, wildlife habitat development and a healthy rural community.”
As a member of Country Natural Beef, Jack and Tuda are proud to provide natural beef that meets discriminating consumer palates. The network of producers has also allowed Ute Cattle to enhance management of genetic selection, herd health, feedlot performance and carcass data.
“Country Natural Beef gives us a marketing edge,” Jack says. “It allows us to meet the trends of a constantly changing beef industry while connecting us to other progressive ranching families.”
Tuda says “Each Country Natural Beef family manages holistically and strives for sustainability of their family ranches.”
And that gives the Crews peace of mind.
