How It All Began

I have been thinking lately about how it all began for us here at CBR.  When Jonesy and I moved here back in 1989, there was nothing but a 40 acre field that we pulled a teeny, tiny 2 bedroom trailer onto.  Our son was about 18 months old and we were just younguns ourselves, but Jonesy had a dream.  Me….????  I didn’t have a clue!  lol  I just knew I would follow him anywhere.  (Still would).  🙂

We started out with pigs.  Jonesy traded an old Chevy Luv 4×4 pick up similar to this one;

Image from Google

for 4 sows and a television set.  Then he turned around and traded the TV to another neighbor for a used roll of woven wire and some barbed wire to make a pen.  And just like that we were in the hog business!

We spent about 3 years farrowing sows, (mama pigs) keeping back gilts (female that hasn’t had babies).  Meanwhile, I got pregnant with our daughter and helped take care of the pigs until the day she was born.  Our son used to go out in the heat of the day during the summer and spray them down with the hose and make sure they had a nice mud hole.  The pigs loved it and so did he.  The pigs would shake and he would come in all speckled and needing a bath himself!

When I went into the hospital to have our daughter, we were running about 30-35 sows, a couple of boars and a couple hundred baby pigs.  While I was still in the hospital, Jonesy sold the whole operation…lock, stock, and barrel!  Pigs, feeders, waterers…everything!  We had enough from that to buy 10 cows and a bull.  And just like that we were cattle ranchers!

Shortly after we sold out, the hog prices fell significantly and we were very thankful we got out when we did.

We eventually added horses to the ranch and began training them to sell as ranch broke geldings.

CK Sky High Cat “Kat”

 

Our son and daughter in about 1994 or so

Here we are many years later with our kids grown and making their own way in the world, a grandbaby on the way, a modest cow/calf operation, a nice string of quality ranch horses and the two of us working together.

Looking back,even though there were mistakes made and little bumps along the way. I can truly say we have been so very blessed!

 

Our daughter all grown

Our son and daughter-in-law

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for coming along as I take a look back at our humble beginnings!

Be Blessed,

-Lori