Seasons

Pine Valley Ranch covers 30,000 acres of private deeded land in North Eastern Oregon.  

The Ranch has permits to graze an additional 25,000 acres of B.L.M. and 75,000 acres of U.S.F.S.

Calving season starts in late January in Richland, OR known as Eagle Valley.  This area has a warmer micro climate and limited amount of snowfall.  By April, branding begins and cow/calf pairs are processed and trailed to higher ground where they begin their journey across the summit (3600 ft elevation), approximately 6 miles, to the Pine Valley Ranch pastures on the Halfway side. There are private ranch and B.L.M. grazing pastures along the way.  By the start of Summer most of the cattle herd is in the Halfway location, where about a third is trail driven, about 6 miles higher (7000 ft elevation), into the cooler pastures in the US Forest.  The remaining herd is managed and moved in the Pine Valley pastures through out the summer.   Hay production is an important part of the ranch's summer activities and takes place on approximately 1400 acres of irrigated pasture.

Fall is also a busy time at Pine Valley Ranch, as pairs are gathered in the forest allotment and the valley pastures for seasonal processing - vaccinations, preg checks and weaning. Pre-sold calves are usually shipped out in mid-November.   Winter sets in by early December and the crew is kept busy keeping the herd fed and healthy.  We enjoy the Holidays and then its time to start the calving cycle all over again.

Winter at Pine Valley Ranch