THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
MARCH 2020
“Make sure you have ex- tra pairs of gloves, couple extra coats, extra boots, ex- tra plants — lots of warm clothes.” “We’re out checking cows and calves in all weather conditions,” Clint said. The operation never stops. “We check cows every two hours, especially during storms,” Clint said. “We take turns; there’s always some- body going out to check on the cows and calves.” Some calves need to be warmed. “We use a hot-box that has a propane heater suspend- ed over it to quickly dry and warm the calf,” Clint said. “We call it the calf-cooker. “Drying and warming a calf is top priority,” Clint said. “The sooner we can get a calf into the hot-box and get colostrum in it, the bet- ter.” Sleeping during calving season is difficult. “We go through a lot of cof- fee,” ranch hand Madison Engle said. “I recommend a dark blend.” Engle grew up around Loveland, Colorado. She is a third-generation rancher. “I grew up with a bunch of ranchers and cowboys,” she said. “The desire and passion to follow in my fam- ily’s footsteps led me to an advertisement for a ranch hand on Harvat Cattle and Hay.” Sharon said each calf re- ceives three necessary shots at birth, and then af- ter taking the cows and calves to Colorado for branding and summer graz- ing, administer another round of shots to calves. The operation also grows hay and sells it commer- cially during the summer, Clint said. “Moose are the biggest problem in keeping hay around,” Clint said. “We put up 12-foot high elk panels around our harvested hay to keep both elk and moose out, RANCHING from Page F6
Kevin Fink / The Scottsbluff Star-Herald Rancher Clint Harvat doctors a newborn calf at his ranch near Mitchell. The Horvat family also ranches in the Steamboat Springs, Colorado, area.
“We care. We care about our animals, food safety and consumers.” Engle says, “If you’re in- terested in ranching don’t watch a lot of TV shows; they give you a blissful idea of ranching, but it’s a lot of hard labor.” The hard work of ranching doesn’t keep Engle from hav- ing a good attitude. “I think about how I can best help these people, and grow this opportunity, and think about the positive things and learn from the bad,” she said. “My faith drives me.” The main Harvat ranch Nebraskans. “I think peo- ple in western Nebraska are the best,” Sharon said. “I am impressed with the state of is in Colorado, but the family thinks highly of
“Hang in there,” Sharon said. “Anytime you can share your story is im- portant because some media, including a lot of the Hollywood people, is against production agriculture.” “I don’t think they realize what would happen if pro- duction agriculture went away,” Sharon said. “People have to eat.” “The woman in Ethiopia with starving children doesn’t care if the cattle are GMO or implanted; she wants food for her children,” Sharon said. “We provide a safe and important product in beef.” “Ag producers are under fire today, and I believe it will take a severe food short- age to make people realize agriculture has our backs — they’re feeding us,” Sharon
back into my roots, and work with these amazing people,” Engle said. “But I don’t like the wind and having my toes cold.” “I enjoy being outside in the fresh air each day, get- ting to see the wildlife and other things,” Clint said. Clint is not just a cowboy and rancher. He also serves with the local Walden area Sheriff’s office and ambu- lance and paramedic squad when available. “I enjoy do- ing this when time allows,” he said. Clint’s also a creative rancher. “I bought a fire truck to use as a water truck for wa- tering cows because it’s easier than pulling a trailer all day,” he said. These seasoned ranchers have advice for other ranch-
climb snow drifts in the win- ter to reach the top stack of bales.” Moose aren’t the only problem on a Rocky Mountain ranch. “We some- times lose cattle to certain predators, like bear and mountain lions,” Clint said. “I carry a firearm each time I go out to check cattle on the Walden ranch; I’m especial- ly scared of moose because they are very aggressive.” There are more joys than problems in ranching, though. “I love being outside, and with the cattle, horses and dogs,” Sharon said. “There’s not a lot of free time, and we miss attending church in calving season, though.” “I love being outdoors, working with horses and cat- tle, and also the experience
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