Great Plains Cattle Feeders Photography - Day 3
Last day of ranch visits! It was a little bittersweet. I loved seeing the state of Texas, from the panhandle to the very southwest corner to "hill country". Every ranch we visited was so breathtakingly beautiful. Case in point:
We stayed overnight at the Deep Creek Ranch, and woke up to this view. Life is tough. ;) 
That sunrise turned into a gorgeously hazy morning. Now I'll quit talkin' so you can soak it all in. :)
They're currently working on clearing brush across the ranch. Invasive species, such as cedar trees and prickly pear cactus, have taken over the grasses, which means less food for the cows to eat. With the invasive species taken out, the cows don't have to work as hard to find food, making them more productive. 
This is Shannon, my partner-in-crime on this project. I have added her to the list of women I look up to in this industry. Encouraging, inventive, and intelligent, she excels at what she does in a very male-dominated field. 
The man on the left is Hughes. He's the owner of the ranches and an incredibly nice, down-to-earth, hospitable person. Plenty of wisdom was absorbed from conversations with him.
This is the close to an unforgettable 3 days with the Great Plains crew. I got to see parts of Texas I've never seen before and will likely never see again, from tearing across a rocky pasture chasing wild boars in a pickup to watching the sun rise over one of the most beautiful ranches I've ever seen. I learned the difference between a good-looking cow and a bad one and was taught how a cigarette lighter works in the pickup. Yes, really.And just like that, we hopped back on the plane and headed back to the panhandle, with my head full of knowledge, heart full of respect of what these guys are doing and memory cards full of photos to tell their story.I love the people of agriculture.
