Our Inaugural Family Day on the Ranch!
Top left: Youth in cowboy boots demonstrates roping technique; another youth in overalls .Top right: Volunteer watches a casting competitor test his aim. Bottom left: Green field with cowboy and horse, heifer, and two youth working together to tag a newborn calf. Bottom right: Two youth practice fly-casting into the target, a mouse trap attached to a cardboard fish, along with a man wearing a hat. Photos: Michelle Camy
We enjoyed Family Day on the Ranch this past weekend, thank you to all the families and guests who were able to join us. The rain overnight gave us a thrill, and by 10:00 am the sun came out and made for a gorgeous day. The cows didn’t mind the rain at all, a few new calves were born just that morning! The cool weather had everybody smiling as a myriad of participants enjoyed a morning of Fishing, Cows, and Fun!
Ranch visitors received a goody bag for each youth attendee and collected prizes generously donated by Bird in Hand Chico. Our first young guest made her way to the fishing booth, and with a little help from mom and dad, tossed that line over the curtain. Once she felt a good old-fashioned tug on the string, she hauled up her “catch” of bubbles and stickers and giggled with glee.
Nearby, a slightly older guest tried her luck at the Chico Area Flyfishers fly-casting game. After a little coaching from CAF President, Pat Sleeper, she hit her target and “SNAP” went a mouse trap attached to the outline of a fish. This game was a hit with all ages, challenging even the most skilled fly-fisherman.
A pair of brothers took aim at the casting contest, where they used rod & reel to cast plastic fish, aiming for one of three hula hoops to score points. The wind made this a tricky task; we admired the youths’ determination. As technique improved, nearly all successfully landed the fish into the hula hoops. Others tried their hands at the traditional cowboy skill of roping and learned to swing it around before throwing it toward a dummy steer. Loud cheers were heard when someone was able to rope their first dummy steer. Finally, kids and adults got a chance to learn the skill of knot-tying to complete their ranch related expertise.
The calving demonstration began at 11:00am. Justin Hamilton and his 9-year-old horse, Ruger, led families to the summer pasture where calves are born daily this time of year. Each calf receives an identification tag and quick health check as the heifers look on. Guests watched as one, then a second calf was roped and tagged, then treated to a chase as a third calf frolicked across the pasture, requiring Justin and Ruger to carefully work and steer it back toward the group. For many, it was their first opportunity to watch this ranch work from a close vantage point.
At high noon, our wonderful volunteers served root beer floats with vanilla ice cream from Shubert’s Ice Cream & Candy, and we visited with guests to teach them about Soil Health and Conservation Easements with NCRLT. Since it was a 75-degree, cool summer day, our donated water from Tahoe Pure didn’t get as much action as we predicted, but it was clear and crisp and tasted like water should! Thank you Tahoe Pure!
The Hamilton family, stewards of one of NCLRT’s newest conservation easements established in 2023, graciously hosted us for Family Day on the Ranch. The ranch is a beautiful setting, despite being just miles from where the Park Fire tore through a month ago. Another heartfelt thank you to our local sponsors including Fish First Fly Shop, Johnny’s Lock & Safe, Morgan’s Ranch, Mountain Sports, Northern Star Mills, Shubert’s Ice Cream & Candy, and Tahoe Pure Water.
A special thank you to Chico Area Flyfishing (CAF) Association’s current President, Pat Sleeper and CAF’s “Fishout Master” Don Sleeper, and Keith, for joining us to prepare folks for California Department of Fish and Game’s Free Fishing Day on Saturday, August 31st.
This event was made possible by NCRLT’s Department of Conservation Capacity Grant, disbursing Strategic Growth Council and California Climate Credits toward increasing community outreach for agricultural properties in our service region.
