Sierra Ranch, LLC

Where You Leave The City Behind!

Lambs – From pickup to freezer

Lambs – From pickup to freezer

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I have a friend that raises sheep. It was finally time to see if I could raise something bigger for the freezer than chickens, turkeys, and rabbits. I picked up two rams and two pigs (more on them later) on June 5, 2021. They stayed in the chicken yard, which might be renamed the barnyard, until we processed them on July 31, 2021. Here are some pictures along the way as well as us processing them and the packaged meat. These two rams are now in two freezers.

  • Coming home to Sierra Ranch, LLC
  • Checking out the grass
  • Learning to be touched
  • Eating in the chicken coop with the pigs
  • First one up
  • Ffiguring out the cuts
  • Second one up
  • Ccutting up the meat
  • Meat from the first one
  • Meat from the second
  • Ground lamb
  • My salad with ground lamb

It is really satisfying to grow, process and cook your own food. This fall we will show more on the pig processing. Contact me if you want to learn more.

Deb Stowers
Sierra Ranch, LLC
918-607-6094
https://sierraranchok.com/
Container Gardening

Container Gardening

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Since I have live on the ranch I have tried to grow a vegetable garden in several locations around the property. Even trying at the end of the pool one year since no one could remember to water the garden.

I love using containers for several different reasons. I like the raised bed approach. It helps keep the weeds down. And now the chickens can’t get in the garden as much.

I have a neighbor with a trash pile. I have scavenged black tubs from it for a few years. The tubs are from feeding cows supplements. And one year we found a great old water trough that didn’t hold water anymore. It makes a great container.

Three Sisters Garden

This year I tried a three sisters garden in the trough. Along with some cold weather plants that didn’t make it in the cool weather, but that’s another story. I had heirloom seeds from Mozybeau Farms. (That is an Amazon link and I get a small commission if you buy threw it.) I planted several different things, but so far the corn is the only one making progress.

A three sisters garden is corn in the middle with beans around the corn and squash around the beans. I got one squash before the squash bugs got my plants. My beans are still trying and the corn is sky high.

Filling the Trough

I was worried about the amount of dirt it would take to fill the trough. I added some rocks that were supposed to make a front garden and didn’t. Then I had someone mention that you could add wood to the beds to create a  hugelkultur garden bed. Basically, you place scrap wood. I had wood from a fireplace I don’t use any longer as well as limbs that the wind blew down in the yard. Then manure. I used the chicken litter. I added a couple bags of peat moss on top for the growing area and to start the seeds. Next year I will need to add some additional dirt at the logs decompose.

Add Plants

Here is the tough with the cold weather plants and squash added. The corn and beans were added in the following weeks.

Then it was a waiting game to see what grew well. Some of the broccoli and cauliflower actually made tiny heads. I should have harvested them at that time rather than let them grow a bit more.

We have had a hot dry summer. Even with watering, it has been hard to make the garden grow well.

Squash Bugs!

As I said I got one squash. Then bugs attacked. Here the pictures. I also thought the little bit of rain we had gotten was enough and didn’t water for about five days. and then overwatered.

Follow me on Instagram and see the latest goodies from my gardens and what new things I am trying next.

If there is a topic you would like to learn more about, just visit the contact page and drop me an email. I’d love to hear about your adventures.

Where you can leave the city behind!

Deb Stowers
Sierra Ranch, LLC
918-607-6094
https://sierraranchok.com/
Creating Your Life

Creating Your Life

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Life on a ranch is very interesting. Growing your own food and food for your animals can be fun and challenging. This blog has always been about how I am learning to grow more and do more with my land.

I was raised more in the city than in the country, but always had some country aunts, uncles and cousins to go visit. We had gardens growing up from time to time. And I have tried gardening in many of the places I lived before owning the ranch. I grow mostly in containers on the ranch. I will post more on that soon. The picture on the right is one night pickings. I also have chickens and get several eggs a day. I have raised meat chickens and turkeys. And will be posting more on that as well.

In 2017 the pasture had only a few horses on it that summer and we had great rain. The back 20 acres made 89 round bales. This year we haven’t gotten the rain and are hoping to get some hay, but are looking for hay from outside sources. Pasture management is tricky and you are at the mercy of the rain to make great pasture.

If you want to follow along on my journey to become more self-sufficient and learn to live off my land a bit more, subscribe to my newsletter in the box to the right. Monthly emails will go out with updates on how things are progressing. I will talk about what is working and what didn’t so that you can learn what to incorporate in your small homestead.

If there is a topic you would like to learn more about, just visit the contact page and drop me an email. I’d love to hear about your adventures.

Where you can leave the city behind!

Deb Stowers
Sierra Ranch, LLC
918-607-6094
https://sierraranchok.com/
Turkeys Week 2

Turkeys Week 2

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So the turkeys are officially a week old. And I lost two in the first week, but some loss is to be expected. They are starting to be more active and are kinda cute little fluff balls. Not sure how much longer they will stay in the single pool area. They are getting more mobile.

They don’t have to have marbles in their feed anymore. They know that feed is to eat. And they are doing well at eating.

Just a note about the pool. I was at the dollar store shortly after these were put on sale. Several had holes in them from shipping. I pointed that out to the manager and he ended up giving me all the ones that were damaged. It is so much easier to keep the shaving confined than just leaving things on the garage floor. If you are thinking about getting young birds a pool is a great way to contain the mess.

Check back next week for more adventures in raising turkeys.

Where you can leave the city behind!

Deb Stowers
Sierra Ranch, LLC
918-607-6094
https://sierraranchok.com/

Turkeys Week 1

Turkeys Week 1

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So last fall I saw a post on Facebook and bought three turkeys from a friend. And they were a bit easier than the meat chickens to raise and process and made lots more meat. So I got to thinking about actually trying to order turkeys and raising some. This is our journey.

All good stories have a partner in crime. I talked my boyfriend into having the birds delivered to his house and he could bring them to the ranch, so they could live in my garage for a bit. I ordered these from Hoover Hatchery. The minimum order was 10.

They get shipped and Alan picked them up at the post office. They were so tiny. I had their pen set up and everything ready for when they got to the ranch. Alan had had baby chickens before, but this was our first time with turkeys and with shipped birds.

We got them settled into their new pen. Added marbles to the water and food so they could find the important things in life. Modified their box to allow them a home and a place to get warm. And now we feed them and wait about 20 weeks. The last picture is what the toms will look like.

Follow Sierra Ranch on Facebook or Instagram to get progress reports on the turkeys. I will post more updates here as well.

Where you can leave the city behind!

Deb Stowers
Sierra Ranch, LLC
918-607-6094
https://sierraranchok.com/
Eggs For Sale!

Eggs For Sale!

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We have lots of farm fresh eggs for sale. Our chickens are pasture raised and produce amazing eggs. We are getting between 18-25 eggs a day and have them for sale. Come pick your eggs. Lots of colors.

$3 for a  dozen.

$4 for an 18 pack.

Located at Sierra Ranch, LLC, or we can meet in Claremore.

We even bought egg cartons and will have labels soon. Contact us to get your eggs.

Come ride a Champion at Sierra Ranch, LLC!

Deb Stowers
Sierra Ranch, LLC
918-607-6094
https://sierraranchok.com/

Free Dog to a Good Home!

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Not sure how much time I have to get him given away Sooner would be better.

Rick has decided that Bubba must really go. He will take him to the pound, Rick just doesn’t know where the pound it. 😛

Bubba is part blue heeler, part Austraulian sheppard. He is probably about a year old. He stands about 18″ or so and around 40 pounds. (I am not a good judge of dog flesh. He is small for a TB.) 🙂 He has had all his shots, he is nuetered, and housebroken. He has not grown much since we got him in June. He is a dog and Rick has decided we don’t need one.

Bubba is trained to voice commands. He will come when called. He loves to play and is great with kids and cats. He loves playing with his hands. His one bad habit: Chewing. I think he is out growing it and I know it is happening less frequently, but he does chew.

If you would like to give Bubba a home please email me and let me know. I have attached a few picutres or you can go to https://www.sierraranchok.com/dog.html and see more pictures.

Thanks,
Deb Stowers
deb@sierraranchok.com
More contact info on the website.