The Idaho Rancher's Wife

The Ranch From the Wife's Perspective

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Meet The Idaho Rancher's Wife

About The Idaho Rancher’s Wife

About The Ranch

Hello! I'm Allison, The Rancher's Wife! There's nothing I love more than being out on the ranch with my husband and kids. Join me for a look at what goes on here at the ranch and the life being a rancher's wife!

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Recent Posts

10 Downsides of Rural Ranch Life. But…

The grocery store is far away, … [Read More...]

Direct-to-Consumer Beef Is a Lane, Not the Highway

Every time the beef industry … [Read More...]

A Letter to a Teacher

Dear Teacher of My Ranch Kid, … [Read More...]

The Itinerary is Only a Suggestion

I’ve learned that “quick” is a … [Read More...]

An All-Hands-on-Deck Kind of Day

When a broken water system, … [Read More...]

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About Me

Hello! I'm Allison, The Rancher's Wife! There's nothing I love more than being out on the ranch with my husband and kids. Join me for a look at what goes on here at the ranch and the life being a rancher's wife!

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theidahorancherswife

Idaho ranch wife + mama 🐮🤠
Living on cattle, cocoa & kids running wild.
Daily ranch life, western style all with a side of dirt.

They have been looking forward to this day for wee

They have been looking forward to this day for weeks.

And so have I.

There are days I enjoy the quiet working without them, but soaking up these days working together fills my heart. I already fe they are growing way too fast.

But I’m sure proud of the young men they are becoming.

#mommaletyourbabiesgrowuptobecowboys
#ranchkid
#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#cowboylife

Putting your kindergarten math skills to the test

Putting your kindergarten math skills to the test 🤣. The Rancher got 63 and I… got 63 too 😮‍💨. If our numbers were different, he would definitely be wrong, not me 😬

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#weaningcattle
#cattleranching
#countingcows

If you ever wondered if God hears a weary, wanderi

If you ever wondered if God hears a weary, wandering cowgirl, I can assure you he does.

The days riding up and down the mountain looking for cattle can get long. I had found a pocket of cows tucked under some cedar trees but had quite a ways to get there to them. Crossing through a big wash, I lost track of exactly which trees I was heading for.

It’s silly but I felt defeated and frustrated. With a much closer perspective of that mountainside, everything looked different. I decided to backtrack a little, not wanting to skip any patch of trees that *could* have been the ones.

As I started riding forward I said a silent prayer, ”Lord, help me find these cows.”

Less than 30 seconds later, I hear a single “moo” behind me. I whipped around to see just the nose of a cow poking out behind the black shade of the tree.

I had found the cows!

Let this be a little reminder that God cares, even about helping find cows on the mountain. You just have to ask for help.

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#godfearingcowgirl
#outontherange
#godbless

Trail side musing from The Idaho Rancher’s Wife… i

Trail side musing from The Idaho Rancher’s Wife… in the end, I should have grabbed the jacket 🤦🏼‍♀️
#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#musings
#cowboylife
#outontherange

Crisp fall mornings gathering cattle off the mount

Crisp fall mornings gathering cattle off the mountains of the summer range are some of my favorite days of the year!

My house is a mess, the laundry is piling up and the to-do list is fiercely long, but I won’t give up these days for anything.

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#ranching
#outontherange
#fallwork

Last night I looked up at the countless star above

Last night I looked up at the countless star above me and, not for the first time, was in awe of this beautiful world we live in!

There are plenty of things I’d change about living in the middle of nowhere, don’t get me wrong. But giving up the life that comes with them isn’t one of them.

What would be on your list of inconveniences?
What makes it worth it for you?

Read my list on my website, TheIdahoRanchersWife.com
https://theidahorancherswife.com/10-downsides-of-rural-ranch-life-but/

#ruralliving
#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#countryliving
#sograteful

“Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful, a

“Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful, and most noble employment of man”. George Washington

Amen, George. Amen.

They sure don’t make presidents like they used to…

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#agriculture
#horseofinstagram
#ranchlife

Yes, the American beef herd is shrinking. We all k

Yes, the American beef herd is shrinking. We all know that. And it’s a REALLY valid concern.

But did you also know that annually, ranchers are producing more pounds than the year before? Since 2023, we have averaged nearly 50 pounds more per carcass!

That doesn’t mean the shrinking herd isn’t a supply problem—it clearly is. But it means head count alone doesn’t tell the whole story.

These facts tell me that ranchers are doing all they can, despite challenges like rising input costs and drought conditions, to provide beef to American families.

If we really want to support producers rebuilding their herd, here’s my suggestion:

Lower our input costs, not the price of our cattle.

And let’s start with fuel. Because that not only supports the American rancher, but American families as well.

If you want us to raise more cattle, help make it more affordable to raise them.

If you could make one change for producers, what would it be? Tell me in the comments! 👇🏻👇🏻

#lifeonacattleranch
#beefindustry
#cattleindustry
#ranching
agriculture

No complaints today using our new @pneudart gun to

No complaints today using our new @pneudart gun to doctor a few animals today. I only wish I could be this accurate roping… Excuse me while I get some practice in- a LOT of practice 😂
#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#dartgun
#doctoringcattle
#ranchlife

Direct-to-consumer beef is a lane, not a highway.

Direct-to-consumer beef is a lane, not a highway.

Every time we talk about the challenges facing the beef industry, I hear the same solution: Why don’t consumers just buy directly from ranchers?

There’s a place for direct-to-consumer beef. I believe that. But as a cow-calf producer, I also know it isn’t a realistic answer for most ranchers—or a replacement for the system that moves beef from the ranch to grocery stores and restaurants across the country.

The problem isn’t that every rancher needs to find a way around the beef supply chain. We need to look at how we make the system itself more competitive.

Read my latest ag column: “Direct-to-Consumer Beef Is a Lane, Not the Highway.” https://theidahorancherswife.com/direct-to-consumer-beef-is-a-lane-not-the-highway/

#IdahoRanchersWife
#LifeOnACattleRanch
#BeefIndustry
#CattleIndustry
#AmericanBeef

Four years ago, I wrote a letter apologizing to my

Four years ago, I wrote a letter apologizing to my kids’ teachers for the fact that my ranch kids had spent their summer doing everything except what most people would consider “schoolwork.”

Four years later, I owe their teachers an update.

The ranch still doesn’t do worksheets, summer reading schedules, or packets of problems to complete before lunch. But it has continued teaching some pretty important lessons—responsibility, problem-solving, consequences, patience, hard work, economics, and eventually, confidence.

They may not all show up on a report card, but I’m beginning to think they belong on one anyway.

Dear Teacher of My Ranch Kid, four years later…

https://theidahorancherswife.com/a-letter-to-a-teacher/

#RanchLife
#RaisingRanchKids
#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#RanchMom

I’ve learned that “quick” is a relative term when

I’ve learned that “quick” is a relative term when spoken by a rancher.

A parts run can become a multi-town scavenger hunt, and checking water can turn into fixing fence, chasing cows and solving the world’s problems over a barbed-wire fence.

But somehow, I still climb into the pickup every time. Am I the only one??

Read it all at TheIdahoRanchersWife.com

#RanchWifeLife
#RanchLifeHumor
#RanchWife
#LifeOnACattleRanch
#MarriedToARancher

He’s adamant we can’t call him cute because ranche

He’s adamant we can’t call him cute because ranchers aren’t cute. And while he wrong that ranchers aren’t cute, he is totally right that he is a rancher, little as he is.

When a broken water system, wandering cattle, and a handful of unexpected problems all hit on the same day, everyone on our ranch had to pitch in—even the youngest hands.

It was a reminder that on a ranch, there’s always work for someone willing to learn, and today’s little helper often becomes tomorrow’s dependable hand.

Read the whole story on the blog: https://theidahorancherswife.com/an-all-hands-on-deck-kind-of-day/

#ranchlife #cattleranching #learningonthejob #allhandsondeck #lifeonacattleranch

Since we don’t have a maid, a laundress, a chef or

Since we don’t have a maid, a laundress, a chef or a chauffeur, I tend to have less days on the ranch then I’d like.

Silver lining- I get to be in the air conditioned house instead of sweating in this summer heat 😆.

If I get to pick and choose my days out working, I’ll choose a day on horseback, EVERY TIME.

But it makes me wonder- what would you choose?
Moving cows?
Roping?
Planting?
Working cute side?
A day in the shop?
Building fence…? 🤪

Tell me in the comments below!⬇️
#ranchlife
#whatsyourfavorite
#marriedtoarancher
#lifeonacattleranch
#adayontheranch

God Bless America, Land That I Love #lifeonacattl

God Bless America, Land That I Love
#lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher #ranchlife #IndependenceDay #proudtobeanamerican

Sometimes I ask myself if we are in the midst of a

Sometimes I ask myself if we are in the midst of a second dust bowl era. Who knew you could stir up such a mess?!

We pray for rain but then we also say, “but if not… bless us to know what else there is to be done.”

I don’t know any rain dances, unless you count the pat down I do to the shake off the dust. But I do know how to keep hoping, praying, and trying again tomorrow.

Because really, what else is there?

Giving up? I don’t think so.

#prayforrain
#dustfordays
#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#ranchlife

He is hands down everyone’s favorite guy in this h

He is hands down everyone’s favorite guy in this house.

Dad means fun and adventure.
Dad means possibilities and opportunities.
Dad means trying new things.

Dad means catching frogs, checking cows, taking the long way home, and saying “hop in” when there’s work to be done.

Dad means learning how to work hard, laugh often, and not be afraid to get a little dirt on your boots.

Dad means safety and security.
Dad means knowing someone is always in your corner.
Dad means being loved, protected, and believed in.

Around here, Dad is the one who can fix almost anything, answer almost any question, and somehow make every ordinary day feel like an adventure.

Happy Father’s Day to our favorite cowboy.

A friend recently passed way. At his funeral multi

A friend recently passed way. At his funeral multiple people said that he named his family as greatest accomplishment of his life.

He had known success and failure, but through it all he was most proud of raising a family and what they had become.

I have dreams and goals, but that idea of the greatest success comes from the family you raise is really hitting home for me lately. I take more pride it’s seeing my kids accomplish things than in my own accomplishments.

These days on the range working tinder as a family have been a treasure. I realize that we don’t have many years left before the first kids start leaving the herd so I’m going to soak it all in while I can. 🥹

#ranchlife
#familyranching
#ranchinggenerations
#movingcattle
#outontherange

There is no one with a sniffer that can out sniff

There is no one with a sniffer that can out sniff a bull surround by cows in heat. This tantalizing pheromones can bring in bulls over the mountains, miles away.

That puts even my teenage son smelling dinner on the stove to shame 🤣

But that’s just fine. These bulls have a lot of work to covering a herd it in the range. Three months of hard work before they go back to the life of luxury.

Here’s a little breeding trivia (I post the answers in the comments later tonight):
How far can a bull smell a cow in heat?
How long is a cow in heat?
What is the average number of cows a bull will cover in a breeding season?

#ranchlife
#cattle
#breedingseason
#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher

The people. The work. The laughing. The food. T

The people.
The work.
The laughing.
The food.
The dust… strike that, not the dust…

I think this season of branding has been favorite. One to remember for sure.

#lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher #ranchlife #brandingseason #cowboylife

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10 Downsides of Rural Ranch Life. But…
Direct-to-Consumer Beef Is a Lane, Not the Highway
A Letter to a Teacher
The Itinerary is Only a Suggestion

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