Grazing lease management
Grazing Lease Management
We write, review and supervise grazing leases on pasture near American Fork and across the surrounding valleys. A lease prepared by the ranch names the ground, the watering points, the stocking rate, the turnout date and the conditions that would cause stock to be pulled early. Those terms are not boilerplate. They are drafted against the actual condition of the pasture and the actual class of stock that will graze it.
Once the season opens, a ranch hand rides the lease on a set interval and records grass height at fixed points, the state of every gate and water source, and any sign of trespass or damage. Owners receive that record as a short written note rather than a phone call that is forgotten by the following week. If a pasture needs rest before its scheduled close, we move stock early and explain why in writing.
Leases are also reviewed for boundary clarity. Fence lines along shared boundaries are photographed at the start of the season with the date recorded, so that a disagreement later in the year can be settled by looking at a picture rather than by recollection.
Stock sales and listings
Stock Sales and Listings
Animals consigned for sale through the ranch are handled in a fixed order: weighing, description, photography, paperwork, then listing. We weigh on a maintained scale and record the weight in the corral book, then photograph each lot in flat daylight so that a buyer sees the animal as it stands. Descriptions are written plainly, including the faults, because a buyer who arrives to find a surprise does not come back to the next sale.
Brand and tag records are confirmed before listing, health papers are prepared in advance, and any withdrawal period is noted on the lot card so that a buyer knows exactly where the animal stands. Sellers receive a statement showing weights, commission, yard costs and net proceeds, delivered within a few days of settlement.
For small consignments, the ranch can group animals into a sensible lot rather than forcing a single animal into a sale that will not serve it well. For larger runs, we advise on timing so that the consignment meets a market instead of trailing one.
Feed program planning
Feed Program Planning
Feed is the largest recurring cost of a livestock operation and the easiest one to get roughly right in a way that quietly costs money for months. Our feed planning begins with a forage test on the hay actually in the stack, not on a published average. From the test we build a ration that matches protein and energy to the stage of production, then set a feeding order so that the higher quality bales go to the animals with the greatest need.
Body condition is scored on a regular interval through the winter. If the herd is drifting in either direction, the ration changes before the drift becomes a health problem. We also plan the timing of forage purchases against the expected winter, which is a judgement the ranch makes with the owner rather than for the owner.
The plan is written down and left with the owner. It names the ration, the feeding order, the review dates and the conditions that would trigger a change, so that anyone feeding the herd can follow it without guessing.
Fence and corral maintenance
Fence and Corral Maintenance
Fences and corrals are the infrastructure that makes every other service possible. The ranch walks every fence line quarterly and again after any significant wind, resetting posts, retensioning wire and replacing what cannot be saved. Gates are hung so that they swing easily and latch on the first attempt, because a gate that needs two hands is a gate that eventually gets left open.
Corral work covers panels, crowding gates, the chute floor and the alley surface. Every one of those is inspected before a pen fills. Loose pins are replaced, boards are checked for rot, and the alley is cleared of anything that could trip a horse or roll under a hoof. A repair that cannot be made before the working day means the pen stays empty until it can be, a rule that has cost the ranch time and saved it far more.
Owners on a maintenance agreement receive a photograph record of each repair with the date, so that the condition of the fence line can be tracked across several seasons rather than rediscovered each spring.
Land stewardship plans
Land Stewardship Plans
Stewardship planning looks beyond the current grazing season to the condition of the soil, the native grasses and the water edges. We map the ground, identify the sensitive areas, and design a rest rotation that gives each pasture enough recovery time to come back stronger than it went out. Watering points are reviewed as part of the plan, since a well placed trough can keep stock off a bank that would otherwise be trampled.
The plan is written in plain language and belongs to the landowner. It sets out measures that can be checked each year without a consultant, such as grass height at fixed points, the state of the riparian edge, and the presence of bare ground on slopes. Those measures are simple enough to be taken by the owner or by the next operator who takes on the ground.
We do not write plans that cannot be followed. A rotation that requires machinery the owner does not have, or a stocking rate the market cannot support, is a plan that fails quietly. The ranch writes to the ground and to the owner, and it revises the plan when the season proves part of it wrong.
Auction day coordination
Auction Day Coordination
On sale day the ranch takes responsibility for the yard so that the seller can concentrate on the sale and the buyer can concentrate on the animals. Consignments are penned by lot, paperwork is checked at the gate, and a hand walks each pen to confirm that the animals match their cards before bidding opens. Discrepancies are corrected before the gavel, never after.
We keep the alley clear for movement, confirm that the scale reads true at the start of the day, and make sure that buyers can look at an animal without being crowded. After the last lot sells, the ranch reconciles the numbers the same evening while the record is fresh, and the seller receives a statement that ties every lot back to its weight and price.
Auction day coordination can be booked alone or alongside stock sales and listings. When the two run together, the lot cards, photographs and health records prepared during listing move straight into the yard without being rewritten, which removes the most common source of sale day error.