Second Annual Branding Party

In our 55 years of business, we only just celebrated our second annual branding party in June. For the second time in a row, Calvin and Chantal Bushfield treated us to some incredible smoked brisket while we branded and treated a small portion of our calf herd.

Branding calves has long been a cornerstone of traditional livestock management, especially on large ranches and open-range operations. Despite the rise of modern identification methods like RFID tags and digital records, branding remains an essential practice for many cattle producers. Its importance lies in its permanence, reliability, and the legal protection it offers. Adding our brand permanently marks that we are the owners of the cattle and deters theft.

Beyond its practical purposes, branding is deeply woven into the culture and heritage of ranching communities. Branding days—where neighbors and families gather to brand, vaccinate, and process calves—serve as both a working event and a social tradition. These gatherings reinforce community ties and help preserve the ranching way of life. It also serves as a great way to team build and thank our team for their incredible efforts during the calving season.

Some of our third generation children were able to take part in the event, with Sara Thorlakson helping to pull the first calf to start it off, Tucker Scott testing out his new chaps, and Carter Cybulskie branding her first calf.

We were incredibly lucky this year to be joined by one of our rising star staff members, Boots Graham, who played some of his music for the process team.