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Down A Cow Trail

Hand Sown & Homegrown

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ABOUT ME

If you travel down a cow trail in the Nebraska Sandhills, you might find me, Tiffany. A transplant from the Pacific Northwest to the Nebraska Prairie. Wife to a 5th generation rancher, & mommy to the 6th generation.

5 Generations of Cattlemen

We raise registered Black Angus cattle (and my small herd of Jerseys) all out on our beautiful rolling Sandhill pastures and meadows. My husband’s family established this ranch in 1885 – and they’ve lived and ranched here ever since. Passing down knowledge from one generation to the next. My husband is passionate about his cattle. It’s in his blood. He is very dedicated to our cattle and our family. Ranchers are the toughest people out there. Snow storm, hail storm, sweltering heat, they are out in it. That’s real grit. I’m very proud of my husband and thankful I get to stand beside him through it all.

My New Home

I fell in love with a Sandhills rancher, got married, and moved to the prairie. Our home is nestled down a cow trail or two between several big hill pastures. Surrounded by a small forest of cottonwoods, ash, and other species, we have our own little micro-climate and better soil than some of the surrounding “sand”. I’m so thankful for this, as I LOVE to be out in the garden and am continually adding new garden beds to our landscape.

We live 25 miles from our “hometown” – population 1,200. It’s a sweet little town where people know you by name, and I’m pretty sure EVERYONE is related. Everyone.

The Pacific Northwest

Growing up, my parents always empowered us to learn how to create things on our own. They were DIY before it was cool. They remodeled my Grandparent’s 1910 farmhouse into a beautiful home. It took them 10 years, but they did most of it by themselves and valued quality over speed. My parents homeschooled myself and my two sisters. That is something I have always been thankful for. We will be homeschooling our own children out here on the prairie.

My husband grew up going to a country school only about 4 miles away from the ranch. It’s closed down now, so that wouldn’t be an option for us anyhow. I’ve always known I wanted to homeschool our children and I’m so glad I have such a great environment to do so now.

Where Credit is due

My parents also instilled in me a deep faith, and the importance of walking in that faith and sharing it with others. You will find that same faith laced throughout my posts, and it is the foundation to my whole story. Afterall, God is the author of every story you will find here. He deserves the credit.

At the age of 16 I attended a community college (that I later came back to teach at for a short time) and then went on to graduate from Washington State University with a B.A. in interior design. I only use it now for my own home, or for helping friends out on design decisions. It did lead me to graphic design, which I use quite frequently now.

Contentment

Now living in the sandhills, being so far away from family and all that I knew as home, I have found my new home and it is the sweetest feeling. I know that I will never move. This is where my grandchildren will come to visit me, on my front porch sitting on my porch swing. I know that my children will grow up to be the 6th generation and continue the legacy their great-great-great-grandparents began with their homesteads. I have had my moments of finding contentment in solitude, learning to do with what I have, and trying to think of ways to improve our lives. As the old adage goes, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” I say that to myself from time to time.

My desire is to live a healthy and clean life (although I occasionally have a sugared up latte in town!). I have developed so many good friendships here. Lasting friendships. We all try to keep each other accountable. And I’m thankful for that.

I’m also thankful to have you along for this journey down a cow trail!

Happy Trails!

Tiffany

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Windmill
If you travel down a cow trail in the Nebraska Sandhills, you might find me, Tiffany. Wife to a 5th generation rancher, & mommy to the 6th generation. We raise registered Black Angus cattle, along with my little herd of Jersey cows. Originally a PNW native, I married a rancher and moved to the Nebraska prairie...Read more...
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POPULAR POSTS

3 Reasons Why You Need Ceramic Eggs in Your Coop

Molly

Simple Daily Milking Routine For the Home Dairy

Your Guide to Buying a Family Milk Cow

Molly…always with her nose in the food. My kinda Molly…always with her nose in the food. My kinda girl😂 Had our first snow that was more than just a dusting today. So thankful!

I’ve been so busy lately. My garden basket hit bestseller on Etsy🙏🏻🙌🏻 so my shop has been quite busy. I’m so thankful and it keeps me hopping!
Collected ingredients for supper tonight from the Collected ingredients for supper tonight from the veg garden😋 I used the small garden basket I made for our daughter. These ones are great for collecting produce and eggs! 

Garden baskets are back in stock on my Etsy site in multiple sizes!
Late summer (and drought 🥴) garden views! We ha Late summer (and drought 🥴) garden views! We had rain yesterday and it felt so good! Thankful for every drop 🙏🏻
Life has been busy to say the least! Thankful for Life has been busy to say the least! Thankful for a business I can run at home and for a milk cow who keeps us and our extended family well stocked! 

My grandparents grew up during the Great Depression. I’ll always remember how my grandma (who grew up in Charlo, MT) said they didn’t suffer because they had a milk cow. My grandpa grew up in Butte, MT and he suffered from rickets as a child due to malnutrition during the depression. I’ll always have a milk cow! 

We are getting quite a few fall calves now and sure enjoying the cool mornings!
Garden baskets are back in stock! And now customiz Garden baskets are back in stock! And now customizable with a laser engraved name! 

I’ve made a limited amount of baskets and plan to restock again in a couple weeks. You can find them with the personalization option in my Etsy shop💛

 #downacowtrail #handsownhomegrown #gardener #gardenersworld #gardengift #gardenbasket #gardentools #gardeningtools #inthegarden #gardening #goodliferanchwife #gardeninglife #gardeninglove #homesteading #rurallife #ranchwife #ranchlife #agwomen #womeninag #artistsoninstagram #fineart #womensupportingwomen #womeninbiz #gardenlife #gardengals #womenownedbusiness #ruralliving #nebraska #nebraskalife
Molly has made the transition to OAD (once a day) Molly has made the transition to OAD (once a day) milking. I love it when my cows get to this point in their lactations😅 The cow’s milk supply is stable and the calf nurses enough so that we can find this lovely balance. 

I still keep Molly locked off of fresh grass at night feeding her cake and alfalfa. This keeps the rumen working and makes the milk sweeter and creamier. Her calf is locked in with her at night, for now. 

Penny (the heifer on the left) stays out on grass all night.

#downacowtrail #handsownhomegrown #goodliferanchwife #jerseycow #familycow #milkcow #rawmilk #a2a2milk #dairycows #dairycowsofinstagram #heifercalf #heifers  #jerseyheifer #jerseycows #thegoodlife #ranchwife #ranchlife #homesteadlife #rurallife #ruralliving #homesteadersofinstagram #homesteadersofamerica #homesteading #jerseyscowsofinstagram #ranching #cowsofinstagram #ranchlife #livingthecountrylife #countrylifestyle #ranchher #womeninag
Canned this year’s first batch of peaches this w Canned this year’s first batch of peaches this week. So delicious!! I grew up helping my mom can, and peaches was one of my favorite things to help with 😋 

45 peaches to a dozen quarts for reference. 

Pro tips: To get beautiful canned peaches (that aren’t mushy), can the peaches when they are just starting to get soft to the touch. 

When removing skins in hot water, watch them closely and remove them from the water as soon as the skin is ready to peel. If you leave then in too long the peaches will start to cook and they won’t can up as pretty😍
For a few years now I’ve been focusing on adding For a few years now I’ve been focusing on adding more perennials to our landscape. One of the reasons why…I love Hydrangeas😍 This Incrediball hydrangea is still young, but it’s blooms are so big and beautiful, and they last a long time! 

Perennials are so good for giving structure and beauty to a landscape. It’s been a dry year, and these babies love moisture, so making sure they have enough water has been a priority. 💦
Mr. Toad - a welcome guest in my garden any day 🐸 One of our kiddos’ favorite critters to catch. Did you know toads squeak? Swipe to hear what they sound like 😅
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