Third generation honors

The Kreps ranch is currently run by Pat and her three sons -- Keith, Kris and Kelly and their families (top photo).

The ranch operates on 7000 plus acres, leasing another 35,000 acres for spring, summer and early fall grazing. The cattle herd consists of 550 cows, primarily Angus, with one-third polled Herefords and two-thirds Angus for their bulls. The ranch is no longer a solely cow/calf operation. The Kreps Family still sells calves and yearlings, but also retains and sells heifers for a bred heifer program.

The start to Saturday's tour of the ranch began in Husum where the family bought some irrigated land. Keith (pictured right) welcomed visitors to the tour and offered a brief history of the operation.

Attendees then traveled to the ranch's primary operation in the Gilmer valley, where Kris and Kelly demonstrated the ranch's small logging mill (pictured left). The mill is primarily used for cutting lumber for the ranch. The current generation actively logs its timber holdings moving anywhere from 500,000 to 1,000,000 board feet a year.

Following a barbecue lunch at the ranch, it was on to the Glenwood area where the family leases land.

The day included a tour of the hay operation which consists of 200 acres of irrigated alfalfa and alfalfa/grass mix in the Husum and BZ area; 450 acres of dry land alfalfa, alfalfa/grass and grass in the Gilmer Valley, and 450 acres of canary and native grass in the Conboy Lake area. The ranch puts up between 2,000 and 2,5000 ton a year.