“Decades ago, James’ dad hired a German immigrant who knew everything about ranching, such as the vanishing art of flood irrigation. He worked for the ranch for 59 years and taught the current generation how to work. He had an old German saying: “Make it easy to do it right.” James and his children make it all look easy, although I know it’s not. On the Two Dot Ranch, they’re doing it just right. ” – Jim Keen, Read More …
“It’s late at night and I still have three or more hours of driving before reaching the Siddoway Sheep Ranch. I haven’t seen another car for some time now, and I’m road weary. Rounding a bend in the road, I notice light coming from a lone motel in a small Idaho town. It’s either stop here for the night or risk falling asleep behind the wheel and ending up in a cold ditch somewhere, so I pull in.” Read More …
“James Whittaker’s family has been here since 1915, when his grandfather carved out a ranch in this wilderness. As a teenager, James’ father, Floyd, ran a twenty-mile trap line for beaver, bobcats, and coyotes high in the mountains above the ranch. He used the money he made from selling pelts to buy more land and continued to buy property before and after the Great Depression. Each purchase enhanced the ability of the next generation to continue to live Read More …
“When James, his dad and grandfather acquired land, they were always careful to include water rights. As James says, ‘Beside cattle, you need just a few things to be a successful cattleman – water and good grass.’ In 1902, the Big Timber Creek Water Right and Diversion project was established, and today provides water rights to several ranchers in the region. Recently a lawsuit was filed to block the delivery of this water, hoping it would help stop Read More …
“More loss has come from the depressed wool and lamb market now that cheaper, imported wool has gained such a foothold. Jeff and Cindy Siddoway have been forced to diversify their operation in ways never dreamed of by their ancestors. Inspired by an episode of Little House on the Prairie, the family was determined to make something good rise out of a hopeless situation, and made a bold move into the world of quality wool blankets. Siddoway blankets Read More …