Coming Up for Air! Phew!

I've been buried under the computer all week! My eyeballs are burning! My brain is spinning!

We have two events this weekend where we are promoting our Ranch Products and gosh, I am spinning my poor itty bitty brain wheels!

I need a clone. Make that several. One that can be the mom and help with the school stuff, the other that can manage the house - beast that it is, another that can deal with the 'restaurant' I seem to be running here (my tummy is growling), and of course, the business chick that has been crankin' it out and trying to get ready for the markets, the events, and Spring! It's all coming to a head!

Tomorrow night we are at one Art Related Venue (if you click on the link, open their Newsletter and read about us!) and I've been updating our brochures, newsletter, egg carton design, and other pub materials! I even boiled a bunch of our eggs and the kids and I will decorate them to be on our info table. This is to debut our Pasture Poultry Eggs, and our Lamb for Easter. The folks at the venue will be sampling Rack of Lamb, Lamb Shoulder Steaks, and Lamb and Beef salamis. And, toward the end of the evening, they can take home the decorated eggs!

And, I am also at a 2-day small business workshop/fair, again, starting tomorrow. For about 2 hours I'll be 'cloned' and in two places at once... and I need to prep a few things for that event also! I volunteered to bring some snacks to promote our salamis. So, I need to make some pretty platters, display our business cards and other promo materials...

Let me tell you. When it rains, it pours! When it snows it blows!

Yep. Snowing Again!

I wish my cousin Deb was here! Deb recently finished her culinary schooling in SF, and is so darn talented! She loves lamb and wine and has an awesome sense of humor! I need that... And, she also has some very cool numerology skills I'll be sharing with you in another post. I need to get more info from her.

Anyway, I promise to take photos of our displays and the events and post them.

I also need to share some photos from Sami's Science Fair last night! Too darn Cute!

And, a few layouts I have been hiding from you!

Thanks for hearing me out. It helps.

Here's a link to the Ranch Blog with more details....

Date Night - A Recap

Mr. Sexton toasting with the featured local wine - Gillstrap Brothers
Red, of course! There were three reds, one a blend, a Merlot, and a Cab.
I went with the Merlot. We came home with 2 bottles!
Gillstrap Brothers is the wine that Mr. Sexton bought for my birthday.
Very tasty..

The Band - Summit Ridge (Blue Grass)
This band is hot! Oh what a great night -
outdoor dining, and listening to these guys play for 2 hours!

The Food - Sexton Ranches All Natural Beef Bratwurst

The Food - Sexton Ranches Natural Lamb Burger

Saturday we had a date! One of those rare 'go out' evenings, without the kids, although somewhat work related, we called it a date anyway. Afterall, we ate, drank and caught some great music. A beautiful evening!

It all started with a little restaurant that was featuring our meat, for an outdoor event and promoting eating locally raised foods. The entire menu was comprised of local foods. We got the call on Tuesday from one of the band members, who then gave us to the restaurant. Yes, you heard that right, Tuesday before the event! Guts, I tell you...

Well, once a month, the owner of Hwy 30 (a little diner) features a dinner and band. The band picks the food. This band, which I just happen to LOVE because they play fairly often at the La Grande Farmers Market, picked 'us', as in Sexton Ranches Natural Lamb and Beef, to be the featured main course.

So, we worked out a few details - wheeling and dealing. And, as you can see, we even made it to the event! Hopefully they will get the kinks worked out in their even planning. It was a delightful evening, great menu, but oh so few people in attendance!

More for us!

Quick News

Howdy partners!

So, I've embarked on a new project.. A new blog for our grass fed lamb and beef customers... The address is: www.sextonranchblog.blogspot.com .
When I created Perfect Gravy I had hoped to make it an all inclusive blog - ranch, customers, my musings, art, etc... I think it was 'too inclusive', so now we have a special place for our customers....so they don't get 'lost' and also so I am focused on meeting their needs.. Focus, Focus, Focus. I need to to that from time to time...

It's the Sexton Ranch Round Up... the blog header...

But friends can visit too! OK, family also. I like it... So, guess I will be double blogging... Seems to be my 2008 theme... I am running two computers as well... OH! Did I Forget to Tell YOU???? (tee hee)... Santa Baby brought me a new computer! I now have Windows Visa, a flat screen monitor, lots of bells and whistles, and it only took me about 3 days to load some of my old files, setup my email account, etc... I DID NOT setup the website email account on my new computer.... I am so sick of the gross spam I get off that thing... I loaded the website email on the old computer, and I had 1135 email messages since December 25th - all gross nasty spam things... Disgusting... not one 'true' customer! (our frequent customers have the 'bat line' email address, my personal one)...

I'm running both computers because, well, I can't find the original CD's for two very important programs (QuickBooks Pro and Microsoft Access...).. DOLT! Maybe I'll find them...I don't want to purchase them just for this computer!

Other Quick News Items:

• I am juror number 172. Criminal trial for tomorrow morning was settled out of court (Thank GOD!)
• My 9 year old angel is turning 10 on Saturday!!! We are having a very special party, at a place called 'The Little Pig'... Kids get to make ceramic art... Woo Hoo! Love Art.
• Woodstove is smoking... and driving me crazy... Needs a fixin'.
• No sun for 2 days. Humf.
• Little puppy now has a name! Patch! I will be showcasing him soon. Photos. Not weird dog clothes. That's a no no.
• New mail lady does not deliver our mail until about 5pm. Gives new meaning to snail mail. Ponder that one, will you? Got a good visual? Good.
• Have a meeting at the school in oh, 30 minutes. PTCO stuff... I am the President. Big event on Feb. 1st, our Chili Feed, Raffle and Live Auction. Send Money. We are trying to raise about $4,500 for our little rural school.
  
• I want to chop my hair off... Drives me crazy...
  
• I want to sit in my craft room and play! Wah!!! Maybe tomorrow....
  

OK. That's enough. Thanks for listening...

Calling All Lamb & Beef Clients! Input Needed!

I need some assistance... if any of you reading this blog are our lamb and beef clients I would truly appreciate some input.

Our website continues to need 'upgrades' in order to serve you, our clients better. I emailed our new prices to our web designer two weeks ago, and we are still having design issues with how to get the interface more user friendly.

I try to email pricing sheets to those that request them and it is a tedious process at best.
So here is my question.... (actually 4, pick one that best serves your needs!)

1. Would you like to see a separate blog dedicated to the ranch business that has pricing data, product data, and delivery information, and a place for me to answer common questions, or
2. Would you prefer the data was at this site, and you could just access the appropriate archives (data on the left side, do the same as in #1) or
3. Would you prefer to get all info at the Web Site or
4. Everything is cool, and you are fine with the emails...

If you don't feel comfortable answering on this blog please email your answers to andisexton at cascadeaccess dot com. Sorry for the funky address, just trying to reduce spam (and I get tons from the website! Viagra anyone? Apparently the world web thinks I need it, as well as bigger body parts that would involve a sex change!)...

Thank you for your help!

Advent Day 10 - Happy Holidays!!! Meet Jess

Presenting......Our Christmas Card from Sexton Ranches

Every time I read or say out loud 'Happy holidays' I break out in song, Bing Crosby style!!!!
This is our Christmas Card (be sure to click on it to see it in all its glory!) that we are sending to all our wonderful beef and lamb clients...and some relatives and some friends!

You haven't met Jess yet - he is our new guard dog - and he is in the background with the sheep. Jess' full name is Jessie James, courtesy of Sami, the namer of all creatures great and small.

Jess is a shy guy... A true Guard Dog... also a little sweetie pie.. You can walk up to him, and he wags his tail, but he has his flight zone... get too close and off he goes!

Jess is the young dog Sami & Dick went to get after our other guard dogs were killed by the train. He actually came with a name... a mean one (Satan)... his previous owner obviously did not know his true spirit...

Advent Day 9 - Just a recap from yesterday.. Sami decided we needed a tea party.. She is so intuitive! She broke out her beautiful tea set from Auntie Paula, a Beatrix Potter collection, and she and I and Jake had tea and cookies! She made real herb tea. It was such a great Sunday event! Everyone poured their own tea. And our little hostess passed around cream and sugar. Afterwards I napped.. Sami joined me. Oh, life is wonderful! Of course it was only 11 am, but once again my insomnia woke me about 2:20 am and I just can't get back to sleep! By the way, in case any relatives are reading, Sami's tea set only has 2 cups.. we may need to upgrade!

Well, I am off to Grand Jury orientation! Yep.. I might be a little busy January through April! The kids are so curious about the jury process.. on one hand I would love to be selected since it will be a great experience to share with them. The downside is we would be home bound for Spring Break, and any other trips planned... and the markets start up again mid April! Oh well.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Our Customer Appreciation Day is Tomorrow!

This is a shot of some of the lamb sausage & salami we will be taste testing


Gonna Fire up the BBQ! (those are Sexton Ranches T-bones by the way!)



Photo from last year's event...
Dick giving a talk about rotational grazing & use of hotwire & daily moves..


Jake & I on last year's Pasture walk


Sami on the Hay Ride last year

SO!! The past couple of weeks have been hectic, trying to get ready for tomorrow, while at the same time getting all our regular work done (markets, kid soccer & school schedules, entertaining visitors!) for our big day! It's amazing how many projects that have been on the 'back burner' suddenly get elevated to 'very important' status! You know, weed eating, window washing, cleaning the oven, scrub the deck, put your name on the North side of the mailbox!

Tomorrow is the day we get to enjoy time with the people that help us fulfill our mission of providing safe & healthy meat products, and that share our values of sustaining our families, our communities and our lands. We have about 50 of our customers coming out to the ranch to join us for a pasture walk, a hay ride, and then a community meal. We will also make s'mores in the back yard fire pit and sip tasty beers and wines! Our guests will also help us 'taste test' about 10 varieties of lamb sausage we had made... The winning flavors will become new products.

Last year's event was tons of fun! We lucked out on the weather, and had a great time. Folks got to meet our snarky Llama, Shelby when we walked through the sheep, and some helped moved an electric fence and move cattle.

Tomorrow's weather forecast is showers and wind...30%. Oh well! That's life! Bring your ponchos and hats my friends!

To Market, To Market....

Well, back to 'work' for this gal! My weekends are my work days off the ranch, selling our natural grass-fed lamb and beef.. Tonight I will be at the Pendleton Market (1 1/2 hrs away), tomorrow at the Baker Market (17 miles away). My route also includes La Grande & Boise (the schedule is posted on our www.sextonranches.com website).

Our Farmers' Market season is from mid-April through the end of October... Sami and Jake have grown up with the markets (I helped start the Baker one about 7 years ago as part of a Master Gardener Project, when the kids were 2 & 1 at the time!). I love that our kids have a hands on understanding of our ranch business, from beginning to end. It's wonderful that they know what their dad does for work, as well as their mom, and that they are 'in the thick of things'. Every day is take our kids to work day.. At the smaller markets they get to play, seek out other kids, and do their own shopping with the money they earn from helping me. At the bigger ones, they are glued to my side. Sami, who is 9, is now helping me with the sales. She loves to run the scale, tell people their total price, and 'man the ship'. Counting back change is our next lesson.

The markets are awesome. Each has it's own sense of community, a make-up of regular customers and vendors that have built strong friendships over the years. Our customers have become our friends, who also have an interest in our lives, our success and often thank us for what we are doing - raising healthy animals, without hormones or antibiotics, in a grass-fed environment, so that they in turn are eating a safe and healthy product. I recently read an article on the eatwild.com website (we are in the process of becoming members) that breast cancer has been linked to added hormones in meat! UG! We are what we eat.

The markets are also my face to face connection with the outside world. I get to visit with people, and I get to people watch! Yep. I am one of those. Now, keep in mind I don't get out much, and my 'world' is very small! I am posting a photo taken at the Boise market last Saturday... I did get permission to take the photo. Boise is our big city, and is 2 1/2 hours away...