Farm or Ranch?

[Dave]

It is a regional thing. In southern California they call a 5 acre place a Ranch. I have a friend who grew up on a huge place in Eastern Oregon (10,000 acres plus) it was wheat and cattle. They called it a ranch even though they raised more wheat than cows. He had neighbors who had "wheat ranches" with no cows at all. Here in Western Washington the only people who refer to their places as ranches are the Southern California imports.
All this does remind me of a couple guys I knew years ago. I knew both of them but they didn't know each other. One was raised on a 800 cow ranch in Montana. The other lived on a small place on the edge of a city. We were all in a bar one evening the one guy who lived on the edge of the city kept referring to and bragging about "the ranch". Finally the guy from Montana asked him how big the ranch was. The city said 11 acres. With a sly grin the Montana cowboy said, "calving must be a b*tch". Went right over the other guys head.

 

[bigbull338]

we call our place a farm.even tho its had cows on it from the beginning.as well as dairy an farmed 100acs of wheat.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Dumb question: Can a farm be called a ranch if all cropland is turned into pasture/hay land and livestock become the main enterprise? Or is it still deemed a farm? Or, does the "personal preference" deal still apply?

Just wondering.

 

[Wewild]

If you are paying the taxes on it you have the right to call it what ever you want.

Cal

Good post.

We grew up on the farm but some may consider it a ranch.

It really don't matter much either way when the money is counted.

 

[Jogeephus]

I'd like to be known as a rancher but I grow more trees than anything and the sound of a Tree Ranch just isn't as catchy as a Tree Farm. Besides that, you can't say Tree Ranch ten times real fast like you can tree farm. Besides, I'd have to change the sign and that would cost money.

 

[john250]

Dumb question: Can a farm be called a ranch if all cropland is turned into pasture/hay land and livestock become the main enterprise? Or is it still deemed a farm? Or, does the "personal preference" deal still apply?

Just wondering.

Personal preference always applies. I tend to think of "ranches" as people who measure their land in sections. But if someone wants to call 5 acres a "ranch", I don't fault them. You can call it any darn thing you want if you sign the checks.

 

[Ryder]

Skunk and worm farm. You can call it a skunk ranchette if you prefer...

In my humble, but hopefully worthwhile opinion, of the posts posted, this has got to be the winner. :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[john250]

Skunk and worm farm. You can call it a skunk ranchette if you prefer...

In my humble, but hopefully worthwhile opinion, of the posts posted, this has got to be the winner. :clap: :clap: :clap:

Lammie has a way with words.

 

[Australian]

Here in Australia a farm is a place that has dairy cattle.
Ranches are non existent. They are called stations here. Our place would be classed as a "property". We have 1,000 cares. A block is about 10 to 50 acres or a hobby farm.
Colin

 

[Jogeephus]

Here in Australia a farm is a place that has dairy cattle.
Ranches are non existent. They are called stations here. Our place would be classed as a "property". We have 1,000 cares. A block is about 10 to 50 acres or a hobby farm.
Colin

A station. That's interesting. I would have never thought to apply that word to land. Not trying to be a smart A but what would the term be for someone who runs a station? Station Master? Station Manager? Or is there such a term?

 

[backhoeboogie]

It is a regional thing. In southern California they call a 5 acre place a Ranch.

Regional indeed. In Boston the real estate folks call all the one level houses a "ranch house". Go figure. Most of the old ranch houses I am familiar with are about 3 stories.

 

[bigbull338]

yes joegee they are most likely called station masters.from what i know they are speads of a million acres or more.

 

[Aaron]

On the other hand I am friends wilh a couple big cow calf people. Running total 1500 mother cows. They put up hay and dry land small grain. They are definitely ranchers. And you guessed it NOT A HORSE ON THE PLACE.

But the High Chaperell, Big Valley and Bonanza all had horses and they were definitely ranches. :mrgreen: Sorry, horses scare me. When I was twelve or so I saw a man killed by one. Never got over it. Last week I cut a horse out of some woven fence. He had his hind legs all tangled up in the wire. I was scared to death cutting those hooves of death out of the fence but I figured it needed to be done and no one else was there to do it.

I had a horse attack me at 10 years of age. Damn near ripped my jugular out with his teeth...was a close call. Ever since, I get the chills around horses and only admire them on a hook in a plant. :cowboy:

 

[mnmtranching]

Horses are either love em or hate em. I think they have outlived their usefulness.

 

[Dave]

Oh, there are still a lot of cows run in some big rugged wild country where a horse is the only way to do it. But a horse just like and cow or a bull or a quad will darn sure kill you. It is just that the vast majority of places running cows don't need a horse to do it.

 

[Australian]

He or she is called a manager usually. If you said you had a ranch here in Australia,most people would think of somewhere to go and ride a horse and maybe look at a few pets,farmyard animals etc. They would probably be located on the edge of suburbia.
If I was to say come to where I live. I'd say come out to my place or out to our property.
I would never say come out to my farm.

 

[Ryder]

If I was to say come to where I live. I'd say come out to my place or out to our property.
I would never say come out to my farm.

I would say it the same way. (But without the accent )

 

[mnmtranching]

Oh, there are still a lot of cows run in some big rugged wild country where a horse is the only way to do it. But a horse just like and cow or a bull or a quad will darn sure kill you. It is just that the vast majority of places running cows don't need a horse to do it.

Yup, there are still working horses and some good riders. I believe that most large ranches keep a few for the nice weather rides. Some guys the only way they will handle cattle is on horse back. On the other hand. Most all range cattle are handled without the aid of horseback. :cowboy:

 

[EAT BEEF]

I have about died on a quad a few times,but I wouldn't trade one for a horse.There are times it would be nice to rope a calf instead of pushing it a mile to a set of pens.It's hard to rope a calf from a quad and if it's very big it'll drag a quad all over before you can throw it down.

 

[Brute 23]

I consider a ranch an operation that deals usually in one main product... cattle ranch, horses ranch, ect. Some ranches also grow hay or grain to feed their cattle but cattle is their main dea.

Farms in my mind usually produce many products.. not all necessarily crops. Maybe they have hay, corn, and cattle... all sold to the market.