Ranch Stories: A Mild Start To Winter

January 30, 2024 1 min read

Ranch Stories: A Mild Start To Winter

Winter is different this time. January ‘23, we were blanketed in snow. This season, a resoundingly more mild, dry climate throughout the West. The grass is not hidden beneath snow, it is more apparent in our pastures. A stark contrast to last year, our sheep graze contentedly. Little snow means little water for sheep. So with some Montana ingenuity, we hauled water and developed new wells in places unplanned. 

The chill is gentle. Come Spring’s shearing day, the wool will be the soft yet incredibly strong fibers that makes our Rambouillet Merino Wool so versatile and unique. 

merino wool sheep in montana snow

Winter on the ranch this year is one of contrasts – drought and ingenuity, work and respite, longing and contentment. 

As the seasons unfold beneath the vast Montana Big Sky, where Duckworth's story intertwines with the rugged landscape and nature’s unpredictable weather patterns, we’re not concerned. We’ve seen this play out before during our 4 generations on this Montana sheep ranch. 

unimog on sheep ranch plowing snow

Seasons change, but the ranch prevails. It’s just business as usual. Which, on a ranch means that each day looks a little different, but our mission remains steadfast.

“Until it snows.”