Three months ago, we lit our ranch on fire.
This wasn’t an accident. This wasn’t haphazard. This was a prescribed burn. Thoughtfully planned. Carefully managed. We have been using this ancient tool - fire - for decades to keep the land healthy that our 10,000 sheep roam and graze on.
Now, from ash and grit, the range has sprung to life.
Valley floors to mountain slopes are again teeming with sagebrush. Native grasses, wildflowers, and other shrubs are returning with it. And with Sheep Trail starting, the return of sagebrush, a signal species indicating a thriving biological ecosystem according to John Helle (our founder and head rancher), is a welcomed sight.
Along this grueling 50-mile journey to the high mountain meadows, the sagebrush provides our sheep some protection from Montana’s volatile weather. This iconic western shrub protects the ground from wind erosion. And its unique structure traps the unexpected snow allowing moisture to seep into the ground.
The result? A vibrant, western landscape bustling with life. Mule Deer and Sage Grouse use Mountain Big Sagebrush for food. Pygmy rabbits find sanctuary in the sea of Black Sagebrush. And our bands of Merino Wool producing Rambouillet sheep graze in the Gravelley’s lush meadows dotted with sagebrush.
With our attention on Sheep Trail, the desired impacts of the prescribed burn and resiliency of nature take root. Back home on the ranch, Silver Sage - a highly palatable winter food source for our sheep - grows undisturbed. Sprawling stands of sagebrush give us reason for confidence: forage will be abundant when we guide our sheep back down the trail this fall.
We are committed to protecting and managing the sagebrush ecosystem. As John Helle put it, “Managing a healthy sagebrush ecosystem is critical for our livestock operation and wildlife habitat.”
Through the use of planned burns and rotational grazing, we have enhanced our ranch’s unique sagebrush ecosystem. We call this stewardship. Its results are clear. Our ranch hums with thriving populations of Sage Grouse, Mule Deer, and Pygmy Rabbits. And it’s here, our ranch, where our sheep grow a soft, durable wool fiber with exceptional loft and breathability found only in Duckworth garments.
We’ve honored this essential shrub and its iconic color with the launch of our Vapor Sagebrush collection.
When you wear Sagebrush you wear more than a color - just like when you wear Duckworth, you wear more than a wool garment.
You wear stories like this one - stories of commitment, stewardship, and a generational connection to the American West.
