Get to Know

the Family

the Story

BEHIND THE RANCH

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As a family we own and operate The Divide Ranch.

Previously known as the “Little Yellow House on the Divide”, the ranch we call home is located in the beautiful foothills of Western Glenn County. We tend to get excited about the improvements and conservation practices we have implemented on the ranch and our latest endeavor, providing locally raised, all natural, 100% grass fed beef to our community is a rewarding accomplishment.

Sixteen years ago we loaded up our kids, our wagon(s) and all of our friends’ wagon(s) and headed North from the East Bay area to pursue our dream of owning and operating a cattle ranch. The little yellow house was not only little, but needed a lot of work. But as we said the first time we saw it…

“All that house needs is a little love” and we had that, and lots of tools, friends and family. Good thing.

How

We Got Here

It wasn’t just by chance that we moved this direction. Mike grew up hunting and fishing in the beautiful north state so it made sense that he attended Chico State. Kathy however, grew up in Palo Alto…a long way from the agricultural world, but knew from the time she was a teenager that she was in the wrong place. Eventually finding her way to Chico State, she met Mike, he wrote her phone number in his cowboy hat… and the rest is history.

The ranch has seen major changes over the years, as has our family. We knew very little about ranching and not too much about cattle but we dove right in. Our neighbor said shortly after we moved in and got going,

“God just picked them right up and put them where they belonged” and we have felt that way ever since. Blessed.

Community

Involvement

WHAT WE DIDN’T KNOW

Although it was love for land, wildlife, farming, tractors, horses and the North Valley in general that brought us here, it was not long after our “big move” that we realized that there was a lot we did not know. And if we didn’t know it, there were a lot of people where we came from that didn’t know it. Like where your food comes from.

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OUTREACH

Education and outreach to local communities and friends in the city is vitally important to us. We are involved with the Farm Bureau, Cattleman and Cattlewoman organizations, The Glenn County Resource Conservation District (RCD), The Glenn County Farmers Market committee, FFA, 4-H and The Elk Creek Buckarettes.

TOURISM

We have hosted numerous field trips such as Pioneer days for 4th grade in Willows, Watershed Education days for the Girl Scouts and local schools, trail rides and arena use for the 4-H horse clubs, Chico Farm City days, teacher education days and NRCS and RCD field days and monitoring programs….our gate is always open to those organizations that desire to teach or learn.