Methow Conservancy Fieldtrip to the Working Ranch of the Stokes Family
May 5th, 1:30 - 4:00pm - Free

Walk with Vic Stokes as he shows and explains how a cow/calf operation in the Methow Valley works.  Vic, a 4th generation Twisp cattleman, will tell you that he is first and foremost a rancher, but he can also tell you about all the native plants in his shrub-steppe uplands and identify the birds that call his land home too.  Vic says that ranching isn't just about cows, it's about soil, water, plants, wildlife and people too.  Maybe that's why he and his wife, Carrie, were honored in 2005 with the Washington "Wildlife Farmer of the Year" award.  

The Stokes' operation on Beaver Creek in Twisp includes over 5,000 acres of private, private lease, and public permit lands that are a mix of range, pasture, alfalfa, and small grains.  Vic and Carrie, with the help of their sons Kent and Blake and their families, raise calves from birth to sell as beef cattle, and grow all their own hay.  In 2005, the Stokes family worked with the Methow Conservancy to place a conservation easement on more than 350 acres of their property.  The Stokes’ ranch was the first in Eastern Washington to be protected under the federal Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program.  The Stokes also have a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) conservation easements on another portion of their property. 

Join us for this unique fieldtrip to a working ranch and learn about Vic's holistic approach to cattle ranching.  The outing is free but registration is requested.  Call or email the Methow Conservancy at 996-2870 or mary@methowconservancy.org to sign-up.