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Hard truths, open pastures, and a lot of heart—Heidi Humphries invites us into her family’s Black Angus cow‑calf ranch outside Tucumcari, New Mexico, and shows what real stewardship looks like. We dig into the daily choices that keep cattle healthy and a multi‑generation operation moving forward: adapting to arid grasslands, rotating pastures with intention, fixing water lines after storms, and building a uniform herd that fits today’s beef market without losing sight of long‑term resilience.

We also talk biosecurity with urgency and calm. Screwworm is on every producer’s mind, so Heidi explains how local meetings, county extension testing kits, and neighbor‑to‑neighbor communication create a line of defense. Her message is clear: proactive beats reactive, and community beats isolation. Along the way, you’ll hear how off‑ranch work provides benefits and stability, why gentle cattle make better health checks, and how steady vaccination protocols pay off when the unexpected hits.

Beyond production, we explore beef nutrition, consumer choice, and the surprising reach of cattle byproducts—insulin, leather goods, tallow skincare, brushes, and more. Heidi is candid about the gap between TV portrayals and real ranch life: profit is uneven, work is constant, and meaning comes from small wins—a straight fence at sunset, a bottle calf that finally makes it, a family team pulling in the same direction. For anyone curious about New Mexico ranching, sustainable beef, or how legacy actually survives, this conversation offers practical insight and a grounded sense of hope.

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