While their roots in the business might not reach back to the old west, that hasn’t stopped Jane Wood and her family from pursuing a way of life more commonly found flourishing in the area nearly a century ago.
To fullfill his lifelong dream of becoming a cowboy, Wood’s father managed to be a commercial real estate agent and slowly grow his hear over the years. “He just decided he wanted to be a cowboy, so he became a cattle rancher. This year, he was able to completely stop real estate and just focus on cattle ranching,” said Wood of her father’s transition to full time ranching.
Wood’s ranch has over 300 head of cattle. Every autumn, the family breeds the cows who will calve the the next August through October- they have about a 9 month gestation period, and then they sell the offspring in the spring, once they are about 8-10 months old. Wood’s ranch does not slaughter the cattle, their focus is rather on breeding and raising the livestock.
Unlike many of her peers, Wood is out of bed at 5:00am, feeding and caring for the cows in the predawn darkness. On the weekends, Wood assists her father with all of the various chores one would expect on a ranch.
According to her father, Wood has been a vital contributor to the family cattle operation. “Where do I start? She hauls hay for me, she hauls horses for me, she feeds cattle for me, she hauls water for me, she turns pumps on and off for me, she helps keep our horses in shape. She ropes really well and is super handy in the branding pen, and she does this all with a smile,” he said of his daughter’s work.
Wood was accepted to Cal Poly San Luis O’bispo and intends to major in Agricultural Communications. “I hope to be very involved with the agriculture community for the rest of my life,” she said.
With his best ranch hand about to head off to college, Wood’s father is uncertain how he will fare. “I am going to be severely short handed. I don’t even want to think about it,” he said.
