K BAR K Longhorn Ranch

We started the K bar K Ranch 14 years ago.  Our first groups of Longhorn cattle were purchased with the intent of raising roping stock.  Since then we have made many wonderful friends in the Longhorn industry and started showing.  With the need to increase our return we have purchased longer horned cows and upgraded our bulls to get the balance we needed. But what is behind the horns is most important.  Our cows are large framed and good mothers and our bulls are big and pass on early muscle.

Our land is high desert so the cattle need to be able to cover great distances to get food and water.  This is a natural way to keep there overall health at it's best.  We sell beef by the 1/4, 1/2 and very lean hamburger.  Over the years we have learned how to finish the animals with very little grain yet maintain the tenderness and quality of the beef.

Did I mention we are off the power grid?  When we started to set up the ranch, which is 2 miles from the nearest power source, the power company quoted a price of $50,000/mile with money up front. That made solar our only option. Solar power is used to power a very modern 3 bedroom, 2 bath house with all the extras.  We have a back up diesel generator that is used to charge the batteries in the winter.  The system is 11Kw (two 5.5Kw Trace inverters tied together) that puts out 220vac which is needed to run the well which is 600 ft down.  The water is so good it could be bottled.  We have 16 batteries that are wired to set up a 48vDC system.  The forced air furnace, hot water heater, dryer and kitchen stove use propane.  Cell phones work great so we do not need a land line.  We have a Dish for TV and use Broadband for Internet. 

We are looking to add wind generator in the next few years and add some passive solar to help heat the house.

We have had to adjust to a new mind set.  Saving power is not just a few cents/ Kw savings on an electric bill.  It is the difference of loosing power by morning and having to go and start the generator. 

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