Elkus Ranch Highlights

The Ranch’s Maintenance and Grounds crew Augie Aguilar and Bruno Acosta have been keeping the facilities running as usual and recently installed a quarantine stall while we continue our search for a Suffolk ram to sire the next generation of lambs at the ranch.

Even though I know most of the players and all Elkus’s programs, coming back has been sort of like drinking water from a fire hose.  I returned the week of our annual, beloved fundraiser Sheep to Shawl then rolled right into six weeks of summer camp.  Both activities were very successful thanks to our Lead Educator Beth Loof and our educational staff, Terri Pacheco, Doug Meyer, Monique Jones, Zoe Clark, and our summer intern Jose Luna.

With our phenomenal Administrative Assistant, Andrea Gahleitner’s help, we have updated the Elkus website and are now in the process of streamlining our field trip registration system.  We had about 7,000 visitors to the Ranch in 23-24 but I hope to bring our reach back to our pre-pandemic number of 9,000 in 24-25.

My boss and County Director, Igor Lacan recently hosted almost 50 ANR officials and community partners for a UCCE Friends and Stakeholder Event.  Beth and I (with the help of a ranch cat named Elkie) were able to meet and tour our visitors and then network with many over lunch.  It was a wonderful way to show off the Ranch and connect with new faces.