Eco-friendly and ‘green’ dude ranch vacations
Green dudes
What better way to vacation ‘green’ than to visit an eco-friendly dude or guest ranch. After all, ranches have had years of practice in being careful stewards of their lands in order to be successful.
In recent years, many dude or guest ranch ranches have gone beyond their regular practices of ensuring streams stay clean and pastures stay healthy. Now they’re actively working to make sure they use less energy, recycle, re-use, and compost whenever possible, and grow their own fruits and vegetables.
Some have harvested the power of the wind, others tap into geothermals, and a few have put lands into conservation easements, making sure they’ll stay ‘green’ for generations to come. If you want a fun, relaxing vacation that lets you stay ‘green’, think of a dude and guest ranch vacation. Here are some places to start:
BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Echo Valley Ranch and Spa
Owners Norm and Nan Dove believe that “our responsibility as stewards of the land extends to the community with whom we share this wilderness. We believe that all cultures can live and learn from each other in harmony, and make every effort that our staff reflects the traditions of many nationalities. This includes our working alongside the local First Nations peoples whose territory lies at our door, as well as with others in our local community so that we all might prosper.”
Since 1998, Echo Valley Ranch & Spa has embraced the values of a Triple Bottom Line philosophy (sustainability in environmental, social, and economic terms). Caring as much for its people as it does for the environment, the ranch has long enjoyed success as an eco-aware destination (in fact, well before ‘living green’ went mainstream).
Some of the things are possible simply because it is a ranch and not a hotel, including:
Food recycling: Echo Valley is practicing zero-waste in its food acquisition and production. “We have pigs–enough said!!”
Composting: The ranch composts everything it can for the organic vegetable gardens (including beans, beets, leeks onions, peas, salad greens, and more).
Recycling. Water: “We operate our own wells and have a large septic field so what come in goes out ( we do have ultra low flush toilets and water saver shower heads).” Water comes from natural springs on site. Other: Guest rooms have recycling boxes for various recyclables, from paper to tin and plastic.
Energy: low energy light bulbs are in place throughout the ranch. Two self-sustaining geothermal systems heat the Baan Thai, swimming pool and Lookout Lodge. It works as a heat exchange system (owners say it’s “expensive to install but once its in, its pretty foolproof”.) Supplemental energy is generated hydraulically or with propane, both of which deliver zero to a low C02 emissions
Packaging and water bottles: They reduce the amount of package that comes into the ranch and provide all guests with stainless steel water bottles.
For more details, visit the sustainability section on their website.
COLORADO
Coulter Lake Guest Ranch is nestled in a small mountain valley
twenty-one miles Northeast of Rifle, Colorado. Situated in the White River National Forest, the ranch is home to incredible natural beauty as well as a wide range of wildlife. That’s why being eco-friendly is so important here. Owner Jack Allard writes to tell us, “We are off the grid, using hydro, some solar, and a propane generator for our backup on all electrical needs. And our water comes from underground springs.”
The new buzz—Going Green— isn’t new at Sylvan Dale.
According to ranch history, green practices have been in place on the ranch since 1946. Today, their philosophy—Renewable, Sustainable, Responsible— reflects their commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly practices.
In fact, the ranch has been green ever since the lessons of the Great Depression. “Our parents, being children of the Great Depression, knew what it meant to recycle.” Which meant that nothing was ever thrown away. “Mom recycled plastic bags, and tin foil. Dad put things in storage, saying ‘We’ll use that some day!’”
In the 1990’s, the ranch made a major commitment to go green, initiating conservation easements. To date, Sylvan Dale has preserved over 1700 acres of foothill views and wildlife habitat.
“We’ll continue to follow the example our parents set to save the planet. It is so gratifying that doing the right thing and upholding the sustainable values we have held for years have become popular and important in today’s world,” says Susan Jessup, a second generation owner of the Sylvan Dale Ranch.
Sylvan Dale Ranch has a special Sustainability logo to reflect their Sustainability Mission: “To apply practices in our daily work routine that support a sustainable operation in harmony with the natural environment through the principles of “Reduce – Reuse – Recycle”.
(Congratulations: Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch, a Ranchweb Member, was recently selected as a member of The Green Hotel Association reflecting its status as an eco-friendly place to stay.)
MISSOURI
A haven set in the scenic Ozark Hills, Buck and Spurs Ranch has ‘just enough comforts to let you enjoy roughing it’. The 700 acre ranch has cattle, horses, and wildlife along with 2 miles of private frontage on Big Beaver River. At the ranch, you can try your hand at fishing, swimming, canoeing, and, of course, you can ride Missouri Fox Trotter ranch horses (famed for their smooth gait) trained by a ‘Horse Whisperer’. The ranch also specializes in natural horsemanship clinics.
But when I speak to Sonny Huff about their ‘green’ practices at the ranch, you can hear the excitement in her voice. “We started several years ago adding solar and wind generated power to the ranch,” she says. “And our guests often ask for a ‘solar tour’, so we know they’re interested, too. She ticks off a list of what’s powered by alternative energy: a solar well, the lights in the new barn, a solar kiln, blowers, and fan in their small sawmill.
C. Huff (nobody has called him Cecil since his school days) confirms that “our barn, where we train our horses, is powered by wind and solar, including our lights and small tools.” How well does it work? “When its cloudy and the solar panels don’t get a full charge, then its windy, so the combo works well.” They recently added a solar well–it has four panels and two strings of batteries that runs the pump. “So during the day, those batteries are getting a full charge, so I could potentially pump water three or four days without any sun,” he says. “And here, its unusual to have more than four cloudy days.” The ranch guests are very curious when they see the solar and wind power setup. C notes that, “I’m happy to show them how it all works!”
Initially, the cost of running electric lines to their new barn was what drove them to explore alternatives. But then, it took on new meaning. “It’s nice to know we are using nature for our power, and not adding to the problem of energy use,” Sonny notes. “And of course, there’s never a shortage of wind and sun out here!” When a recent storm blew through, knocking down power lines to the house, she explains, ‘we simply took our coffeemaker down to the barn, plugged it into the solar-powered system, and had a high old time!”
WYOMING
The T Cross Ranch lies inside the Shoshone National Forest at an elevation of 7,800 feet, surrounded by an untouched country of pine forests and open meadows, trout-rich streams and small lakes, country that is scenically magnificent. This historic (1920’s-era) dude ranch is protective of its magnificant mountain setting and pristine wilderness. Threaded by trout-rich streams and dotted with breathtaking alpine meadows of the greater Yellowstone area, the T Cross is both unspoiled and environmentally friendly.
Owner Gretchen says “We have a wind turban and we raise our own beef!” And, the ranch has “always followed the principle of treading lightly in our wilderness, leaving no trace behind.”
The ranch opened in 1918, first called the Hermitage. But to ensure that this beautiful place will always retain its original beauty, the T Cross has been on a conservation easement since 1978. Beyond that, the T Cross has gone further in the green direction:
Once you reach the ranch, most transportation is done “a horseback” (There are no excessive greenhouse gases here!). The ranch raises its own beef to ensure a high standard of quality meat with no hormones and no steroids. And, as of 2008, the ranch is powered from a wind turbine, harnessing the wind and conserving energy.
The goal of the T Cross? To “provide an opportunity for all to come and enjoy their public lands, while working toward another 90 years.” Sounds pretty good to us!
Newsflash
Hot off the presses: Gene Kilgore’s latest Dude Ranch Vacations guide
There’s a NEW BOOK out that wraps up the world of dude and guest ranch vacations in a neat, well-organized and well-written package. Gene Kilgore’s Ranch Vacations 2011 ($22.95), the ultimate guidebook to all the best dude and guest ranch resorts around. Featuring more than 100 ranches across the country and the world, the guide this year takes on a new format and an easier-to-use size. Featured on the cover is Montana’s newest ranch, the luxurious Ranch at Rock Creek.
The book, Ranch Vacations 2011, is available now on Amazon and also on Ranchweb.com. Look for it!
Newsflash
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