40 Miles of Fence: After the 2015 Washington Fires
Sometimes, when you're doing interviews, researching stories, collecting materials or otherwise preparing to create new, original content- there are instances when you come across something, some piece of information or a person that makes you stop and take stock of your regular day-to-day existence.
Well- that happened to me and Drew when we got into interviews for this fencing sale we were putting on at North 40. We wanted to interview someone who had been at ground zero during the catastrophic 2015 fire season that saw nearly a million acres burn in Washington.
We were looking for stories to help our readers and customers across the Northwest get a true sense of the devastation that was wrought last year. What we got out of the following interview WAS that, but it was something more, much more than that- and it solidified for Drew and me what North 40 is really about.
This year, we sat down with Rod Haeberle, from Haeberle Ranch, Incorporated a third generation ranching family who's been working cattle since his great-grandpa fled Germany in the late 19th Century.
The scope of the devastation his family witnessed last year during the Washington fires was truly incredible- but this family's resolve to overcome these challenges is greater even than that. I've never written the word "truest" in an article before, but this story is one of the truest things I've ever had the privilege to relate.
Ranching's in their Blood: A Haeberle Family Affair
When Drew and I got with Andy, the manager from the Omak store, he suggested we interview Rod Haeberle, a local rancher who had been "impacted" the word Drew and I were using at the beginning of this interview by the Washington fires.
When we opened the interview with Mr. Haeberle, I knew we'd come across someone completely rooted in the Northwest. The Haeberle ranch had its beginning in the late 19th Century from a familiar place in the American story immigration.
In this instance, Mr. Haeberle's great-grandfather fled Germany during the lead up to WWI because his business was confiscated by the German government.
And so were the seeds sown for the Haeberle ranch circa 1936.
Haeberle Ranch: The Incarnation before the Fires
Like many ranches, the Haeberle ranch has changed hands within the family down through the generations since its inception in the early 1930's.
The focus of the family has always been on the quality of the herd. They have worked to build a better herd for decades. In the last 80 years, the family has changed breeds of cattle from Herefords to Angus, back to Angus. They have grown to one of the largest cattle ranches in the area. Recently, they've decreased their herd numbers in order to breed higher quality cattle. In the Haeberle herd's current incarnation, the focus is Black Angus cattle- specifically, to breed the best Black Angus possible.
The Haeberle Ranch runs commercial Black Angus cattle with pure breed Black Angus bull coming out of Malta, Montana. Rod and his daughter/husband team now operate the ranch full time with two junior Haeberles, the grandsons, in training and ready to take over.
Haeberle Ranch and the 2015 Fire Season
And this is where we get into the heart of the story, the impact of the fires. Nearly a million acre fire complex- "It was 4 times the fire we had in 2014 in Okanagan County," Mr. Haeberle tells us in a voice that matches perfectly the history of his ranch a blend of Sam Eliot and my own father. The way he talks, I imagine he could say, "We lost everything," the same way he would say, "It was a good year."
"In the fires for 2014, we were insulated here the fires were so far from us that we weren't really impacted. When that fire hit, I was contracting fire control for the USFS cutting fire lines to help contain the Carlton Complex with a bulldozer." Mr. Haeberle's help in 2014 would come full circle during the fires in 2015.
"Last year really took a toll. When the fire's started, we had just bought a new cabin out on one of our pastures. We hadn't even had time to purchase insurance for the building before it was engulfed and destroyed by the fires. We lost over 40 miles of fence, all of our grass and pasture lands. We lost everything in the fires- our fences, our corrals- we lost 200 tons of first cut alfalfa hay we usually harvest for our herd; we almost lost our homes and barns, too, but our neighbor came over with a water cannon and soaked all of our buildings. That's the only thing that saved them."
"It'll be a good while before we come out of this. There are some resources out there to help offset the recovery costs for all of the ranches around here, but, I mean for us, we've had to hire out labor for our fence repairs. That's over 40 miles of fence with all the wood corner bracings burned out and completely gone."
Like I said, Mr. Haeberle, spoke about the fires of 2014 in the same way he spoke about his ranch's devastation last year. Collected. Matter-of-fact. A generational rancher.
Haeberle Ranch: Recovery from the Fires in 2015
"The fires got so hot, I don't think even noxious weeds are going to grow in some areas- but I told my son-in-law and my daughter the same thing I am telling you: Look for what's good in a bad situation, and you won't be disappointed. Sure we're set back a couple years, maybe even longer, but we kept our houses, the family is alright and the herd will make it through. We just have to get out and get to work."
"It completely destroyed our spring and fall pastures. It wiped out everything including millions of dollars of unharvested timber in this region, plus, you know one of the best ways to reduce fuel for wildfire is by grazing cattle." Mr. Haeberle's thoughts on that fact are as apparent as his resolve to overcome, to move forward past the devastation.
"But you know, all things considered, for our family, this fire was just part of the natural cycle. When the grazing land and the forests look like they did before this fire tumbleweeds, overgrown undergrowth- just fields and fields of fuel, what else can you expect? And you know- maybe this will help raise awareness about conservation of our public lands, maybe not. But I can tell you in about two years, we are going to see some of the best grasslands and pastures we have seen in my lifetime."
There was some good that came out of these fires at least, and while many people, including the Haeberle's were devastated, I can't help but imagine there are many ranchers and farmers with the same attitudes as Mr. Haeberle.
Haeberle Ranch: After the 2015 Washington Fires
The Haeberle Ranch article and interview mirrors many stories not only in Washington, but for many of us here in the Northwest, including Drew and me. Our great-grandfathers emigrated from Germany and came to America looking for opportunity in the midst of that chaos. They didn't stumble upon opportunity, they built it with hard work and perseverance.
At North 40 Outfitters, we are honored to be able to lend a hand to the people of Washington as they recover from the devastation last year, people like Mr. Haeberle and all the ranchers and farmers recovering this year. We hope you can grow or find something good from the ashes, and if you can't find anything, we hope we can help you build it.
I am honored to relate this story to our readership, and as a company, we will continue bringing you the right products you need for our Northwest lifestyle from 40 miles of fence to everything in between.