101 Ranch Inc.

The following appeared in the October 2007 the
Idaho Cattle Association's Line Rider Publication

Click here to view this story in a pdf format with all the photos.

Stewards of Land and Livestock. One Idaho Angus Ranch focuses not only on breeding sound, reproductive cattle for commercial cattlemen, but also on improving the environment for the long-term sustainability of the area around them.

Story by Maggie J. Malson
Photos provided by Brian Bizik

Many Idaho residents know of the 101 Ranch located East of King Hill for a variety of reasons. It could be because of their high quality Angus cattle or their gravity pressure sprinkler irrigation system. Others think of the 101 Ranch as the Idaho “Home of the Jolly Green Giant”. And, others know it because the Stinker Station sign on their land that reads, “Petrified Watermelons, Take One Home to Your Mother-In-Law. Now, people are beginning know it because of its owners, the Jim and Marie Kast families environmental efforts. Last winter a construction project was completed on the 101 Ranch that stops all return stream flow to the Snake River from two irrigation canals.
 

Y and Y-9 Drain Elimination Project:
For the past 10 years, Jim, Marie and their son Ross brainstormed with Larry Pennington of the North Side Canal Company to find a way to prevent canal water from returning to the Snake River. Jim Kast said, “We received letters of support for this project from many government and private entities including the Idaho Cattle Association.” Some of the funding came from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. Over the past two winters, the canal company completed the construction, while the 101 Ranch made significant financial contributions and gave up some irrigated land to put the new system in place.
“Our water, which comes from storage and diversion reservoirs on the Snake River is mostly winter runoff from Wyoming and Eastern Idaho,” Kast says. “As it runs across the rangeland and flows through the canal system it picks up waste water containing sediments, chemicals, fertilizer, and even cow feces.”
The project consists of a 2-acre sediment settling pond, an 8-acre lake (Virginia Lake) a 3-acre dissipation pond and three filtration areas. Virginia Lake, which is named after Kast’s mother, is for water regulation, storage and to direct water into the ranch’s original irrigation system. Neighbor, Sean Powers’ irrigation system is also tied into the lake. Through this series of ponds and pipelines the excess water is diverted from returning to the Snake River and is filtered into the ground.
“The number one reason the project went through was to stop pollutants from entering the Snake River,” Kast says, “But, there have been many other positive results. We were able to eliminate about 2 miles of canals that previously ran through our fields. Our water availability is much better now. Before, sometimes the canals would dry up and at other times, more than 10 cubic feet per second returned to the river. Fish, water foul and water vegetation are thriving.”
 

Evolution of 101 Ranch Irrigation:
In 1961, when the 101 Ranch was originally purchased by Jim Kasts’ parents, Charles and Virginia, there were about 600 acres of flood irrigated land. When pivots sprinklers came of age in 1974, the family installed a gravity pressure irrigation system. “This was a vision of my dad’s,” Kast says. “He loved to develop dry ground into productive irrigated land.” The original system consisted of 6 pivots and several wheel and hand lines. Today it has evolved to11 pivot sprinklers and 20 big guns which irrigate over 1100 acres without the use of a single pump!

Because the irrigation canal runs across the hill above the 101 Ranch, a gravity pressured irrigation system was a natural. From a small pond, water enters a 24-inch pipeline and is distributed all over the property. Water pressures range from 50 to 120 pounds.

Raising cattle for the next generation:
Jim and Marie’s son, Ross, and his wife, Melissa, are also active in the ranch’s operations. Their three-year-old son, Kylar and soon to be born son Kasdan, will be the fourth generation to run cattle on the land, if they so choose. Therefore, preserving the area, along with making solid breeding decisions is important to the Kasts.
“We market our cattle to commercial cattlemen in the western United States,” Kast says. “We try to pick curve bender bulls that offer low birth weights, but do not sacrifice growth. We want to be known as the place to come for calving ease and good carcass qualities.”
Because of the intense farming operation, the 101 Ranch herd is calved out in the fall beginning in August and is finished by about the middle of October. Their first 40 head of fall calving Registered Angus Cows came from the Jim and Jean Brooks of Hazelton. Kast says, “Since we hold our annual sale the second Saturday of December, we are able to market a bull that is 18-20 months old at spring turn out. Our buyers have more confidence in a little older bull.”
“As a registered breeder, we cull heavily on lots of traits, including udder quality, teat size, performance, and disposition,” Kast says. “In the last 11 years, we’ve improved the temperament of our cattle. They are really easy to handle.” He attributes this to his wife Marie. He says, “She runs the chute most of the time and is a lot more patient than most men. She made us get rid of the hot shots.” Marie said, “You know, we’re a family operation and the last thing we want to happen is have one of the grandkids get hurt by a wild cow. Grandson Kylar and granddaughters, Alleigha and Annalise Bizik have been affectionately nicknamed the prince and princesses of the101 Ranch. What better reason is there to preserve the environment and the cattle than for the next generation?

Industry ties:
While they are members of other organizations, Kast says his membership in the Idaho Cattle Association is the most valuable. “The reason we’re members is we feel it’s the main state organization that gets out and works for us on the issues important to us as cattle people,” he explains. “They are the watchdogs for the industry when we can’t or don’t have time to be.”
The Kasts joined the association in 1990 just as they were beginning to raise Angus cattle. In the past they have attended conventions and tried to be active by voicing their concerns and ideas to the general membership.
“I think ICA keeps us informed about rules and regulations affecting our industry,” he says. “I look to them more than anyone to make sure we’re in compliance. They do a good job representing the cattle industry as a whole.”

The following article appeared in Angus The Magazine