The winds whipped through Aso Ranch Camp north of the San Francisco Peaks at more than 40 miles an hour during Springs Works as cowboys were driving in cattle from the surrounding hills for branding. It was the kind of wind that would steal hats and threaten anything not nailed down. Cowboy Cook Kent Rollins took a moment on this busy Monday morning, May 12, to step away from his stove and drive the long stakes of the fly – the canvas covering over the camp kitchen – deeper into the ground. … [Read more...] about Celebrity Cowboy Cook Kent Rollins Serves Breakfast at Aso Ranch Camp
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Shipping Day on Babbitt Ranches: A Scene Out of the Old West
Western traditions ride on in the high country of Babbitt Ranches. A quiet outpost known as Tin House Camp roars to life each year on Shipping Day as cowboys on horseback round up hundreds of healthy, free-range heifers and steers that they’ve worked all year to raise. Ranch Manager Clay Rodgers calls it “Super Bowl for the Cowboy World.” Watch now on Zonie Living at Star Worldwide Networks … [Read more...] about Shipping Day on Babbitt Ranches: A Scene Out of the Old West
High-Tech Avian Detection System Becomes Golden Eagle Conservation Tool
Babbitt Ranches and its nonprofit research arm, Landsward Foundation, have long considered the golden eagle a sensitive species and have been monitoring the SP Crater area in particular for decades as an important golden eagle territory. In collaboration with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, they have been focused on protecting the eagles from human disturbances during the critical breeding and nesting period occurring now, from January through May. Meanwhile, Babbitt Ranches began … [Read more...] about High-Tech Avian Detection System Becomes Golden Eagle Conservation Tool
‘Super Bowl for the Cowboy World’
On a cold autumn morning, the quiet of the sprawling plains on Babbitt Ranches pulses to life with the pounding hooves of cattle and horses racing toward Tin House Camp. Shipping Day, also known as Fall Works, is a time-honored scene out of the Old West. Cowboys ride herd from all directions, bringing in cattle the same way it’s been done since the 1800s. “It really does look choreographed,” said fourth generation Arizona Babbitt family member Roberta “Birdie” Wallace. “It’s amazing how these … [Read more...] about ‘Super Bowl for the Cowboy World’
Babbitt Ranches Calls Wind Farm a ‘Promise for the Future’
As crisp white wind turbine blades rotated gently against a clear blue Northern Arizona sky, more than 100 people, representatives from Salt River Project, NextEra Energy Resources, Arizona State Land Department, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Coconino County and Babbitt Ranches, along with dignitaries, business owners, consultants and scientists, gathered to celebrate the completion of Arizona’s newest wind energy center and the meaning behind the steel. “When I consider the future of … [Read more...] about Babbitt Ranches Calls Wind Farm a ‘Promise for the Future’
Promoting Space Travel with a Land-Use Ethic
Once again, cows and astronauts shared the high desert landscape of Babbitt Ranches as NASA, assisted by geologists from USGS, tested equipment, conducted moonwalking drills and practiced geology in preparation for Artemis 3, a crewed mission to the dark lunar south pole region, anticipated for 2026. The cattle seemed untroubled by the slow-moving visitors in spacesuits, a recurring event throughout the last half century. “I smile when I think about my grandad, John Babbitt, a quiet, … [Read more...] about Promoting Space Travel with a Land-Use Ethic
Standing for Renewable Energy
Stretching across miles of historic grazing land, 53 wind turbines are being lifted into place on Babbitt Ranches north of Flagstaff. They are scheduled to be operating in early 2024, delivering enough wind-generated electricity to power 40,000 Arizona homes. For Babbitt Ranches Community members on a recent trip to the Babbitt Ranch Energy Center, standing next to the 220-foot blades was surreal. “When I think back to the enthusiasm we had about the first anemometer being set up on Babbitt … [Read more...] about Standing for Renewable Energy
Managing for Renewable Energy and Wildlife
Wildlife managers and researchers from across the country gathered in Flagstaff last month for the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) conference to discuss deer and elk movement and the latest technology being used to track the ungulates as projects are planned for land uses such as public recreation and renewable energy. The conference at Northern Arizona University included a field trip to the Babbitt Ranch Energy Center north of Flagstaff. “There were overwhelmingly … [Read more...] about Managing for Renewable Energy and Wildlife
Construction Underway on Babbitt Ranch Energy Center North of Flagstaff
With a passion to move the state forward with renewable energy while protecting open space, creating jobs, boosting the Northern Arizona economy and planning for generations of Arizonans to come, NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, SRP, Babbitt Ranches and the Arizona State Land Department have announced that construction is underway for the Babbitt Ranch Energy Center. The 161-megawatt (MW) wind project, featuring 50 wind turbines across 669 acres on the CO Bar Ranch about 25 miles north of … [Read more...] about Construction Underway on Babbitt Ranch Energy Center North of Flagstaff
Flagstaff’s Past Revisited Through Ghost Adventures
A young bellboy continues to stand duty, a caring doctor walks the street outside his office and a bride and groom remain united in the afterlife. U.S. Ghost Adventures brings a whole new perspective to “Till death do we part,” and lists Flagstaff among the nation’s most haunted cities. The company initially launched on the East Coast with tours in 20 locations before the pandemic. In December, it added 12 more cities, including Flagstaff. “Flagstaff has two very vague types of hauntings, … [Read more...] about Flagstaff’s Past Revisited Through Ghost Adventures
