The temperature tonight is supposed to drop to 30℉, we have a short growing season in our mountain valley. A growing season is normally thought of as the number of days between the last freezing temperature in spring and the first freezing temperature in autumn.
Our farmers grow mainly irrigated fodder (hay, alfalfa) and some grain. They normally get two cuttings per summer. Some fodder is trucked elsewhere for sale, and some is bought by the state to feed elk, in a process the other DrC calls with a smirk, "welkfare."
Our ranchers raise lots of cattle, a few sheep and more horses to all of which they feed the fodder. Many of the horses are owned by hunting outfitters for both riding and packing.
There was once a lot of dairying here but most have switched to so-called "cow-calf" operations raising meat animals. The unrelenting nature of running a dairy - milking twice a day, 7 days a week - makes other ag endeavors more attractive.
