Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Shaw.
Hi Christine, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
We are a small working ranch in rural central Texas. We jumped into the agricultural world because we wanted to live closer to the land, save the bees, work with animals ethically, and build something real. Our tag line is: Sharing the Goodness from Our Pastures. There is a lot of goodness out there and we have been working hard to share that with our community.
Something is always going on at the ranch. We have honey, honeycomb, eggs, and Texas Longhorns for sale. The scenery throughout the 85 acres is perfect for photo sessions and filming. Throughout the ranch as part of our goodness philosophy, we focused in on sustainable practices. We use solar power, implemented water conservation practices, and we continually try to find ways to be environmentally safe everywhere on the ranch.
Beekeeping is a big part of our operation. We give the bees a safe space to do their thing and in turn we are there to support them. We do everything we can so that the bees thrive. This part of the ranch operation has become a rewarding family venture: close and extended family from all over the US will come help us out during our busy season.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would say the biggest challenge is in communication and being visible on social media. I want to be intentional with our outreach, and I can’t always be consistently online. Progress is slow – you have to work with nature and that is challenging when people want to see posts with instant results.
Ranching has a way of humbling you. You have to constantly climb the perpetual learning curve and there is always something to fix! There are so many days if something could go wrong, it did. But these challenges have made me appreciate the wins and it is what makes this agricultural life real and meaningful.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
It is definitely important to find people in the community that can provide advice. When we had a question about newborn calves, we had several ranchers we were able to reach out to. When we had issues with bees, there were several fantastic beekeepers’ groups out there ready with the tips and insights to help.
If I could give advice to women starting out and trying to build an agricultural business, it would be this: don’t wait for permission. You don’t have to fit the mold to do this. You have to have perseverance, be hands on, and learn to adapt.
Pricing:
- $15 for a 160z honey jar
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sandyforkpastures.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyforkpastures/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandyforkpastures
