Living on a ranch provides a special opportunity for people to truly connect with the great outdoors.
Meet Dorothy Beasley
Dorothy Beasley (aka Grandma Beasley) is a proud baby-boomer from Alberta, who was raised on a cattle farm where she learned how to farm, drive tractors, and work with machinery as a young ranch woman. Riding horseback, caring for the farm and animals, and rounding up cattle were also part of her daily routine. Ranch life was hard work, fun, and sometimes dangerous.
About her cooking
Country cooking wasn’t a skill she picked up until after getting married. As the years passed, raising her four children, and actively volunteering in the community, she discovered a love for baking and cooking best comfort food recipes for her family. Today, she values teaching young people essential life skills that will benefit them in the future. From country cooking, how to farm, and money-saving techniques to public speaking and budgeting, she aims to pass on valuable knowledge to help others lead fulfilling lives. She also enjoys sharing tips on preserving and harvesting garden vegetables, as well as wild plants and berries, to make teas and lotions.
Swiss Chard freshly picked from Garden
Dorothy picked berries at the farm this year, 2024
4 of Dorothy's grandchildren 2020
September 2017, Dorothy with Mary Morrissey & Joe DickieDorothy loves connecting, communicating, and collaborating with women, men, and children of all ages as well as Mother Nature. She enjoys meeting new people and forming friendships to learn from each other.
Family Country Kitchen at Alberta Ranch
Dorothy with John Boggs and Blaine Blakley near Concord, Massachusetts in October 2021. Life on the Ranch
Living on a ranch provides a special opportunity for people to truly connect with the great outdoors. With wide open spaces, farm animals, and peaceful surroundings, there is plenty of room to explore and enjoy the tranquility of nature without feeling boxed in or overwhelmed. Whether roaming through lush meadows, winding forest trails, or vast desert landscapes, each type of terrain offers its own distinct beauty. Each holds their own unique experiences to discover. Since ranching is inherently connected to the earth, ranchers are the oldest stewards of the land.
On the Douglass ranch in North Gem with 4-H Project Steers, 1970s. Dorothy's high school graduation the night before, hence the fancy hair-dos on these two sisters as they lead their 4-H steers to the livestock trailer. 
Dorothy & sister Dulcie on the Douglass Ranch with horses, 1970s.
top photo shows Dorothy's husband's ordinary 250-3/4 ton truck parked beside a 1500 pound round hay bale to show size comparison of hay bale. Below photo shows harvesting 100s of round alfalfa hay bales on Manitoba Ranch to feed 800 cattle 2023.About the Ranchers
Ranchers who embrace the ranch lifestyle are fueled by a deep passion for nature, animals, and the great outdoors. This way of life typically includes tending to farm animals, caring for ranch equipment, and maintaining the ranch itself. Living on a ranch brings both fulfillment and obstacles. It requires dedication and hard work to overcome challenges and reap the rewards of this unique lifestyle. Living on a ranch offers a mix of fulfilling moments and difficulties to navigate. It spans overseeing the ranch operations to managing farm animals, engaging in construction projects, and tending to gardens and landscape. Ranch living involves a range of activities. It demands self-reliance, from enduring harsh weather conditions to ensuring the availability of essential resources like water and food.
The ranch lifestyle brings the joy of being connected to something greater than themselves. Ranchers develop a profound gratitude for nature, the land, and farm animals, as well as the camaraderie of neighbors and friends.
Becoming Friends over Prairie Oyster CleaningTwo of Dorothy's sons, daughter in law -Branding MB 20243000 bushes of haskaps on a haskap Farm in Manitoba, 2023
Horses on the RanchBlack Angus Cattle at Alberta Beasley Ranch
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