Anderson rancher enjoys family tradition

Photo by Michael Woodward

ON THE FARM TRAIL: Miranda Butcher picks her way towards her herd on her family’s ranchland in Anderson while her dog, Sage, dries off from a dip in the ditch.

Having only recently bought a house in Happy Valley, Miranda Butcher is new to the Happy Valley Farm Trail this year. Which is not to say she’s new to managing livestock.

“I’ve been doing this all my life,” said the twenty-six year old Butcher. “My family has owned the ranch for 30-plus years.”

Her father, Audie Butcher, works at the Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control District as operations manager. Her mother, Sarah, owns Dream Dinners in Redding. The family-owned J and J ranch has 50 head of cattle between Miranda and her parents. Butcher feeds her livestock a mixture of rye and clover grass. She’ll go to market with some of her cattle in October or November.

She also sells FFA and 4-H steers to be taken to the fair.

“I sold one steer that placed fourth, so I was pretty excited about that,” Butcher said.

The Anderson native was also involved in 4H and FFA before she graduated from Anderson Union High School in 1999. One year, she won grand champion showing hogs. In 1998, she won the Shasta County Beef Princess title through the Cattleman’s Association.

Her newest endeavor on the ranch is raising Boer goats, of which the family owns two. At her house in Happy Valley, she regularly has a couple dozen eggs for sale per week from her chickens. Butcher is looking forward to deer hunting season, as she enjoys archery hunting. Her latest take was a 90-pound boar.

“I like the rural area,” Butcher said, “I love the horses, cattle and dogs.”

Currently, Butcher works at Shasta Regional Medical Center as a cancer nurse. She is studying at Simpson College to upgrade her R.N. to a B.A.