Rugged Ranchland

Cattle Rancher, Anne Ferguson, says, "You know your heritage. You know for your children, your grandchildren. They know where they came from. You know what I mean. It's a solid base. You can go away but it's good to come home." And "home" to Anne and Wally Ferguson is a sprawling cattle ranch in rugged western New Mexico. Cattle are "king" in New Mexico. Raising livestock on ranches like this generates the majority of the state's agricultural income. But ranching on this arid land is hard work. Wally says, "Like Annie always says, you have to love it to be here because the days are long and hard when you're workin' and you're worrying about rain and someone asked us why we don't go on long vacations: 'cause the cows need water'."

The story of the Fergusons on this land goes back 150 years. It's a bit like stepping inside a Wild West movie, complete with buckboards, covered wagons, cavalry forts and cowboys and Indians. Around 1859, Wally's great, great uncle came to what was then the New Mexico territory. It was an era of conflict between U.S. troops and Native American Apaches headed by chiefs Victorio and Geronimo. Eventually, things settled down. Settlers began trading food for Apache beadwork and baskets. Sheep and cattle ranching took hold and today the land looks much as it did in the 1800s with a notable exception.

Cattle rancher, Matt Ferguson, says, "They're really hard on fences, on water. We've actually had 'em run our cattle off our water. Matt is Anne and Wally's son and also a rancher. He's talking about herds of oryx, African antelope imported into New Mexico in the late 1960s as hunting stock. The oryx has no predators here so they've multiplied. There are several thousand scattered throughout the state, including the Ferguson ranch. Matt goes on to say, "Oryx are known to eat just about anything. They're eating the brows that deer eat. The grass that pronghorn antelope eat. They also compete with our cattle 'cause they're eating exactly the same thing that our cattle do." Government-sanctioned hunts are intended to keep the population in check. Perhaps they're working since we searched high and low for live oryx with no luck.

Anne hollers, "Come and eat! Dinner's served!" Today's fare is typically New Mexican green chili casserole, pinto beans, tortillas. Mighty good and much appreciated. When asked about going out to eat; the Furgusons don't due to the town being twenty miles out. Their home might be twenty miles to town, but the Fergusons are adjacent to one of the most advanced, high-tech facilities in the world. Part of their ranch sits on the super-secret, high-security White Sands Missile Range. This is one of the buildings for an old stagecoach stop. Near this former stagecoach stop, cattle share their quarters with abandoned missile tubes. Doesn't bother the Fergusons, who want nothing more than to continue ranching and have their grandchildren carry on the legacy which Matt's son, Joel, and daughter Sarah plan to do. Joel says, "It's a lot of work. It's not something easy that anyone can do. You got to be tough."

For the most part the Fergusons are fully engaged in the twenty-first century. But part of their hearts and their souls remain firmly planted in the past. Matt says, "You know where you belong. You know where home is. You're always grounded. I think that's the most special thing about it having spent your whole life here." Something he finds to be very important.

Red or Green?
Las Cruces, New Mexico creates the world's largest enchilada each autumn at their annual "Whole Enchilada Festival." In the mid 90's the New Mexico State Legislature declared "Red or Green?" as the official state question. It refers to your choice of chilies when ordering New Mexico cuisine