Seasonal Maintenance of Ranch Infrastructure

Typically, once a year, the Mallet has brought out a maintainer to clean up our unpaved roads of seasonal vegetation overgrowth and to correct their shape from the erosive effects of wind and water. In the past, by the time we hired a contractor it was well overdue, and roads were becoming unnavigable. This April of 2025 was no different. As we have a limited budget, we usually prioritize the most severe deterioration, leaving most of the remaining roads unattended until the next year or so. Mallet management is planning to roll out a new game-plan for this much needed regular maintenance. We will spread our budget over seasons to attend to all areas needing attention; doing less at once, but more frequently to keep up with and reduce the severity of overall decline across the ranch.

This past season, we had a particular focus on the Sanctified and Penick pastures. The wind, a staple around these parts, shifted loose dirt to form banks along their fence lines, high enough to allow cattle to escape. The dirt was spread out by the contractor, away from the fences, to return them to their functional state.

Below is a slideshow of photos post-maintenance, courtesy of Steve Killingsworth. Use the arrow to move to the next photo.