Nick and Amy's Farm

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New Castle, CO
Nick and Amy's Farm

Producing superior quality pasture raised beef in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, straight from our far

04/05/2021

Hoping you all had a wonderful Easter weekend! We are enjoying the incredibly warm weather and some green grass springing up. Hope we get some moisture in the coming months, but it is hard not to enjoy these beautiful sunny days!

03/21/2021

Colorado agriculture is under attack. Not only from Governor Polis’s proclaimed ‘Meat Out’ day today, but also by Initiative 16, formerly known as the PAUSE Act (which also threatens the practice of veterinary medicine). It is time for us to band together to engage the folks who do not know anything about our industry. People are so removed from the origin and story of their food and and have no understanding of how important cattle are for the health of our earth and our own bodies. It is easy for people who know nothing to be swayed by activism and wordsmithing.
It is time for us to share our stories and to engage those who think differently. We can provide education and compassion for those who do not know our world. It’s nearly impossible to not get defensive and emotional when your very livelihood and belief system is threatened to the core. I encourage all of us in the ag industry to be open to outsiders and to engage them in education and productive conversation. The future of literally EVERYTHING depends on it.

03/16/2021

Quick sunset spin around to check the cows with the boy! Calving season is in full swing and it’s busy busy around here, especially in the snow and mud, but we can’t complain because we need the moisture so desperately!

02/09/2021

Got to spend some time with one of my absolute favorite humans in the world recently! Dr. Tim Holt developed pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) testing in cattle and he made the rounds to our valley last week. Cattle can be susceptible to developing pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs due to a maladaptive response to the relatively low oxygen levels at high altitudes) that can lead to right heart failure and death. In order to decrease our chances of breeding cattle that develop “Brisket Disease” (aka “High Mountain Disease”), we measure their pulmonary arterial pressure and do not keep any that have too high of a score. Those with lower PAP scores are more likely to thrive at high elevations, so we test our bulls and sometimes our replacement heifers to ensure our genetics are still suited to our high mountain pasture environment.
To perform the PAP test, a long catheter is threaded down the jugular vein, through the heart and into the pulmonary artery and the pressure is read on the screen. This only takes a few moments and we get some invaluable information.
Those of you lucky enough to know Dr. Holt will be envious of my time with him. Needless to say, he is an amazing mentor, veterinarian, and human, and I will always be eager to soak up any time I can have with him and I am forever grateful for those moments! ❤️

02/05/2021

Following on from yesterday, here are some helpful tips for improving and maintaining your hydration:

1️⃣ Get a refillable water bottle (preferably stainless or glass) of a known size and use it throughout the day to ensure you meet your requirement. Water is best absorbed and utilized when drunk throughout the day and not in large quantities (chugging doesn’t win 😂).

2️⃣ Put a pinch of unrefined salt (Pink Himalayan salt, Grey salt, Redmond Salt) in at least one bottle of water per day. This adds electrolytes and helps your body absorb the water, rather than pure water washing your internal electrolytes out and just passing through you!

3️⃣ Add a squeeze of lemon or lime, a few slices of cucumber, or some berries if you need a little flavor to help entice you to drink more!

4️⃣ Try not to drink too much water half an hour before meals and up to 2 hours after meals. This way you won’t dilute your much-needed stomach acid when it is trying to digest your meal!

02/04/2021

While we’re on the subject of water, how much pure plain water do you drink each day? Many of the things we drink regularly are actually diuretics, meaning they cause excess excretion of water from the body, so they are dehydrating to the body rather than hydrating.

✅ Coffee (and all caffeine)
✅ Most tea
✅ Soda
✅ Orange juice (and all fruit juice)
✅ Milk
✅ Alcohol

All these drinks deplete the body’s water supply, so be sure to replenish with plenty of plain water!
A simple and quick rule of thumb for how much water you should drink in a day is this: your body weight in lbs divided by 2 = the number of ounces of water you should drink at a minimum every day. Then, if you drink any of the above-mentioned diuretic drinks, you need to add 1.5x the amount of each of those you drink to rehydrate your body from their diuretic effects. For example, if you weigh 150lbs and drink 12oz of coffee per day, your equation would look like this: (150➗2) ➕ (12✖️1.5) ➡️ 93oz of water per day!

01/30/2021

Let’s talk hydration for a minute. Did you know water is the most common nutritional deficiency in the American population?? Most of us are walking around chronically mild-moderately dehydrated. Some of the signs of dehydration may surprise you. For acute (early) dehydration, signs include:
🔹Fatigue 👈 aren’t we all tired at times?!
🔹Irritability
🔹Depression, anxiety
🔹Cravings
🔹Cramps
🔹Headaches

For chronic (long term, ongoing) dehydration, signs include:
🔹Joint pain
🔹Migraines
🔹Back pain
🔹Heartburn
🔹Constipation
🔹Fibromyalgia
🔹Colitis

Do you have any of these signs? You may be able to improve or remedy them simply by drinking more water!

01/28/2021

Just a little farm boy and his dog, pushing yearlings down the road.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

01/26/2021

Today I want to introduce you to the concept of nutrient density. Think about all the foods you eat. Which are the most ‘nutrient dense’?
Let’s start with the basics- the more processing steps a food has to go through, the more nutrients are lost, damaged, or rendered inactive. Thus real, whole foods in their original form are naturally more nutrient dense. For example, a whole grain of wheat is more nutrient dense than the highly processed white flour that we get from milling it.
Examples of highly nutrient dense foods include liver, oysters, salmon, steak, avocado, blueberries, asparagus, garlic, kale, mushrooms, and almonds to name a few! Start thinking about the food you eat as nutrients to nourish your body rather than just calories to keep you going. You may find yourself wanting more of the highly nutritious food that our bodies need!

01/24/2021

Speaking of sugar... like the bad oils, sugar is snuck into just about every packaged food we eat.
➡️ Bread
➡️ Cereal
➡️ Bacon
➡️ Salad dressing
➡️ Ketchup
➡️ Bottled spaghetti sauce
The list goes on and on!! It is often ‘hidden’ under other names such as maltodextrin, sucrose, maltose, brown rice syrup, corn syrup, and high fructose corn syrup.
But why do all these foods have sugar in them?? Because it is ADDICTIVE and tasty! It makes you eat more of those foods and crave them. The goal of a food company is to sell food, so what better way to accomplish that than to get you hooked and coming back for more! You’re going to be hearing this a lot from me, so better get used to it: START READING LABELS!! Do your best to avoid things that are toxic or inflammatory to your body, including all forms of refined and processed sugar. Your energy, mood, and sleep will thank you for it!!

01/23/2021

What’s another big driver of inflammation in our bodies? I’m sorry to say it, but sugar is near the top of the list of offenders. It wreaks havoc on our blood sugar levels, can be damaging to our microbiome, and is a stressor to our already heavily burdened adrenal glands, among other things.
But it tastes so good and makes me feel good! Yes, it is highly addictive and sends feel-good hormones through our bodies in the moment, but often leaves us feeling worse and craving for more a few hours later. It can also disrupt our sleep (hello waking up at 2AM for no apparent reason) and cause insulin resistance, which is the first step leading up to metabolic disease and Type II diabetes. There are countless reasons to decrease or eliminate your sugar intake. Think about where you might be getting sugar in your day-to-day right now. How could you decrease your sugar intake?

01/19/2021

The family that works cows together stays together... or more like the family that can survive working cows together stays together!! 😂 Cows have a way of testing our patience, for sure, but we always manage to get it done!
Here we are giving the heifers who will be having their first calf this spring their vaccines. These vaccines will protect the calves from getting sick because the cows will concentrate antibodies into the colostrum (first milk). When the calves nurse this potent milk, the antibodies will cross into their bloodstream in the first 12-24 hours of life and protect them until their own immune system develops enough to do the job. Isn’t Mother Nature amazing!?!

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New Castle, CO
81647

Website

https://www.nickandamysfarm.com/

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Our Story

Nick and Amy both grew up in the Rocky Mountains of rural Western Colorado. The pursuit of education and adventure took them to different states and overseas, including living in Australia for three years. When an opportunity arose for Amy's family operation to expand, Nick and Amy chose to come home and get involved in the ranching lifestyle. The draw of the agrarian lifestyle in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado was too strong to ignore. They have since become partners in the family operation that has been raising high quality beef for over 40 years. While the workdays are long and leisure time is short, Nick and Amy have enjoyed 6 years back on the family ranch raising superior quality, pasture-raised, all-natural beef cattle.

Amy was born and raised on her family's ranch where she was on a horse in her mother's backpack before she could walk. She was also steering the feed truck to feed cows when she had to stand on the seat to see over the dashboard. Growing up, Amy's summers involved riding horseback looking after cattle and driving tractors to help put up hay. This upbringing inspired her to pursue a degree as a large animal veterinarian, which she earned from Colorado State University. This advanced education reinforced her understanding of animal health and welfare and serves her well in practice and on the family ranch. Somehow, Amy manages her ranching interests while being a full-time mom and full-time veterinarian.

Nick grew up exploring the mountains and learning from nature throughout his childhood. He has always been drawn to the outdoors and inspired by creation. He worked for the US Forest Service for several seasons, gaining experience in rangeland management and touring with fire fighting crews. In pursuit of his amazing bride, he worked for Amy’s parents on the family ranch for a year before attending graduate school at Colorado State University, where he earned a Master’s degree in BioAgricultural Sciences and Pest Management. Although Nick is one generation removed from production agriculture, farming and ranching run in his blood. Many consider him a wildcard, but he is an unconventional thinker always looking for a better way to do things.

Nick and Amy’s goals since coming home to the family farm have evolved as they have studied and learned more about the way soils and ecosystems work together and ultimately, soil health is the foundation for a healthy ecosystem. Nick has been passionately learning about and applying regenerative agricultural practices to improve soil health, expanding on his background in plant science and range management. Amy’s newfound passion for human health and nutrition led her to complete training and certification as a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and a Restorative Wellness Practitioner over the last couple years. They now understand how our health is tied to the health of our animals, which is ultimately tied to the health of our soils. They are eager to continue to apply new principles in order to regenerate their land and improve the vitality of their soils, forages, and animals. Nick and Amy are passionate about connecting with their customers and consumers and desire to provide them high quality, nutritious beef.