Catholic Rural Life

A national organization devoted to supporting American farmers in their rural communities, Catholic Rural Life (CRL) is comprised of bishops and laity, and, of course, rural farmers. Its vision, as noted on the website, is straightforward: it is centered on faith, community, and care of creation. Its executive director, James Ennis, works tirelessly to help others and to promote Catholic life in rural America. And CRL’s patron saint is Saint Isidore, the Farmer.

Not surprisingly, many Catholic rural farmers are members of the organization, and among these are Bridget and Cecil Gallagher, who own and operate a ranch in Clark, Wyoming. As Bridget Gallagher explained, “We were raised Catholic, and were both born and raised in Michigan,” she said. “My husband grew up on a dairy farm. We moved here about 18 years ago, and now have a cattle ranch and we grow crops. We have nine children—eight boys and one girl. The older three have graduated and moved away. The others are helping on the ranch.”

With so many life options available, the couple nevertheless chose to start their own ranch in Wyoming. As she noted, “My dad was a builder and at that time, my family lived out here. He offered partnership in his building company and he had started a ranch on the side,” she said. “We bought out our dad. We own 550 acres and lease about 1000 acres more. The name of the ranch is Gallagher Natural Beef and Beartooth Cattle.” (Note: for more information, visit https://gallaghernaturalbeef.com. The first screenshot shows the whole Gallagher family on and surrounding a tree. Other links on the site show pictures of the meat products and even the rustic corn maze.)

As Bridget Gallagher said, her husband, Cecil, is a big believer in diverse crops in case the market is not good for one but better for another. “He enjoys growing crops and raising cattle,” she said. “We grow our own hay and feed corn; we also grow potatoes and sweet corn that we sell to local grocery stores and area farmers market.  We also have a roadside stand in Clark, where we sell our produce that is very popular.  We have a corn maze in the fall where we cook and sell our own meats which has been very popular! Sometimes we sell more than 400 meals in one day! We live 30 miles away from the nearest cities and they all come from these spots to have school field trips in the corn maze.”

The couple also raises grain-finished cattle and pigs that receive no hormones or antibiotics. They also prepare the meats for marketing and sell meats by cuts. The family sells to local markets, grocery stores, and restaurants.  Also, customers can order on their website for delivery.

Not surprisingly, Bridget Gallagher said that her husband is very, very busy. “He is operating and managing everything all over the ranch,” she said. “These jobs also include the irrigation; we rely on the run-off from mountain snow during the summer months to irrigate our crops.  Our annual precipitation is less than 7 inches, so without irrigation we would not be able to farm in our region. He harvests hay and gets it all in the right direction during the days. He feeds animals and doctors baby calves. He fixes all of his own equipment.”

“What do I do?” she asked. As she related, her end of the business is the sales, bookkeeping, marketing, managing the farmers’ market, and managing deliveries. “I have a small garden,” she said. “I do raise tomatoes. And I like to can them for salsa. I also raise cucumbers, lettuce, radishes, beets, green beans, and zucchini, and we do fall and winter squash.” And she does overlook the marketing and set up for the fall corn maze event.

As it turns out, the family does not live on the ranch. As she explained, “We actually live next door to our Catholic church called Our Lady of the Valley,” she said. “We rent from the church. We are its caretakers, and we basically do lawn maintenance, sprinkling, mowing, and cleaning the inside. We are just a little mission church and connected to Saint Anthony’s out of Cody. Our ranch is only 3 miles away. And we love living next to Our Lord. We are blessed.”

As Mrs. Gallagher, concluded: “Is my husband happy? He loves it, and ranching is his dream.”

Gallagher’s Outdoor Meal

“This is one of our family’s favorite summertime meals! We grill almost every night with our meats and fresh vegetables! It’s just too hot to cook inside when you live in the desert,” said Bridget Gallagher. (Note: home cooks can adapt or tweak this recipe to fit into their family’s dinner plan.)

Feeds 8 people

Gallagher Smash Burgers
– 5 pounds of Gallagher Natural Beef Burger
– Make into 1/3 pound Patties, and season with garlic, pepper, and salt
– Place on the outdoor griddle
– Smash burgers until thin and grill until juices run clear
– Place a thin slice of pepper Jack cheese between two Patties and serve on a sesame seed bun.

Fresh-dug Gallagher Red Potatoes
– 10 pounds new red potatoes, diced into chunks
– 1/4 cup olive oil poured over diced potatoes
– Cook potatoes on a hot outdoor griddle or castiron skillet inside for 10-15 min
Add:
– 5 locally grown garlic scapes
– 8 green onions (chives diced) from our garden
– 1 green pepper diced
Seasoned with salt and pepper
– Cook until everything is tender and serve with Smash Burgers

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“Serve the Lord with gladness, Come before Him, singing for joy…” Psalm 100:2
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“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” -Roger Caras

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