Okfuskee County - Pharoah, OK
Pecan Valley Ranch is a 538-acre ranch located just west of Henryetta in Okfuskee County at an easy one hour and fifteen minute drive from either Oklahoma City or Tulsa. Offering both productive pasture and a dense growth of pecan trees along Montezuma Creek, this ranch can support healthy herds of both livestock and wildlife. But, before we get into that, we need to go back in time to when the current owner purchased the property.
Eight years ago when we first laid eyes on this ranch, it was in pretty rough shape. It had been leased out for years and not surprisingly, very little maintenance had been done. Overstocked, overgrown, and run down, one would wonder what the current owner saw in the property. Simply stated, it was the fertile soil types. Even though it didn’t look like it, the ranch had fantastic soils and just needed half a chance to shine. Most ranches that we look at don’t have any Class 1 soils. Amazingly, 44 percent of Pecan Valley Ranch features Class 1 soils! If you consider both Class 1 and 2 soils, the total increases to a whopping 70 percent of the ranch that has these fertile soil types. This is evidenced by the natural vegetation we saw on the property. Most neglected ranches grow up in cedar and elm trees. This one grew up in a thick growth of pecan trees. Everywhere we looked, we saw pecan trees that ranged from massive old growth trees to saplings. That’s when the decision was made to purchase Pecan Valley Ranch. The next decision was to break from conventional management practices and pursue a regenerative farming approach.
The ranch was rested the first spring, and an amazing growth of clover blanketed the previously barren pastures. The next step was to clean out the pond to create a water source, install a storage tank and gravity flow water system to provide water to each of the paddocks created in the front pasture. Next, it was time to bring in multiple species and rotate them through the paddocks to restore the land. This was possible because of the new fencing constructed that was capable of holding any livestock desired, including the most renowned escape artists of the farm, goats. Domestic pigs were stocked beneath the pecan trees to clean up the huge quantity of pecans lying on the ground. In the process, they also cleared the briars and as soon as they were rotated into other paddocks, a strong growth of cool season grasses emerged. Other paddocks were stocked with sheep and goats to reduce the dense growth of weeds. These two species act as herbicide in the form of an animal given that they consume plants that are normally considered a nuisance and require chemicals to control. Chickens were also rotated through the paddocks to boost soil nutrients. All these steps culminated in the creation of lush pastures that were then stocked with cattle.
Today, all of the livestock have been removed and the ranch has been rested again. The pastures are full of white, arrowleaf, and yellow clover, in addition to hairy vetch, rye grass and bermuda. The interior paddock fencing needs some repair but the water system and exterior fences are still in great shape. The ranch also has a good set of well built holding and working pens for cattle in addition to a small animal barn equipped with stalls and working facilities for goats and sheep. Other improvements made included the addition of two mobile homes with connecting deck and shop building at the new headquarters area. In addition, a third mobile home was added just north of the headquarters for the farm manager. A storage container, mobile chicken houses and various sheds round out the list of improvements.
The property has a history of producing very impressive trophy whitetails and the ponds have been stocked and managed for some fun fishing opportunities. In total, there are four main ponds on the property that range in size from one acre to an acre and a half. In addition, there are numerous small ponds scattered throughout the pastures. More importantly, two miles of Montezuma Creek twist through the ranch and serves as the source of the fertile soils deposited in its floodplain. There is a dead section line road at the south end of the ranch that has an interesting old concrete/rock bridge that is used to cross the creek. The west side of the creek features hay meadows and transitional areas where meadows fade into the ideal wildlife habitat mixture of pecans, oaks, and honeysuckle.
If you’ve dreamed of trying your hand at regenerative farming and multi-species husbandry, then, Pecan Valley Ranch would be a great place for you to expand on a solid foundation of fertile soils, and existing improvements to take them to the next level under your stewardship. For more information, call Steve Owen at 580 231 2386 or email him at Steve@
