6 Ranch Podcast

If you enjoy a good meal with a glass of wine, Walla Walla, Washington has a lot to offer. And three of my friends from Walla Walla happen to know quite a bit about quality ingredients, food, and wine. Michelle and Michelle have owned and operated one of Walla Walla's best restaurants, Bacon and Eggs, for nearly a dozen years. Elaine co-owns and operates SuLei Cellars, where she makes award winning wine. As often happens when drinking with friends, we cover a wide variety of topics in this episode. The wine making process, fly fishing, aged steak, tattoos, the upcoming 6 Ranch Meat Rodeo, and of course, how to cook the perfect poached egg.

Bacon and Eggs
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SuLei Cellars
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It's interesting to think about the ancestors that came before us. The wars they fought, the migrations they made, and all their choices, big and small, led to where and who we are today. Most people don't know much about their family history past a couple of generations, and the stories they have are often embellished to the point of myth. I'm fortunate to know quite a bit of my family's story thanks to my relative, and genealogist, Cyndi Ingle. Fascinated by our family's lore, she created Cyndi's List, a free genealogy research portal with 320,000 categorized and cross-referenced links. Her website is a great jumping off point and will make any online search far easier should you choose to investigate your family. In this episode, Cyndi shares with me the Nash family's history, and discusses how you can learn more about your own ancestors.
 
Cyndi's List

Cyndi's Speaking & Teaching Calendar

The Genealogy Squad on Facebook

Connection to place and community are terms we often throw around, but do we really know what they mean at their core? For me, this land, the 6 Ranch,  is the biggest part of who I am. And growing up in this small community shaped me. Cory Carman, a member of my community, is one of those people who understands. Cory grew up on a century old family ranch right here in Wallowa. With a desire to give back to a unique community that's always supported her, she went to Stanford University to study environmental policy. Cory now uses her education and generational knowledge to run the Carman Ranch, a sustainable grass-fed beef operation, in innovative ways. Cory's dedication to caring for her land, soil, and livestock, and her refusal to make small talk, leads us to a rich conversation about agriculture and the story of this place.

Carman Ranch
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When it comes to safely and securely storing firearms, there's a lot of opinions and misinformation out there. Most people have one or two large, and often disorganized, gun safes that are heavy and awful to move. These safes are kept in obvious locations that thieves think to check first. They aren't truly fireproof or fail proof. But there are better options. To shed some light on what I believe is an important topic, is Tom Kubiniec, CEO and founder of SecureIt. Tom's foray into gun safes began with transforming the Department of Defense's cluttered weapon racks into organized, efficient weapon storage systems that would ultimately revolutionize military armories.  Twenty two years later, his company, SecureIt, also specializes in home gun storage that will keep your firearms safe, but give you access where and when you need them.

SecureIt
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Military & Tactical Storage
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As is tradition, we're starting season 4 of the 6 Ranch Podcast on a spring bear hunting trip along the river. In this episode, we're talking ballistics as I'm joined by Joshua Manke and Weston Rogers of G9 Defense, an incredibly innovative ammunition company that is designing bullets with more accuracy and lethality. With a team of just 17 folks, G9 is not a big company, but they're doing big things. Joshua, G9's visionary and founder, and Weston, Director of Business Development, walk me through what they're been inventing, how the technology works, and what I'm most excited about, the 10mm Woodsman. 

G9 Defense
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Robin Pace has spent literal years of her life on rivers. She’s been a rafting guide for the past 11 years, rowing some of the biggest whitewater out there. As a former guide myself with the same company, Robin and I had a good talk about all thing’s whitewater. We covered some basics like cooler hacks, gear preferences, and camp cooking, while also getting into it with stories of big water, injuries, and flipped boats. The adrenaline filled sensation of rowing class V rapids is something few people ever experience, but through Robin's stories and expertise, you'll get a taste of what it’s like behind the oars. 

Book a Trip with Winding Waters 

Hells Canyon is a special place to me. The rugged terrain and powerful Snake River is beautiful, but harsh. My guest today, Mike Baird, has been guiding folks down the Snake for years and feels the same about it. I consider Mike's knowledge of Hells Canyon to be as encyclopedic as anyone out there. It was Mike who first taught me the history of the canyon on a guide training trip years ago, and I couldn't get enough. In this episode, I had Mike sit down and walk me through the natural and cultural history of this remarkable place. From the forming of the canyon thousands of years ago, to the incredibly tough people who lived there.

Learn more about the Cooper's Ferry Archeological Site

It's tough to take life too seriously when you're drinking scotch with good friends. In this episode, I'm joined by my buddies Paul Pagano and Lyle Witherrite, to catch up on life and tell some war stories, while sneaking a few dad jokes into the mix. We also discuss leadership principles and share some of the greatest leaders we've had the privilege to work with in the Marines, Navy, and law enforcement. Leaders who shaped us into the men we are today and inspire us to be better people.   

On Instagram
Paul Pagano
Lyle Witherrite

The timber industry has always been a part of western life, especially where I grew up in Wallowa County. As a kid, there were 5 sawmills here, running 24/7. But due to harvest regulation changes, there were zero by the time I graduated high school. A lot of hard-working folks lost their jobs overnight and our local economy was in crisis. David Schmidt was the first to open a new mill in the county, but with a very different business model. David found the timber industry at an early age. After seeing bark beetle infested lumber wasted, he decided to go to Oregon State University to study Wood Science and Engineering. David wanted to figure out how to better use wood in forest products, which he did his senior year by making cross laminated timber. Now, with his company, Heartwood biomass, David is focused on restorative logging that maintains forest health, while still providing good paying jobs and quality wood products.
 
Heartwood Biomass
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Jeremiah Stent and his partner Aimee produce the best pork I've ever had in my life. As the owners of Square Mile Ranch here in Northeast Oregon, they operate a direct market meat business. On the hoof meat is a bit different than most folks are used to. When you buy pork or beef from them, you're buying that animal live, and you know it will be well cared for and killed humanly right on the ranch. Jeremiah runs Square Mile in a way that balances the health of the land, soil, and animals, with the ability to produce high quality products for his customers. Having a close connection to your food is an incredible thing, and if you live nearby, I highly recommend all meat products from Square Mile Ranch.

Square Mile Ranch
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And if you're interested in dry aging meat at home, check out Steak Locker