Ag Day
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
A9
Young family enjoys ranching lifestyle
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Brandon and Sydney
Thompson of Dayville keep
busy, raising four young chil-
dren with a ranching way of
life.
As soon as 10-year-old
Ethan and 8-year-old Tyler
step off the school bus, they
load up in the pickup with
their parents and younger sib-
lings, Carson, 4, and McKen-
zie, 3, to feed cattle.
Sydney said that’s the best
thing, ranching together as a
family.
During haying season, it
is not unusual to see Brandon
and Sydney driving tractors,
carting two children each in
the cabs as they rake fields.
“That’s pretty much how it
works,” Sydney said. “It’s re-
ally a good time to just talk to
your kids and find out what’s
going on their life.”
When other ranchers vis-
it, “they’ll say, ‘I remember
when our kids were little,
and we were doing the same
thing,’” she said.
Sydney said there are many
things she enjoys about ranch-
ing in Dayville, including the
good weather and the commu-
nity. She said most of her boys’
classmates are also have fami-
lies who ranch and farm.
“They get together and
help their friends when it’s
time to brand, and they help
us,” she said.
Brandon works full time as
a wildlife technician for Ore-
gon Department of Fish and
Wildlife, and he and Sydney
share ranching duties.
They run Angus-cross
cattle for the Auxier Ranch,
Three of the Thompson kids ride horses on March 9, at
their Dayville home, before going out to feed the cattle.
From left: Ethan, Carson and McKenzie Thompson.
which includes some of their
own cattle, and they also have
cattle on leased land, working
about 200 head in all.
The couple have lived in
Dayville for 10 years. Both
grew up on ranches, Brandon
in North Powder and Sydney
in Northern California, and
both of their dads worked
full time at other jobs while
ranching, receiving lots of
help from family. Sydney said
ranching followed Brandon,
and he started doing some
side jobs.
“I told him, if you’re going
to do this, we have to be real-
ly involved, so we can spend
time together,” she said.
“That’s the kicker for me,”
Brandon said, adding if they
didn’t work it out that way,
they’d never see each other.
“It works out pretty well,
and it’s a good way to teach
your kids that there is more to
life,” Sydney said.
“We pray as a family for
J OHN D AY
NAPA
IS PROUD TO SPONSOR
E ASTERN O REGON ’ S
A GRICULTURE B USINESS .
rain or for calves to get bet-
ter, and they see the results,”
she said. “It’s kind of a ‘faith-
based’ business.”
Brandon said he appreci-
ates the value of hard work his
children are learning.
See FAMILY, Page A10
Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter
The Thompson family pauses after feeding cattle on Thursday, March 9, in Dayville. Front,
from left, Sydney, 3-year-old McKenzie and Brandon; back, Carson, Tyler and Ethan.
Grant County
Chamber of Commerce
Providing Grant County with feed and farm supplies for
its agricultural industry.
311 N Canyon City Blvd, Canyon City
would like to
recognize the
hard work our
local ranchers and
farmers do for
our county this
Ag Day.
Thank you for
everything!
541-575-2050
OTEC Celebrates National Ag Day
as your rural, electric co-op. OTEC
fights every day to continue to
provide our members with some of
the most affordable energy and
reliable rates in the country.
W E HAVE BEEN HELPING KEEP FARM
& RANCH EQUIPMENT RUNNING
SMOOTHLY SINCE 1966.
All OTEC members are invited to our 2017 Annual Membership Meeting
Saturday, April 29 at the Blue Mountain Conference Center
404 12th Street, La Grande, OR
Free Transportation I Live Music I Catered Lunch I Drawings and Giveaways
721 W Main • John Day • 541-575-1850
Call us for more information at: 541-575-0161
Putting Our Energy To Work For YOU! • 400 Patterson Bridge Road, John Day, OR • www.otecc.com
ly
p
p
u
S
ing
d
l
i
u
B
Mills
ll
t For A
s
e
B
e
ith Th
s
Build W ultural Need
ic
r
g
Your A
Horse Barns • Storage Buildings • Hay
Barns • Sheds & Building Supplies
Metal Roofing & Siding
751 W Main St. • John Day
541-575-1021
821 W Hwy. 26, John Day • www.jdpolaris.com