Plan to join us on Saturday, July 23, 2022 from 8 a.m. to noon to celebrate National Day of the Cowboy at the Empire Ranch. It’s a free family friendly event with western demonstrations, vendors, and tours of the historic Ranch House.
Discovering the Land: Community, Science, and Partnership in the Sonoita and Patagonia Region (May 7th 2022). The Cienega Watershed Partnership and Friends of Sonoita Creek invite you to share your experiences on the land with local and regional partners, stakeholders, and community members in a day of exploration and presentation! The free event will cover science and engagement across the region, from Vail to Patagonia and beyond. Join us at www.tinyurl.com/DiscoverTheLand to learn more and RSVP.
The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Tucson Field Office and Gila District Fire Management Office will conduct a multiple day prescribed fire on Las Cienegas National Conservation Area (LCNCA), pending appropriate weather and seasonal conditions, from mid-April to late May, 2022. The Airstrip Prescribed Fire will cover approximately 758 acres of BLM-managed land on the LCNCA. For more information about road and camping area closures on LCNCA click here.
Join us on June 4, 2022 for a free outdoor showing of the 1959 classic movie, The Last Train to Gun Hill, starring Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn. The Empire Ranch Foundation, in collaboration with the Loft Cinema, will host the showing at the historic Empire Ranch. The movie starts at 8 p.m. Bring your own seating.
A chuckwagon dinner of Carne Asada or Chicken with Coleslaw and Beans is available from 6-8 p.m. Click here to purchase chuckwagon dinner tickets. Tickets can also be purchased on site.
Click here to read about the history of the Cienega Ranch which was purchased by Walter Vail about 1882 from Don Alonzo Sanford. Located along the Cienega Creek about 4 miles northeast of Empire Ranch Headquarters it was know as “The Farm.”
Back in the Saddle Again
It was glorious to ride again on Las Cienegas National Conservation Area. Empire Ranch Foundation volunteers were excited to welcome everyone to the April 2, 2022, Spring Trail Ride after a two-year hiatus. 109 riders took advantage of the 4 different trail ride opportunities, and 23 enjoyed the wagon rides. And everyone enjoyed the pulled-pork chuckwagon lunch served up by EZ Cattle Company Cow Camp Café Chuck Wagon Catering.
Click here to view photos of the day.
Join us on March 12, 2022 at 10 am to remember Gerald Korte and his contributions to the Empire Ranch and the Empire Ranch Foundation. Click here to RSVP.
Effective February 2022 reservations are now required for all docent-led tours of Empire Ranch Headquarters. Tours are scheduled for 11am on the second and fourth Saturday of the month. Click here to make a reservation. Reservations are due by 5 pm on the Friday before the tour. Requests for special tours can also be made via the website link above.
In September 2021, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies awarded Ian Tomlinson and the Vera Earl Ranch its Private Lands Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Award “…for their proactive conservation and environmental practices and for continuing to exhibit outstanding stewardship of fish and wildlife resources.” In January 2022 the Arizona Game and Fish Commission awarded its Wildlife Habitat Steward of the Year to the Vera Earl Ranch, Inc.
The 2021 Arizona National Livestock Show was dedicated to Grant Boice, the son of Bob and Miriam Boice. Click here to read a wonderful tribute to Grant’s accomplishments, written by Janice Bryson. Bob and Miriam Boice received the same honor when the 2005 AZ National Livestock Show was dedicated to them.