LIFE LESSONS, LOUDEN CLEAR

“Make do with what you have until you get what you need.”

It sounds simple, summed up in so many words, but a mantra like that only manifests in someone who’s truly lived that life. Someone like Christine Louden, who is the fourth of five generations living and working the Louden Ranch in southern Colorado where we photographed this collection.

“It was a great way to grow up, it was a great lifestyle,” Christine said. “It shaped me because I became a very hard worker, very self-motivated, and very competent. I had to do a lot of things by myself and figure it out. The obstacles were presented, but you just get through it; I think that’s been a great lesson in resilience that I’ve carried with me my whole life.”

Don’t be mistaken that she appreciates the lifestyle because it’s all she’s ever known, though. Quite the contrary. Christine is not only well-traveled and made her own way in an industry entirely unrelated to ranching, she’s also lived on multiple continents for years.

“I’ve lived in some amazing places,” she shared. “I’ve lived in Aspen, New York City, London, Melbourne. Of all of these amazing adventures that I’ve had and places I’ve lived, the ranch is still my favorite place on earth. There is such a deep love for and connection to the land here.”

The land and lifestyle eventually drew Christine back to the cow-calf operation which runs mostly Red Angus herds, and she’s built a marketing arm for their family’s beef, called Short Grass Prairie Beef.

“I’ve done farmer’s markets in Denver and here locally, and we’ve shipped to both coasts,” she said. “We don’t do a lot of volume and I think of it as kind of like a little hobby now, but it’s been fun. It also has provided me another little connection with the ranch, in a different way.”

At the end of the day, it’s all about a loyalty to the land and the Louden legacy.

“There’s a sense of wanting to take care of it, of wanting to make sure it stays healthy,” she said. “Also, it works for our whole family. We have a good family dynamic around it, it’s a really good life. It’s quite precious.”

As for her own children, Christine takes heart that they found their roots in the ranch, though she has a feeling they’ll spread their wings in their own direction.

“One thing I’ve always told my kids is, ‘Have fun and be excellent in all that you do’,” she shared. “My theory on that is if you can do one of those things, you’re living a good life and if you can have both, then by golly, you’re off the charts.”