Seasons still revolve around agriculture

Carson Valley is still home to cowboys and all the things that accompany them, roundups and branding.

Calving season starts in February and is marked by the Valley's annual Eagles and Agriculture.

Calving season's end means branding season's just beginning.

"Most people start right now in mid-April and go into the middle of May," said fourth-generation Carson Valley rancher Nick Uhart. "You want to get the calves before they get too old."

In addition to branding calves, all the cattle get vaccinations in the spring, a process that could see up to 300 animals processed in a day.

"We had a good crew," Uhart said. "Everybody helps everybody else out. We go from ranch to ranch. We had good ropers and good support staff."

On April 9 Uhart branded and vaccinated 100 of his own cattle and 100 belonging to his brother Domingo.

Uhart said he was hopeful for the cattle market this year.

"It's looking pretty good," he said. "But that might be a little bit of optimism."

With the snowpack up above 100 percent in a couple of places, irrigation season may keep fodder for the cattle green into the summer.

Ebbetts Pass has 105 percent of snow-water equivalent, and Poison Flat is at 195 percent average snow-water equivalent as of Tuesday.