WILD BLACKBERRIES, WILD ONIONS

Sweet and savory produce is just part of the natural bounty—and part of the outsized personality—of this land. Here's a look at what else you might find here.

CLIMATE & CHARACTERISTICS

Back Pasture Ranch lies in the Arkansas River Valley, about five miles south of the river itself. At the hayfield, elevation is just 460 feet above sea level, rising about 75 feet to the highest part of Nubbin Ridge. The area is known for mild winters and hot, humid summers. Almost 75 percent of our days are sunny or partly sunny, although rainfall averages 49 inches per year. Growing season lasts 210 days. Shallow, clay soils are typical in lower areas. Upper areas are rough and rocky with veins of shale rising to the surface from place to place. Nubbin Ridge has layered rock bluffs. Vegetation is extremely diverse—from wetland buttonbush to prickly-pear cactus—but the predominant species are prairie grasses and forbs, and oak/hickory/elm forest.
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FROM CROWS TO PAINTED BUNTINGS

From here, drive 90 minutes north to find wild elk and pines, or 90 minutes south for alligators and cypresses. The diversity of life at Back Pasture Ranch doesn’t span quite to those extremes but the variety of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds is truly amazing, with species native to both eastern and western ecosystems. Furbearers often seen include raccoons, coyotes, opossums and skunks. White-tailed deer, fox squirrels and cottontail rabbits are plentiful. Box turtles, skinks, rat snakes and leopard frogs are frequently observed. Avian life is the most diverse of all with over 300 bird species documented in our area, including many neotropical migrants. Cardinals, bluejays, crows, red-tailed hawks and black vultures are among the species spotted daily.
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LOOKING ACROSS
​ OUR SOUTH FENCE

It commands attention as it rises high above our southern horizon. At times it creates its own weather. Clouds can form over the summit. Winds are stronger and autumn arrives earlier up there. Occasionally it flaunts a snowy cap when all we got in the valley was rain. It looks and acts like a legit mountain—but locals insist it’s only a hill. In fact, Cavanal Hill is officially the "World’s Highest Hill” and the distinction is a source of pride across its viewshed. A mountain, technically, is 2,000 feet higher than the surrounding terrain. Cavanal peters out at just 1,999 feet. It's an oddity that drives tourism and sells postcards. But Cavanal, whose name is derived from the French word for caverns, was a famous landmark for centuries prior to modern marketing. Botanist-explorer Thomas Nuttall did the above black-and-white sketch in 1819.

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