Imperial Stock Ranch
Sharing Oregon History and Tradition with the Public

The Imperial Stock Ranch has a long and rich history. In 1871, it began as a 160 acre homestead claim and then grew to be the largest individually owned land and stock holding in Oregon. Headquartered near Shaniko, it is still going strong today.

Dan and Jeanne Carver have owned and operated the ranch since 1988 and are dedicated to keeping the operation going and to preserving all aspects of its history. Under their ownership the ranch has thrived and in recent years has become more visible to the public.

“The reason for the increased interest and visibility of the ranch is because of our sustainable management practices tied to a product people can enjoy,” says Jeanne. “A healthier landscape means a more profitable business and Dan has taken many steps to promote stewardship of the land.”

Some of these steps include improved watershed practices that have helped return salmon to the creeks and doubled the capacity to raise sheep and cattle on the non-irrigated land. This is quite an accomplishment as the same four commodities have been grown on the ranch since the beginning: cattle, sheep, grains and hay.

Due to declining markets for lamb and wool in the United States in recent years, the Carvers made a decision in 1999 to develop their own markets for these products. They were motivated by the important role sheep have played in their ranch's history.

Facing the risk of losing this piece of its heritage, Dan and Jeanne took three important steps to ensure the future profitability of their sheep: securing processing for their fiber to make yarn and wool garments, developing relationships with local chefs who buy their lamb direct and using guard dogs to control the predator losses.

“This has all been very profitable,” says Jeanne. “We now employ 15 women to work with our fiber and produce handmade, artisan garments that have become a treasure for Oregonians and visitors. These products make the wool worth more than 15 times what it was worth raw.”

Additionally, the Carvers have not had a single sheep killed by a predator since June of 2000. Perhaps the best news, from Dan's perspective as Jeanne tells it, is that the success of the lamb marketing program has driven demand for their beef. Historically wool was the number one commodity of the ranch; however, wheat and cattle provide the economic base today.

While developing and promoting their Oregon grown product has been successful, the Carvers have also found ways to share the history and tradition of the ranch with visitors from all over the world.
Many people tour the ranch headquarters by appointment each year. Every tour is unique, depending on the background and interests of the visitors. The headquarters, a National Historic District, is comprised of 18 historic buildings and structures, many of which are still in use today.

The ranch also hosts hunters with a fee-based hunting service. Wildlife is abundant on the land and hunters can pursue elk, deer and game birds. A hunting lodge and guest house are available on a limited basis.

Located a short distance from the ranch, in Maupin, is the Imperial River Company. Owned and operated by the Carvers’ daughter and son-in-law, this attraction offers lodging, rafting, a restaurant and access to the beautiful Deschutes River. This new venture allows Imperial Stock Ranch to offer visitors a full tourism package and an incredible Oregon experience.

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While finding ways to maintain the family business is important, the true value of the ranch is greater than the survival of that business or the profits gleaned from it.

The ranch promotes the natural cycle of life that each person depends on for survival. The Carvers refer to this life-cycle as the sunlight story.

Sunlight, landscape, water and soil are the characters in this timeless story that people have depended on for thousands of years. The sheep and cattle grazing the Imperial Stock Ranch lands consume plants, which harness the sun and provide food and energy for the livestock. The animals then convert that sunlight energy into products useful to people: food, fiber and clothing.

Jeanne explains the meaning of this story and how it pertains to those who live in the city as well as in rural communities. “As ranchers, we have to protect and nurture this cycle on which all life depends. The sunlight story can be shared with everyone and can be used as a tool to connect rural and urban people to each other and to their roots.”

Dan and Jeanne also promote the notion of “slow food” – using what the land provides as Mother Nature intended. Growing, preparing and partaking in food together is a timeless, yet disappearing tradition.

In today’s fast-paced world many of these traditional skills, such as growing food and spinning wool, have been lost in mass production and consumption. The Carvers believe that practicing these skills and purchasing products produced in a traditional way brings us back to our roots and gives us back a piece of American culture and tradition.

“Other cultures have managed to maintain their traditions and therefore their rich cultural heritage in this modern world,” says Jeanne. “However, Americans need to be reminded that we still have a culture and these skills are part of what our nation was founded on.”

Visitors to Imperial Stock Ranch buy the sunlight story in the meat and wool products available there. And while the ranch is not a large company in a corporate sense of the word, this story and these products have paved the way for a sustainable and profitable future for the Carvers.

Imperial Stock Ranch tells a story that takes people back to where they came from and educates all who will listen about life the way nature intended it. For more information about the history, products and services of Imperial Stock Ranch visit their Web site at www.imperialstockranch.com.