In 1895, Joe Painter's great-grandpa rode into Harding County as the head horse wrangler for the CY Cattle Company. As the story goes, great-grandpa Painter loved the country so much that he lived on the land out of a tent for two years. He eventually acquired the right paperwork to take legal ownership of the land in 1910.One-hundred-twenty-seven years later, the Painter family continues to ranch in Harding County. Joe Painter shares how he got his start in ranching. And the role sheep played in helping him keep his family's ranching legacy strong.
Each fall ranch families across western South Dakota round up their cattle and move them to pastures closer to home where they can more easily provide feed and protection to their herd throughout the winter months.SDPB’s Lura Roti recently spent a day with the Painter family and brings you this story from their Buffalo ranch