About Us
Natives of Wharton County, we developed a love of the South Texas brush country in the early 1980s. Both our families have a history in the cattle business, and growing up as country kids, cattle and everything associated with them was normal life. After long careers, we were finally fortunate to acquire our own piece of Duval County in 2010. The Palo Verde Ranch is an 1800-acre family ranch with no cross fences, home to our herd of longhorns and a wide diversity of wildlife.
We are located 14 miles south of Freer, Texas, in the heart of the Nueces Strip – midway between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande. The Strip is an area of Texas with a rich and contentious history. Ownership was contested by The Republic of Texas and Mexico following the Texas Revolution (1835-1845), but finally resolved with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hildago establishing the Texas state border at the Rio Grande in 1846.
Original home of wide ranging feral cattle, Texas Longhorns, our land is known as the Tamaulipan Plains and is heavy thornscrub with small pastures and senderos which we regularly maintain and attempt to increase. As a result, our longhorns are free to enjoy the diverse landscape and regularly roam the entire ranch foraging on native grasses and brush (guajillo is a favorite). Water is readily available throughout the ranch, and our cattle exploit all we have to offer in total harmony with the brush and wildlife.
Limiting our herd size to 30-50 ensures adequate native, renewable and sustainable habitat with minimal need for supplemental forage. The result is that our cattle are conditioned, comfortable, and at home on their historical (Heritage) range. This was no better demonstrated than during the record freeze of Feb 14-18, 2021, when three of our heifers delivered their first calves. They disappeared into the heavy brush and emerged days later with newborns in tow. No drama, no losses – just normal life in South Texas.
Goals & Vision
Our plan is to build a solid herd of 30 quality cows, bred annually either through carefully selected bulls on lease or through AI. Our annual calf crop will either be sold or retained as replacement heifers where appropriate. However, most of our herd will always be offered for sale as we strive to meet our herd size target while focusing on quality improvement of longhorn cattle at home in the South Texas Brush Country.