Welcome to the Cattleman's Corner, sponsored by The American Gelbvieh Association.

Here's our host David Woodruff...

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We're talking to Keith Flake. Flake ranch is out south of Apache Junction.

We're here just east of Apache Junction or Mesa, Gold Canyon areabetween Apache Junction, Queen Creek, Orange Junction. About 50 sections of state lease.We don't own an acre and part of it's being developed. Part of it is overrun with recreationists.

The desert floor is brilliant green.You got, how much rain did you get to get that grass cover?

There, as I recall, about three one inch rains and the spacing was pretty good.We figured the desert is going to make like a crop. It's going to put on seed, but it comes fast. And then when it turns 100 degrees, it goes fast.

The mesquite beans, there may be some. Or when you get a year without any rain,the trees don't put any beans?

Oh, it varies from year to year. The most, probably see the first bean in the middle of April. And then it'll be another two or three weeks before there's much of a crop. We used to keep her decals here year round and they were really bean harvesters. The beans are important. They're just not as important as they used to be when we were here year round.

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