Back from the Ranch

Last week I returned from New Mexico, after the remarkable experience of working on the Imus Ranch.

It was an incredible privilege for me to be invited to serve as the Ranch doc for a week this summer. The Imus Ranch, located in Ribera, New Mexico (about 50 miles northeast of Sante Fe), is a 4000-acre authentic, working cattle ranch. Don, Deirdre and Wyatt were wonderful hosts, and the 10 children there for our “Go Round,” the fifth of eight this summer, were inspirational. All had battled cancer, all were currently in remission; all had the hearts of lions. They were taught how to work a real ranch, riding horses and learning various cowboy tricks-of-the-trade. It was truly amazing, seeing these kids, who have been told over and over that “you can’t do this – you can’t do that,” realize that yes, they CAN do whatever they set their minds to.

The food, a mostly vegan menu, is featured in Deirdre’s cookbook, “Cooking for Kids and Cowboys.” Much of the organic produce was grown on the Ranch, and each meal featured healthy and delicious vegetable-based entrees even the hardest-to-please kids devoured. The children (ages 12-15 during my week there, but generally 11-17) absorbed the lessons about healthy eating as well as smart lifestyle choices like using chemical-free sunscreen and insect repellent. One can only hope they take some of what they learned back home to their families, all across the U.S.

Don broadcasts his TV/radio show from the Ranch during the summer, and I was honored to be a guest on Wednesday, July 27, for a brief stint. You see, I had been discussing the Abraham Cherrix case with Don and Deirdre, and both were so kind to bring it up on air, and then allow me to follow-up with more details. For those interested in the background, see my post here; of note, a judge ruled that very week that Abraham could continue alternative therapy for his cancer pending a new trial set for August 16th. Stay tuned.