Baker Ranch
In 1896, most pioneers were traveling west to find their fortunes, but Rex’s great-grandfather Jesse came east from Australia, sailed to California, and then eventually made his way to the mountains of southern Idaho, where he homesteaded in Lava Hot Springs. Rex’s grandfather Alfred started rearing sheep on the ranch, and it wasn’t until Rex’s father Harold took over the farm in the 1945, that cattle were introduced and began to replace the sheep operation by the 1960’s. Potatoes were also a staple crop grown on the property in the past. For nearly 30-years, wagon rides into upper Dempsey Creek were offered as a tourist activity. However, at the end of 2022, Rex and Peggy decided to semi-retire and closed that area of the family business.
The Baker Ranch today is a multi-generational operation. Old English Southdown Babydoll and Royal White hair sheep are the two breeds of lovable, grass trimmers that graze on the Baker Ranch today. Registered breeding stock and grass-fed lamb are available for sale. Cattle still graze the mountain acreage that is rented out as pasture to local cattlemen each summer. There is also an expanding raspberry patch that was started back in 1992. You can find our fresh berries at the Portneuf Valley Farmers Market in late August through September or purchase directly at the ranch. We also have small batch jams and frozen berries for sale year round.
"The Baker Ranch has always been a snapshot in time and has reflected the ranching strategies of the managing generation since its foundation. From a sheep to a cattle ranch and a return to specialty breeds of sheep... The key is ingenuity, which Rex, Peggy Ann, and their children Autumn and Jesse Baker share. Their success lies in open communication, which allows Baker Ranch to be more than just a business or just a family, but an example of a successful family business". - Susan Slocum, Assistant Professor, George Mason University
In 1896, most pioneers were traveling west to find their fortunes, but Rex’s great-grandfather Jesse came east from Australia, sailed to California, and then eventually made his way to the mountains of southern Idaho, where he homesteaded in Lava Hot Springs. Rex’s grandfather Alfred started rearing sheep on the ranch, and it wasn’t until Rex’s father Harold took over the farm in the 1945, that cattle were introduced and began to replace the sheep operation by the 1960’s. Potatoes were also a staple crop grown on the property in the past. For nearly 30-years, wagon rides into upper Dempsey Creek were offered as a tourist activity. However, at the end of 2022, Rex and Peggy decided to semi-retire and closed that area of the family business.
The Baker Ranch today is a multi-generational operation. Old English Southdown Babydoll and Royal White hair sheep are the two breeds of lovable, grass trimmers that graze on the Baker Ranch today. Registered breeding stock and grass-fed lamb are available for sale. Cattle still graze the mountain acreage that is rented out as pasture to local cattlemen each summer. There is also an expanding raspberry patch that was started back in 1992. You can find our fresh berries at the Portneuf Valley Farmers Market in late August through September or purchase directly at the ranch. We also have small batch jams and frozen berries for sale year round.
"The Baker Ranch has always been a snapshot in time and has reflected the ranching strategies of the managing generation since its foundation. From a sheep to a cattle ranch and a return to specialty breeds of sheep... The key is ingenuity, which Rex, Peggy Ann, and their children Autumn and Jesse Baker share. Their success lies in open communication, which allows Baker Ranch to be more than just a business or just a family, but an example of a successful family business". - Susan Slocum, Assistant Professor, George Mason University
