Sinnamon Meadows, photo by Garrett Rottner
Meet Barbwire Beef, a Bishop-based company owned by Barb Bartlett, and one of the local businesses that’s made possible through your support of ESLT. That’s because Barb sources her beef from one of ESLT’s protected places, Sinnamon Meadows, a beautiful property near Bridgeport Valley with long stretches of creek, mountain meadows, aspen groves, and coniferous forest. Its open fields provide important homes for some really special wildlife including Bi-State sage-grouse.
You helped protect Sinnamon Meadows forever with a conservation easement in 2014, making this our then-largest protected place. Rod and Maria Dowers later bought the ranch with its permanent conservation easement, and operate it alongside their son Nick, an expert stockman.
There, cattle graze on healthy rangeland. Nick Dowers is masterful at both considerate, low-stress animal handling and land stewardship. He and his parents Rod and Maria Dowers continuously work today to adhere to the property’s land management plan, which ESLT and the previous landowners created together. Today, the Dowers keep native plants and wildlife habitat thriving through practices such as rotating their herds in a way that mimics natural grazing patterns.
Photo by Garrett Rottner
“I feel great about our shared vision for the way cattle are treated, and they are excellent land managers,” says Barb about working with the Dowers family.
Companies like Barbwire Beef are an excellent example of how in the Eastern Sierra, business often intersects with land conservation and care for wildlife habitat.
Supporting local businesses is more important than ever right now. If you are interested, you can contact Barb at to learn more and request an order form. She makes weekly deliveries along Highway 395 and even straight to your door, for a great Eastside pick-me-up or date night in.
