Photo: Rob Davis
"Monday, Dec. 17, 2007 | Used to be that Jim Kemp would run cows along dirt paths from Campo north to Mount Laguna and south to Mexico. But then the roads through the region were paved, so he began using them to move the cows from pasture to pasture.
"Now, I shudder just to drive them across the highway," he says, speaking quietly, his voice carrying a hint of Jack Palance gravel.
At 77 years old, Kemp is a remnant of a once-vibrant breed. Cattle ranchers, dusty denim and spur-wearing cowboys, are fading into San Diego County's history. Between 1997 and 2002, the number of cattle farms in the county dropped 40 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Since 1975, the USDA says the number of cattle dropped from 61,000 to 22,000"
Continue reading this voiceofsandiego.org article and see the video here.
Will have to make sure Jeff sees this article.
Always love your blog, but don't drop by as often as I'd like 'cause of the photo intensive blog vs. dial-up connection dilemma.
Glad you all emerged from the fires okay. We were watching an old Charles Fleisher routine on HBO the other night and thinking of you.
Posted by: M_eHart | December 30, 2007 at 08:36 AM