HARDWORKING PARTNERS

Teena Ballard seems happiest when she is outside on the Ballard ranch.

"I am more myself here than anywhere else," she readily admits. "My family and our life here — these are my priorities."

Now seated at the dining room table in the Ballard's comfortable, 100-year-old, American Foursquare ranchhouse, she holds a steaming cup of coffee in her hands and thoughtfully answers questions.

"It's a partnership," she says about the family's ranching operation.

"I actually don't get to spend as much time outside helping Chuck as I would like to," she admits, "but somebody has to do the books and keep the records."

While Ballard talks about her husband and the ranch, her eyes stray to the window beside her, past the yard, and beyond the outbuildings.

Out there somewhere, Chuck Ballard is feeding cattle. And although Teena Ballard has graciously agreed to give up some of her precious day-off to be interviewed, it is obvious her heart is outside with her husband.

Last October, Chuck Ballard was honored as Cattleman of the Year during the 55th Annual Union County Farmer/Merchant Banquet.

Ballard's parents, Joe and Mary Ballard, originally bought the Union property in the early 1970s and in 1984, Joe Ballard was also chosen as Cattleman of the Year. But a few years later, Joe Ballard's health had deteriorated and he eventually passed away. In the late 1980s, Ballard Ranch became Chuck's full-time responsibility.

Chuck Ballard's hard work and dedication to the ranch has built Ballard Ranch beyond even what it had been during his father's best years, say his peers.

With the self-effacement that is especially typical of men in the agricultural industry, upon accepting his award, Chuck Ballard thanked his neighbors and his family for their contribution to his achievement. He especially thanked his wife that night and said, "Teena is the hardest working woman I know."

When reminded of her husband's public tribute, Teena Ballard flushes with pleasure, but readily returns the compliment.

"Oh, well," she states firmly, "Chuck is the hardest working man I know."

Ballard's love and respect for her husband are revealed in words that come from her heart.

"I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for Chuck," she says simply. "I wouldn't be here, wouldn't have gotten my master's."

Her gaze goes back to the window.

"We wouldn't be here," she emphasizes, "if it weren't for each other. It's a partnership."

A partnership that has worked well for the past seven years in a second marriage for both. But Teena Ballard is adamant that Chuck is the driving force behind the ranch, which is his focus. Teena, on the other hand, is an expert in multi-focusing.

Ballard earned two bachelor's degrees, one in range land resources and one in biology, as well as a master's in range/riparian ecology.

With a full-time job as a hydrologist with the Forest Service, Ballard puts in four 10n-hour days that start when her alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m.

She also serves as the chairman of the Land Resources Committee for the Oregon Cattlemen's Association, a commitment she says she loves.

But her most important commitment is to her family and the precious time spent at home with Chuck and 11-year-old son, Dalton.

"Time," Ballard says, "is our luxury."

More often than not, Ballard admits, family time together is spent working.

"There's no break,"she says, "ranching is a 24-7 commitment. Even our vacations are bull sales and the OCA annual convention," she laughs. "But we like it that way," she adds.

To the Ballards, bull sales are an exciting part of ranching. Buying a bull means they are adding to their herd — their product. And attending the Oregon Cattlemen's Association means they enjoy the luxury of spending a few days at a beautiful resort near Redmond. Teena's favorite downtime activity, however, takes place on Sundays.

"We love to stay at home and watch football on Sunday afternoons," she says.

But downtime on Sunday doesn't mean no work — all the animals need to be fed and watered every day, as well as other daily and seasonal chores.

For example, during calving season, the first-calf heifers are watched closely.

"They're anxious," Ballard says of the young heifers. "They feel the pains and they get scared — they've never done this before. Sometimes, you have to stay with them."

Ballard says watching the miracle of the babies being born never grows old for her. It's amazing, she says, how quickly maternal instincts kick in.

"Those first time mothers are amazing to watch," she smiles broadly. "The babies are barely out and those mamas just get up and clean that baby."

Although she obviously loves all the animals the couple raise and care for, Ballard especially seems to love showing off their newest babies — those little, wobbly-kneed black calves.

Standing among these first-calf heifers and their babies, Ballard is all smiles.

"Aren't they great?" She answers her own rhetorical question, "You just can't help but love 'em."

She recalls a recent night when Chuck had gone out to the barn to check on one of the first-calf heifers in labor. He didn't come back and Teena knew something was up, so she put on her boots and headed out to the barn, too.

Sure enough, the heifer was struggling a little and Chuck had stayed to keep an eye on her in case she needed help.

"We sat there on that hay bale and watched her bring that baby into the world," Teena's voice grows soft. "It's a miracle. There aren't any words to describe what it's like to share moments like that."

And it is partially those moments that cement their commitment to the ranch. Although Ballard says the commitment gets harder as the rules continue to change.

"It's not like it used to be," she says, "you can't just be a farmer or a rancher and build a life for you and your family anymore. You have to be a lawyer, a businessman, an environmentalist."

But for Teena Ballard, the effort is more than worth it. For Teena, agriculture is still the heart of the American dream.

"It's the best way to raise a family," she says. "It's all here to teach them so much about hard work and discipline and the rewards that come from that. It's all about life and death and courage and strength."

Once again, her steady blue gaze reaches outdoors and she repeats softly, almost to herself, "It's all here."