As the sun rose over the beautiful Questa village on Sunday, April 13, the Ortega family gathered on their ranch to carry out a time-honored spring ritual: the branding and vaccination of calves born over winter.
The work marks the beginning of the seasonal cycle in northern New Mexico’s ranching culture—a way of life that is slowly fading as younger generations drift away from the land and the traditions that once defined communities like Questa, Cerro, and surrounding areas.
For Bobby Ortega, ranching is more than a hobby. It’s a calling, rooted in generations of family history, and one he’s determined to keep alive.
“My grandfather, J.P. Rael, was always an inspiration for me,” Ortega said. “I have many fond memories of the Otra Banda, Columbine, and surrounding areas where we would take our animals to graze. My grandfather J.P., his brother Enrique, and our cousins Richard and Fred Rael (and others) were taught how to ranch and farm from these sacred memories.”
The calves branded on Ortega’s land in April will soon make the journey across the steep Rio Grande crossing to the Otra Banda—the west side of the Rio Grande—where they’ll graze for the summer and fall on the family’s permitted allotments. Come fall, the herd will return to Ortega’s pastures in Questa for the winter.
The seasonal migration reflects a tradition that has shaped northern New Mexico for centuries—a blend of Spanish, Indigenous and local customs developed over time by families whose lives revolved around the land, water, and animals.
But like many rural lifestyles, the culture of ranching is facing increasing pressures. Economic challenges, climate change, and the lure of urban jobs have pulled many young people away from the ranching lifestyle. Ortega sees it happening all around him, and he’s working to ensure that his children and their peers understand what’s at stake.
“It’s important for us to pass these traditions on to younger generations and to sustain our heritage and our culture,” he said. “Having a garden, protecting our acequias, continuing to pass on the heritage through ranching and farming—we’re losing our culture to time and we have to fight to ensure that doesn’t happen.”
Northern New Mexico ranchers not only tend to livestock, but also serve as stewards of communal water systems, such as the acequias that sustain both agriculture and community life. These practices are increasingly being recognized not just as cultural traditions, but as models of sustainable land and water management.
Ortega believes the key to sustaining this heritage lies in reconnecting young people with the land. “Our generations are growing up and leaving these traditions behind,” he said. “But as stewards of the land, we have to ensure this doesn’t happen.”
On branding day, with his sons, nephews, and grandchildren lending a hand, there was a clear sense that the spirit of ranching—though tested—has not been lost.
