Only 20 miles from the Montana line and 10 miles from Wyoming, Belle Fourche survives by serving the needs of ranchers in this tri-state area. With the beef business so dominant, it's a good place to sell bulls. Located adjacent to Highway 34, the headquarters site offered easy access. Apparently there was some opportunity for social interaction, too, for Mike soon met and married Sandy. Today the two households share a mailbox and a well-groomed and shaded yard at ranch headquarters.
Trees shelter the corrals, outbuildings and bull-development pens.
Deeded and leased land totals 7,300 acres and supports a herd of 350 registered cows plus replacements. Along with a sale barn to house an annual spring bull sale, improvements to the ranch have included fencing for pasture rotation. Reliance on runoff captured in earthen dams has been reduced and better grazing distribution has been enhanced through installation of an underground pipeline to supply stock tanks. Both yield and nutrient value of native hay have been augmented by establishing a mix of alfalfa and grass. While part of the reason for moving westward was to escape farming, the Bakers understand the value of planting additional forage crops in anticipation of dry years or tough winters.