Oklahoma Ranchers Brave Subzero Temperatures

As the winter storm and arctic temperatures slam Oklahoma, meteorologists have urged people to stay home and stay indoors, however, that's not always possible.

For folks at JSJ Cattle & Quarter Horses and ranchers across the state, staying home is simply not an option.

“No, it's not easy,” Paten Calvert said, “It's not for everybody.”

For Calvert, the work starts first thing in the morning feeding animals and breaking ice that forms in water troughs. The ranch is feeding their cattle and horses twice a day.

“The two big things to keep them warm are movement and food. We can give them as much food as possible. It just keeps them as warm as we can,” Calvert said.

Calvert typically shares the day's chores with his dad, Jake. However, the winter weather has called him to work with a local power company.

“I'm just about the last person dad has to go out and do this kind of stuff,” Paten said.

The land has been in the Calvert family for nearly 90 years. And as Paten is set to graduate high school in a few months he said he couldn't imagine leaving the family business.

“I love it. It is the highlight of my life. It is the best thing that I could ever be doing with my time,” Calvert said. “It fills my heart and it’s something I can share with my dad. It is something that we both enjoy doing. It gives me the adrenaline rush that gets me through the day.”