I think it’s safe to say that there aren’t many people in our county that have worked as hard as Joy Ufford to bridge the gap between agriculture and non-ag audiences.””

Marsha Barlow

BIG PINEY — Just before the start of calving season, the Green River Cattlemen’s Association held its annual banquet last Saturday, honoring several pillars of the local agriculture community. The event took place at the Southwest Sublette County Pioneer Senior Center in Big Piney. Prior to the awards ceremony and live auction, attendees enjoyed cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a prime rib and baked potato dinner. The live auction raised thousands of dollars for the organization, with bidders getting great deals on bales of hay, custom leather saddles, fine art and more.

Friend of Agriculture

Joy Ufford, a veteran news reporter who worked for the Pinedale Roundup for more than a decade until her position was eliminated last month, received the distinguished “Friend of Agriculture” award. Ufford has covered ranching and agriculture in Sublette County for nearly 20 years, offering readers insight into the area’s most important industry.

Ufford was nominated by Wayne, Marsha and Kailey Barlow, who said, “She showed up to events throughout the county with a smile on her face, a camera in one hand and a pen in the other, ready to take the information and turn it into a story for the local newspaper. It doesn’t matter if those events are during the day, in the evening or on the weekends; she’s always made an attempt to show up.”

The nomination letter goes on to say, “She’s received several awards from the Wyoming Press Association over the years and she is most certainly deserving of the ‘Friend of Ag’ award for all she has done in Sublette County over the years. I think it’s safe to say that there aren’t many people in our county that have worked as hard as Joy to bridge the gap between agriculture and non-ag audiences.”

Centennial Ranches

Two Green River Valley Centennial Ranches – the Rees Triangle 5 Ranch and the Springman Ranch – were honored by the Green River Valley Cattlewomen at the Green River Valley Cattlemen’s Association banquet on Saturday, March 2. The families will be recognized again at the Wyoming State Fair. 

The Rees Triangle 5 Ranch west of Big Piney, Wyoming, has been in the Rees family since 1897. Daniel O. Roberson, who homesteaded on the Green River at the mouth of Fontenelle Creek in 1897, was Charles F. Roberson’s first cousin. Charles Roberson bought the place from his cousin Daniel and Charles and his wife, Emma, were living on Fontenelle Creek in 1900.

Avis Roberson Polson, Charles’s daughter, became the owner of the Fontenelle ranch after she and Olof Polson were married in 1917. Their daughter, Emma, married Merrill Rees in 1945 and they were on the Fontenelle ranch until the government flooded the ranch for the Fontenelle Reservoir in the early 1960s. Emma and Merrill bought the Arthur Homer Place in 1962 and moved cattle, equipment, horses and all other ranch items to the Homer Place on Middle Piney Creek.

Merrill and Emma’s children became owners of the ranch in 1982. In 2012, the ranch was named the Rees Triangle 5 Ranch.

The Springman Ranch west of Big Piney, Wyoming, has been in the Springman family for 100 years. On Sept. 10, 1894, Frank Springman received his citizenship papers. Frank filed on 640 acres along Middle Piney in 1898 on what is known as the Joe Budd Place in 2024.

Frank married Harriett (Hattie) Anderson on Oct. 10, 1899, in Green River, Wyoming. When they got back to Opal, they loaded their wagon with all the supplies they would need for the winter and headed north.

Around 1904, Frank sold half of the place to Ralph Mills and moved to the John Angus Place and what became the home place, where Pete Thompson lives in 2024. In 1924, Frank Springman let Harry Springman and his wife Jennie live on the home place and Frank bought the Orlin Black place a few miles down Middle Piney Creek, which was originally owned by Ben Griggs and John McLean. This was when Robert A. Springman took up a homestead.

Some of these names are familiar today, like the Mills Field and the Orlin and McLean ditches.  Frank’s wife Hattie became the owner in 1933 after Frank passed away. Their son, Robert A. Springman, became the owner in 1934. Their grandson, Robert A. Springman, Jr. became the owner in 1994.

Bob and Terri Springman own the ranch today, leasing the acreage in 2024 for pasture and raising wild hay. The shop was moved from the Mills Place, which was originally a dance hall. The school house was built on skids to be moved up and down the creek, wherever there were the most kids. Wilda Springman was the schoolteacher and met her future husband, Robert, Sr., who would come to build the fire each morning. Several cabins and the old ranch house are still standing.

Cowbelles and Cattlewomen Convention

Several prestigious awards were given out last month at the Green River Valley Cowbelles/Cattlewomen Convention held at Rendezvous Pointe on Saturday, Feb. 24.

Dianne Roberts Boroff was named the 2024 Ranchwoman of the Year after being nominated by Doug, Lynda, Mike and Debbie Vickrey.

Jennifer Rees is the 2024 Lifetime Membership winner, having been nomination for meeting “every challenge with integrity and grit,” by Terri Springman, the chair for the Lifetime Committee.

Live music was provided by Hannah Caudill, with Kari Bousman, director of the Pinedale Community Food Basket giving a guest speech.

Visit the Pinedale Roundup Facebook page for more photos from the event.