It has been a minute since I last posted a Woman of the West, but I promise you, this one was worth the wait! Y'all Candace Lostroh is a fierce daughter of the King. She is a wife, momma, rancher, hunter, homeschool teacher, and so much more! It is truly an honor to get to share part of Candace's story on The Wandering Homesteader! You can learn more about Candace by following her blog In The Wild + Wonder.
What does homestead mean to you?
Something that I’ve always believed about homesteading is that it is the act of being the first to break ground on new territory. The land we currently live on now, we are the first to live there, before it was just farmland and then pasture. I believe that the same definition of homesteading has followed me into many areas of my life. I’m very passionate about following where the Holy Spirit leads me to go and many times I’m breaking ground in new territory. Which can be scary, but also an amazing adventure.
Where do you live and how long have you lived there? Where did you grow up?
We currently live on a ranch in Northern Colorado, we’ve lived here for almost 8 years. My husband has made our place into a working ranch that we can raise cattle on and it’s been our dream to build our own home and create a place that we love to live.
I grew up closer to Denver on land that’s been in our family for several generations. My great-great-grandfather homesteaded that same land and my brother still lives on it.
Have you always been involved in agriculture?
Yes, I come from a long line of farming and cattlemen. My dad competed in rodeo, as well as my brother.
What are some of your favorite things about living a western lifestyle?
I would have to say, it’s the animals. Everyday is different with them. They can be the most frustrating creatures (cattle, especially!) But it’s also the most rewarding. They teach you responsibility and ownership more than anything else in this world. I love that it keeps us outside more than inside and you learn to adapt and be thankful for everyday that we get to live when you’re faced with death or hardship because of ranching.
In what ways do you see God in your homestead?
Oh my goodness, I can find Him anywhere and everywhere. All of creation sings of His glory, right? From the mountains that we can see right outside of our house, to my daughters running through the high grass to the soft breath from a muzzle of a horse, I see Him everywhere. But more than anything, I see it in His people. Even though this world can feel so dark, God is still working and moving through His people. His goodness and love is hard to miss when someone is truly living out His love and loving others.
What is your number one homeschooling tip?
Give yourself and your kids SO MUCH GRACE! There are days when you will feel like “super mom” and other days when you don’t know how your kid will ever graduate elementary school because you're the worst teacher ever. I always have to remind myself that having them home with me, that we are always learning. From feeding animals in the morning, to cooking lunch, from them just going outside to play, learning doesn’t always have to be sitting down and reading, writing and working out word problems.
What is your favorite memory involving horses?
In 2013, our area in Colorado experienced a 100 year flood. There was so much devastation, more than I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. We had cattle on a pasture that we leased that was right in the river valley and was under 6 feet of water. Quite a few of our cattle drowned including our herd bull, but many were able to escape the deep waters and were holed up on islands in the middle of the raging river. These were not beef cattle, but rodeo stock, which I would compare to be more like deer than cattle. They are wild and dangerous. The only way to push and move these cattle to an area where we could catch them was on horseback. This truly was a partnership of trust between man and horse to accomplish this job. Our horses swam, passed through sand pits and risked their lives doing what we asked them to do. It was so amazing! My husband at one point had to go in a helicopter to spot some of his cows and then we went in on horseback to get them. Our amazing western community helped us so much in retrieving these cattle, it still makes me tear up to remember how many came to our rescue to get our cattle back.
What is a life challenge you have faced and how did you overcome it?
I can’t think of one exact challenge, but my greatest life challenge has been changing my mindset from believing that I’m a failure or victim to someone who can overcome, adapt and do big things because God is always with me. I’ve always been someone who could talk myself out of a lot of things because I didn’t believe I could do them well. But through growing and just stepping out boldly, I’ve learned that it’s okay to fail, to get back up and try again over and over. I’ve learned that I would rather try and fail than to live with regret and in cowardice because I never stepped out.
What is the biggest lesson you have learned from horses or hunting?
That any day that you get to be on a horse or hunting with our hounds whether it’s a “successful” day or not, is always a good day.
Why is hunting important? How did you first get started hunting?
We believe hunting is conservation. Man has always hunted and has been part of the life cycle on this earth and we’ve been so blessed to be a part of this cycle as well. We love to harvest our own wild game and to feed our family and friends some of the most nutritious food out there. Working with our hounds to catch mountain lions and bobcats is one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences I’ve ever been a part of. I know it can be a very controversial topic, but these animals are such successful hunters that if their populations are not controlled it can be devastating to the deer, elk and moose populations, so that’s why we hunt. As well as mountain lion meat is SO GOOD! I’d compare it to the most flavorful pork meat you could ever eat. Whenever we hunt we’re also very careful to never kill females or young toms. When we guide our hunters it’s always for the mature toms. This allows the populations to continue to grow and remain healthy.
Our family has always hunted, I love being involved and helping and I really love photographing and documenting our adventures.
What is your favorite recipe?
I’m a huge Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, fan! I love using her chili recipe, but I adapt it to fit what we love to eat. So I’ll add deer hamburger and sweet potatoes to the recipe and it is our all time favorite!
What is the name of your all-time favorite horse?
My childhood horse, Clementine, would have to be my favorite, all though my paint horse, Little Boy, that I still own, comes in a close second.
Clementine was the horse that I got to win saddles and get college rodeo scholarships on. She made my dreams come true. She was also just the sweetest mare (that’s very rare to say about mares, lol!) and I just wish I could’ve had her long enough for my girls to ride.
Who is one woman who has inspired you?
This is a hard one for me to narrow it down to just one woman. I’ve had so many amazing women in my life who have prayed for me, challenged me and even let me fall and get back up but continue to love me sometimes in spite of me. The first person that comes to mind is my spiritual mom, Pastor Lynette Gleghorn. She’s always been my biggest cheerleader and teacher. She’s been the pioneer before me to allow me to step into places that I never would’ve gone on my own.
Do you have a favorite Bible verse?
“You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way, and in kindness you follow behind me to spare me from the harm of my past. With your hand of love upon my life, you impart a blessing to me.”
Psalm 139:5 TPT
Candace's love for the Lord is obvious in all she does, from the way she raises her girls, to every thing she writes on her blog. Wouldn't it be great if we could all learn to be bold and step out in the Lord like Candace? I know I was encouraged by her attitude of preferring failure over cowardice!
Thank you Candace for sharing your story and wisdom with The Wandering Homesteader community! Be sure to follow Candace on Instagram and Facebook.
xo,
Sara