Excerpt from La Grande Observer
Written by Katy Nesbitt/The Observer August 21, 2013
For some ranchers, the line between work and fun blurs. For Jeff Parker,“2013 Cattleman of the Year,” ranching and extracurricular activities were the same thing as a kid.
Lifelong friend and neighboring rancher Todd Nash presented Parker with the award Saturday night at the Wallowa County Stockgrowers dinner. Nash said when Parker was at Enterprise High School, he turned down joining the football team because he had cattle to manage.
Parker grew up ranching with his parents, David and Shirley, outside of Enterprise. Today, he raises Black Angus cattle on Highview Ranch, and is the most accomplished user of artificial insemination.
Parker attended Blue Mountain Community College and California Polytechnic, earning degrees in animal science. Before coming home to ranch, he worked in the cattle industry from selling supplements around the West to working on ranches in Central Oregon, Wyoming and Nevada.
Parker served as the president of the Wallowa County Stockgrowers and continues to be an active member. For several years he has announced the Stockgrowers’ ranch rodeo at the Wallowa County Fairgrounds in Enterprise — a family event pitting neighbors against neighbors in ranch-style events.
