Ag series: Cattle ranchers

Tucked among miles of barbed-wire fences and basalt columns southwest of Spokane reside what's left of the American west: Ranchers who scratch out a living from hard work and prairie grass.

Section:Gallery

Wed., May 23, 2018

Harry Harder, 24, drives cattle during a roundup on his family's ranch on Thursday, May 10, 2018, near Lamont, Washington.

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Henry and Linda Harder laugh as Henry describes his great-grandparents, Hans and Dora Harder, on Wednesday, April 25, 2018, at their ranch home near Lamont, Washington. Hans and Dora left Germany in 1881 and settled in Kahlotus, Washington, where they started ranching sheep.

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Harry Harder takes a break from the rigors of the roundup as his parents check ear tags on heifers on Thursday, May 10, 2018, at their ranch near Lamont, Washington.

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Jody Turrey, Linda Harder's son, brands a calf as farrier and family friend, Mike Lewis, holds its tail out of the way during a day of branding on Saturday, May 12, 2018, at the Harder's ranch near Lamont, Washington.

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Henry Harder, 52, cuts the ties on bales of hay for his cattle on Friday, May 12, 2018, at his ranch near Lamont, Washington.

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Harry Harder rounds up cattle amid a downpour on Thursday, May 10, 2018, near Lamont, Washington.

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Henry Harder high-fives his son, Harry Harder, after they corralled cattle amid a downpour on Thursday, May 10, 2018, near Lamont, Washington.

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Soaking wet from a rainstorm that hit while driving cattle, Linda Harder smiles as her husband, Henry, drives back to their ranch on Thursday, May 10, 2018, near Lamont, Washington.

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Harry Harder walks his horse, Barney, to the pasture after rounding up cattle on Thursday, May 10, 2018, near Lamont, Washington.

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Friend Mike Lewis stands with Henry Harder, right, at the grave of his mother, Nina Harder, who passed away in 2016. The Harder family cemetery overlooks their ranch near Lamont, Washington. Generations of Harders have raised cattle in Eastern Washington and they have a deep connection with their land.

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