In Profile: Cactus Hill Farm

Elena Miller-ter Kuile is a young rancher and sixth-generation farmer in Capulin, a tiny town in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, near the New Mexico border. Her ancestors have stewarded the land in the area since the 1850s, and today she is carrying on the tradition at Cactus Hill Farm.

Have you been farming your whole life?
I grew up on the family farm, and my father, Alan, and my grandfather, Bob, used to run sheep in this area, but they had sold them off before I was born. My grandpa did pass on his love for sheep to me when I was young by teaching me to raise pencos (orphan lambs). We’d go out together to feed them—I think he was programming me at a young age to want to raise sheep! My sisters Ana and Diana and I grew up swimming in irrigation ponds, harvesting hay, and assisting our dad on the farm.

Do you still live on the land where you grew up?
Yes, and most of my family is still here, which is a huge support to me in my farming and parenting efforts! I’m a single mom of two daughters, Amalia (4) and Itzel (1). My family has a diverse heritage—Hispanic, Mexican, and Native American, as well as Dutch/European. Tias and tios, we all live around the farm.

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