What is it like to be a rancher at 4,200 feet elevation in Eastern Oregon?

What is it like to be a rancher at 4,200 feet elevation in Eastern Oregon?

Dean Defrees thought about becoming a veterinarian — maybe even a salesman. But after college, he found himself back in Eastern Oregon’s Sumpter Valley, continuing the family tradition of ranching and forestry that began 118 years ago, when his great-grandparents arrived in a covered wagon. “I’m fourth-generation, and I’ve got seven grandkids that kind of are around,” Defrees said. “That’ll be the sixth generation.”For this month’s installment o…