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We offer a variety of natural lifestyle and experience based publications including how to have fun making useful products from recycled feed sacks.

The Shadow J Ranch is dedicated to making the world a better place for humans and animals. Our efforts honor the natural partnership between humans and animals while making environmentally responsible products that you can enjoy while saving the earth! Our natural lifestyle products range from experience based publications to value-added agriculture products from our ranch.

We want to encourage everyone to recycle and upcycle as much as possible. Woven polypropylene feed sacks have vivid imagery that is just too beautiful to spend an eternity in the landfills. We have developed our own patterns uniquely designed to use woven polypropylene as fabric. These patterns have been captured in our pattern books to help others kickstart their own upcycling efforts.

Winning the Ultimate Game Naturally

This book is dedicated to the natural partnership between animals and humans. I wrote this book as a training manual to document the Parelli natural horsemanship journey with my first horse. Rocky is a Left Brained Introverted (LBI) Horsenality. The book explains the methods that I learned to understand Rocky and his innate LBI horsenality so that we could bond with a powerful horse – human partnership.

Book Summary

Life is a journey full of mysterious detours and partnerships that I could never have imagined even in my wildest dreams. This book is the true story of a natural horsemanship journey and the horse – human partnership resulting from one of those unplanned detours. Rocky was a very angry horse when we bought him in 2003. I didn’t understand what Rocky was trying to tell me with his expressions; but, I did understand that he could be very aggressive toward humans when he was angry. Rocky was screaming for help and no one was listening.

I learned to play and win the ultimate game of dominance using natural horsemanship techniques with Rocky. Actually, Rocky and I are both winners of the dominance game because of the strong bond and partnership we formed during our natural horsemanship journey. Along the way, Rocky lost a lot of angry emotional baggage and became a happy horse willing to form a horse – human partnership. Instead of greeting me with his attitude of “I am ready to beat you in the dominance games today”, he eagerly trots to meet me in the pasture to see what the new day has to offer us. Rocky is finally happy living the life of a horse with his human partner. This change has made all of my sweat and tears along the natural horsemanship detour worthwhile.

Book Availability

This book is available from several sources as an electronic book (Ebook) or an old-fashioned paperback. Each publisher determines the price of the book.

LuLu Press paperback LuLu Press Ebook Amazon Books

Romance Meets Reality Beneath the Lake

Parelli natural horse training experiences have been woven into a cozy mystery for those that would like to read animal relationships in a more interesting venue than a training manual. This book is dedicated to the natural partnership between animals and humans. Understanding the theme of romance versus reality is an important aspect of providing forever homes for animals. The contrast between the romance and the reality of developing a natural horse and human partnership is explored in this book.

Book Summary

The devastating Texas drought of 2011 causes hardships for all living things. Secrets of the past are exposed as the lakes go dry. The skeleton beneath the lake has secrets extending back in history to the suffering endured by German immigrants who escaped the persecution of Bismarck in the 1870’s. A modern Texas rancher faces the challenges of the drought as she unravels the secrets that have been hidden beneath the lake for decades. The natural partnership between the rancher, a Tennessee Walking Horse, and a German Shepherd dog is key to surviving the drought and discovering the clues needed to understand the mystery surrounding the skeleton buried beneath the lake.

Book Availability

This book is available from several sources as an electronic book (Ebook) or an old-fashioned paperback. Each publisher determines the price of the book.

LuLu Press paperback LuLu Press Ebook
Barnes & Noble Nook Book Amazon Books

Romance Meets Reality At the Dog Pound

This book is dedicated to the natural partnership between animals and humans. Understanding the theme of romance versus reality is an important aspect of providing forever homes for animals.

Book Summary

This is a true story of pet adoption from an animal shelter. Our family adopted a puppy and was notified the following day that the puppy had been in a litter of puppies that were all diagnosed with parvo. We experienced the romance of adopting the perfect puppy only to face the reality of a puppy exposed to parvo.

Book Availability

This short story about pet adoption is free to every good home. Just send us an email request for a PDF copy of the book.

This short book is also available as a electronic Nook Book from

Barnes and Noble

Patterns for Upcycling Feed Sacks

We would like to encourage everyone to recycle and have developed patterns so that you can make your own upcycled feed sack products. Check out our upcycled feed sack patterns:

Simple Wine Tote Bag Pattern

Beginners can use this free pattern to make a wine tote bag. Try the pattern and send us a picture of your wine tote bag.

Clutch Purse with Zipper Pattern

This is an easy clutch purse pattern for beginners. Try the pattern and send us a picture of your clutch purse.

Upcycled feed sack patterns for tote bags

We have created four easy tote bag patterns to encourage everyone to recycle their feed sacks into beautiful and practical custom works of usable art. The first two patterns are for wine tote bags. The third pattern is a large tote bag suitable for too many household purposes to enumerate; just use your imagination. The fourth pattern is a yoga mat tote bag. All you need to get started is some basic sewing skills and a few woven polypropylene feed sacks. Use your imagination to add custom touches and trims to the patterns. And remember to have fun.

Origami Inspired Patterns

Inspire your life with the vivid images of natural beauty found on woven polypropylene feed sacks. Upcycled feed sacks are an excellent fabric for Origami inspired products. The fabric is stiff enough to create exceptionally crisp seams and pleats. Upcycling feed sacks into useful products will reduce the amount of non-biodegradable feed sacks in our landfills. All you need to get started is a few woven polypropylene feed sacks. Use your imagination to add custom touches and trims to the patterns. And remember to have fun!

Kickstart your Origami inspired feed sack patterns with our basic Origami Square Pattern.

Origami Inspired Clutch Purse Sewing Patterns for Upcycling Feed Sacks

We have created 12 easy Origami inspired clutch purse patterns to encourage everyone to recycle their feed sacks into beautiful, fashionable, and practical custom works of usable art.

Origami Inspired Fun and Festive Hat Patterns for Upcycling Feed Sacks

We have created 12 easy Origami inspired hat patterns to encourage everyone to have fun while recycling their feed sacks. Origami hats are a great activity for children. The patterns take advantage of Origami folding techniques and the folds can be secured with staples or minimal sewing.