Catholic-raised beef. Yep, that's a thing!

When many Americans think of monks and nuns, they imagine brown or black-clad cloistered people who do nothing but pray all day in perfect isolation from the rest of the world. It's a common misconception and perhaps it dissuades many from a life that is actually filled with quite a bit of interaction and adventure. Nowhere is this more evident than on a ranch in Colorado run by nuns.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Catholic monks and nuns have raised their own food and sustained themselves since the earliest days of the Church. This was quite evident in the medieval and renaissance periods when the monastic system flourished and vast monasteries were worked by hundreds of these dedicated people.

Today, the monastic system is much smaller but many monks and nuns still sustain themselves by practicing various trades. Most focus on agriculture such as Trappist monks in Europe who brew beer.

See if the religious life is right for you!

On a ranch in Colorado, the sisters of the Abbey of St. Walburga raise cattle, water buffalo, and llamas. To the nuns, the cowboy life fits perfectly with their life of prayer and contemplation. One sister told NPR that prayer while ranching seemed as natural as "chewing your cud."

The nuns raise cattle for beef and say that their sales are very high. People "believe" in their product they say. The cattle are naturally raised, grass fed, which makes a big difference in the quality of their product.

The nuns also recently acquired water buffalo which they plan to use for milk and cheese, however those sales cannot begin until it is properly licensed. For now, the cheese operation is on hold.

Perhaps the most interesting feature of the ranch are the llamas, which are used as shepherds. The llamas are very protective of the other animals and keep predators at bay. "We've seen them chase a mountain lion off the property" one sister told NPR.

The Benedictine abbey and ranch is a modern example of how the ancient monastic lifestyle still lives today. It is still attractive. Joining a monastery is not all prayer and meditation, there is work involved too, and plenty of it. But in addition to the work there is adventure and sisterhood. There is a sense of accomplishment and reward for one's efforts. Above all, there is a sense of connectedness to one another and to the world.

Is the monastic lifestyle right for you? Check out our vocations page and above all, pray!

Fun Fact: many monasteries welcome visitors especially those who are interested in the monastic life. Several can be found here on Catholic.org.

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