Ranching in Colorado with Fiona Jackson, Red Wings Ranch Manager

Episode: Adaptive Grazing, Sell-Buy Marketing & Ranch Team Culture with Fiona Jackson (Red Wings Ranch, Colorado)

Guest: Fiona Jackson, Ranch Manager – Red Wings Ranch, South-Central Colorado
Host: Grahame Rees
Location: Eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, elevation 7,200–8,500 ft

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Episode Overview

In this conversation, Fiona Jackson shares an in-depth look at the evolution of Red Wings Ranch — a diverse grazing operation in south-central Colorado — and how adaptive management, flexible marketing, and strong team culture drive remarkable production and financial results.

Fiona walks us through the ranch’s landscape, their shift away from set-stocked management, and the sell-buy strategies that generated over 42% return in 180 days. She also discusses how their decision-making is grounded in grass availability, not habit or tradition, and why people management is one of the most critical skills for running a profitable ranch.

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What We Cover in This Episode

🏔 Ranch Context & Landscape

• Elevation ranges from 7,200–8,500 feet across mixed country:

  • Shortgrass prairie

  • Sub-irrigated meadows

  • Historic irrigated hay ground

• Over 35 permanent barbed-wire pastures, a mile of river, and 20+ watering points

• Temporary electric fencing used to increase stock density and control graze periods

• Typical moves every 3–5 days, aligned with grass growth rate and season

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🐄 Operation Overview

Red Wings Ranch is only three years into a major transition, and now runs:

• Custom grazing

• Short-term cattle ownership / sell-buy trading

• 3x Airbnb short-term rentals

• A new events & education arm (workshops, field days, women’s chainsaw training, grazing schools)

Before 2023, the ranch was leased for 16 years under continuous set-stocking with low ecological response. Today, the focus is profitability + animal performance + ecological regeneration.

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💹 Sell-Buy Marketing: A Big Win in 2024

Fiona breaks down their major trade of the season:

Initial Plan:

Run 500 stockers for the summer.

The Problem:

By March, prices became too high to “buy right” — stockers were no longer underpriced.

The Pivot:

They identified an undervalued class:
3rd-trimester aged cows, expecting May–June calves.

All while maintaining ecological goals and not over-grazing their country.

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🌾 Grass-First Decision Making

A key takeaway:

“We don’t talk enough about grass in marketing.” — Grahame

Fiona explains how grass conditions — not markets alone — determined their exit:

By early fall, they had just 60–75 days of feed left. Instead of pushing the system, they:

• Sold all heifers and pairs on one big day

• Did NOT retain calves or keep cows (even though tempting at high prices)

• Switched to custom grazing with a neighbour to protect ecological and financial outcomes.

This avoided:

• Feeding hay

• Market-mistimed selling

• Elevation health risks (PAP / brisket disease) in older cows

Smart, fast decisions = avoided risk + preserved profit.

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👥 Team & People Management

Fiona believes:

“Everything is a people problem.”

Highlights include:

• Weekly team meetings

• Working-on-the-business (WOTB) sessions

• Intentional hiring of apprentices via the Quivira Coalition

• Hiring for attitude and integrity more than experience

• Clear training systems for new team members

This year’s apprentice — zero ag background, previous aircraft mechanic — was a standout due to mindset and willingness to learn.

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Key Takeaways

• Flexibility beats tradition: Don’t lock into one class of stock.

• Grass drives profit: Plan marketing around feed, not habit.

• Sell-buy works when you identify undervalued opportunities.

• People matter: Culture, communication, and fit are as important as grazing skills.

• Small changes compound: Moving cattle every few days, using temporary fence, and monitoring grass growth create ecological and financial resilience.

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Connect with Fiona & Red Wings Ranch

Website: Red Wings Ranch, Colorado
Email: Fiona Jackson (contact shared in the webinar)

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