Our Ranchers

Jim Phillips and his wife, Lennie, oversee and manage all aspects of day to day operations at the Meyer Company Ranch, applying a holistic philosophy to resource stewardship.

Our cattle are involved in an intensive rotational grazing system year-round to include both calving and breeding season. We feel that we have to be good stewards of this land and part of our business is actually in the harvesting of grass. The herd is broken up into groups ranging from 100 head to 400 head with each group assigned to specified grazing cells. Rotational moves occur every three to 10 days, depending on the size and range conditions of each pasture. This has resulted in a much more efficient utilization of our forage while decreasing scours and health problems.

It's a rugged country where much of the scant 12 to 14 inches of annual precipitation comes in the form of snow. Within 5 to 10 days after calving, pairs are moved up to graze the hardy mountain grasses at 5,500 to 6,000 feet. In the fall and spring, and as much as possible in the winter, cattle graze the valley, some 1,500 feet below.

Niwot Farms, Inc. is a family owned and operated farm, feedlot and cow calf operation. Originally started in the early 1900's by the Nelson Family, who were immigrants from Sweden, it is located in Boulder County near the scenic Boulder Flat Irons mountain range. The mild weather and crystal clear irrigation water from the Rocky Mountain snow melt made for an ideal setting for diversified farming, ranching and cattle feeding. In 1975 I was farming and feeding cattle with my father and mother when with their help we were able to rent the Nelson Farm. Several years later, we were able to purchase the farm from the Nelsons. We incorporated into Niwot Farms, Inc. in 1994, naming it after Chief Niwot of the Arapahoe Indian Tribe who lived nearby in the 1800's.

The historically zoned farm, protected by conservation easements, has slowly grown to about 1,500 owned and rented acres of corn, alfalfa and grass hay, a 900 head feedlot, and a 275 head cow herd. The Meyer program fits perfectly with the type of cattle we have. We have a passion for raising high quality natural fed cattle which are sold to Meyer Natural Angus. By raising our own calves we can eliminate many health and stress problems, allowing more of our cattle to qualify as natural. We constantly strive to humanely treat all our cattle, improve our genetics and produce a better product. On the farm we use minimum tillage on all of our fields to protect the soil and try to be good neighbors.

The Chain Ranch is full of tradition and history dating back to 1893 when Oscar Chain traded fifty dollars and a shotgun for a quarter section, 160 acres, in Dewey County Oklahoma. Since the trade, the Chain Ranch has developed into a seven generation owned and operated family business. The Ranch runs in excess of 4,500 mother cows, in which all of the weaned calves are kept and marketed as fat cattle. We handle approximately 7,000 to 8,000 stocker calves on grass and wheat pasture. We also raise a large portion of our bulls which are Limousin and Angus. The genetic integrity of our herd is maintained through our selective AI breeding program. Our family believes that ranching is truly a gift from God. We're here to be good stewards of this land until he decides to take it back.

Ralph Chain is a member of the Oklahoma Agriculture Hall of Fame.