Sheep Industry News July 2024

Cabriejo Ranch Builds Western Operation in Rural Missouri

T wo hours from any town you’ve ever heard of and four hours from Missouri’s population centers in Kansas City and St. Louis, the Cabriejo Ranch is well on its way to becoming the center of American lamb produc tion in the Eastern half of the United States. “We try to think of ourselves as kind of a Western produc er,” said Reuben Hendricks of the family operation his father, Trent, started in 2010. “Central Missouri isn’t really the West, but we came here from Eastern Pennsylvania, so this is out West to us.” Described as a visionary producer by those who knew him, Trent Hendricks had a lot of plans for the land he purchased in Koshkonong, Mo. Unfortunately, he passed away in the fall of 2022. But in his 49 years on Earth, he wasn’t afraid to set his plans aside when he saw opportunities arise. “He was the first person in the sheep industry that I ever heard talk about solar grazing,” said ASI Executive Board Member Lynn Fahrmeier of Missouri. “This was years before I heard anyone else talking about it.” He went from supplying hair sheep to the ethnic trade to selling Western-style, wool fat lambs to packers from Texas to Pennsylvania. And he did it all while keeping the family op eration somewhat off the sheep industry radar. Sure, the feed

ers he worked with and the packers buying his finished lambs knew his operation, but he remained relatively unknown to anyone he didn’t regularly do business with. “We aren’t very public facing,” admitted Reuben. “Life’s just a bit easier when everyone’s eyes aren’t on you. But we’re pretty excited to see where the sheep industry goes in the years to come. We feel good about it, and we’re proud of the operation we’ve built here in Missouri.” Trent worked with the Savory Institute – which focuses on holistic management of grazing lands – and implemented regenerative grazing techniques in his own operation. He served on the boards of directors for the American Grassfed Association, the Grassfed Alliance and the American Solar Grazing Association, as well. In his absence, his wife, Rachel, son, Reuben, and daugh ters, Lilly, Helena, Giselle, Jordana and Isabella, have main tained the operation he spent a dozen years building before his death. “We put a pause on some projects when Dad died,” Reuben said. “We had everything lined up to start doing our own manufacturing on some wool products. We put a pause on that and some other things to really focus on our core busi ness. We produce finished lambs and cattle. That’s our focus.”

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