Working Ranch Magazine March/April 2025

A WAY HOME Dean sees it as a chance to give back to his community. He said about the sale, “It’s a fun event, allowing young people to join in the excitement of picking out their selections before the sale and bidding on that pick.” The Santa Fe Ranch spans a diverse high-desert landscape, with eleva tions ranging from 3,200 to 4,500 feet. Its semi-arid terrain, dotted with mes quite brush and cactus, is balanced by productive grasslands. Since 1980, the ranch has conducted meticulous range monitoring – a practice initiated by Dean’s father and faithfully continued by Dean. This long-standing effort has resulted in 44 years of historical data, offering invaluable insights into land THE LANDSCAPE OF THE SANTA FE RANCH

use and resource management. Unlike many grazing operations in the Southwest, which lease land from state or federal agencies, the Santa Fe Ranch operates entirely on private land. This distinction makes data-driven decisions even more critical, provid ing a solid foundation for sustainable practices. The data highlights trends in precipitation, both in quantity and timing and their effects on vegetation growth, guiding stocking rates and conservation efforts. To safeguard against the region’s inevitable drought cycles, the ranch maintains stocking rates at 65-80 percent capacity. Dean comments, “This landscape is very resilient, and as long as you’re conscious and take care of it, it’ll take care of you as well.” The desert southwest often turns slightly green after only a small amount of moisture during the right time of the year, but it’s a resilience you can’t abuse. Dean uses a rest rotation system where pas tures are rested for two to three years at

Dean Fish

a minimum during the growing season. In addition to conservative stocking rates, water is distributed across pas tures via pipelines, ensuring cattle can graze larger areas while also providing consistent water access for wildlife. This year, Dean introduced Ranchbot, a cutting-edge technology that monitors water storage tanks in real time. The Ranchbot system alerts him to rapid declines in tank levels, enabling him to quickly determine whether increased usage on a hot day or a leak is the cause. Historical data provided by the Ranchbots further aids in these assessments, enhancing over all water management efficiency. The ranch also supports a small area of irri gated pasture where lower water-use crops are grown. Under Ron’s leader ship, the ditches were converted from open concrete to an underground pipe delivery system. This modernization has decreased water loss from evapora tion and seepage, improving resource efficiency and sustainability. The ranch’s owner, Mr. Cabot Sedgwick, was a founding National Cattlemen’s Association member and

64 I MARCH 2025 WORKING RANCH audited readers run 21 million head of beef cattle.