This is the third of three special episodes that we are fitting in between our regular interview-style conversations. You may remember from Episode 5–which featured a conversation between Duke IV and ranch apprentice Brandon Sickel–that Brandon is a talented writer who has written extensively for the Ranchlands journal.

In this short episode, Brandon reads his essay titled "Beefmasters: The Bull." We know that you’ll enjoy listening to Brandon read it, but if you’d like to read it yourself, you can follow the link below.

https://ranchlands.com/blogs/journal/beefmasters-the-bull

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ABOUT RANCHLANDS:

• www.ranchlands.com
• Ranchlands Mercantile
• Ranch Stays
• Ranchlands Meat
• Stories

Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]!

This is the second of three special episodes that we are fitting in between our regular interview-style conversations. You may remember from Episode 5–which featured a conversation between Duke IV and ranch apprentice Brandon Sickel–that Brandon is a talented writer who has written extensively for the Ranchlands journal.

In this short episode, Brandon reads his essay titled "Beefmasters: The Fertile Cow." We know that you’ll enjoy listening to Brandon read it, but if you’d like to read it yourself, you can follow the link below.

https://ranchlands.com/blogs/journal/beefmasters-the-fertile-cow

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ABOUT RANCHLANDS:

• www.ranchlands.com
• Ranchlands Mercantile
• Ranch Stays
• Ranchlands Meat
• Stories

Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]!

This is the first of three special episodes that we are fitting in between our regular interview-style conversations. You may remember from Episode 5–which featured a conversation between Duke IV and ranch apprentice Brandon Sickel–that Brandon is a talented writer who has written extensively for the Ranchlands journal.

In this short episode, Brandon reads his essay titled "Beefmasters: A Philosophy Embodied." We know that you’ll enjoy listening to Brandon read it, but if you’d like to read it yourself, you can follow the link below.

https://ranchlands.com/blogs/journal/beefmasters-a-philosophy-embodied

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ABOUT RANCHLANDS:

• www.ranchlands.com
• Ranchlands Mercantile
• Ranch Stays
• Ranchlands Meat
• Stories

Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]!

For this week’s episode, I headed out to the Chico Basin Ranch to sit down with Duke IV and ranch apprentice Brandon Sickel for a conversation about Ranchlands’ intern and apprenticeship program.  

Brandon has been working with us for nearly five years– he started out as a summer intern at the Zapata Ranch and then joined the team in a full-time capacity as part of our Apprenticeship Program at the Chico. When he joined the team, Brandon had almost no experience with cows, horses, or the ranching business. But he did bring a great attitude, a strong worth ethic, and an innate curiosity– characteristics that have made him an invaluable member of our team.

In this episode, Brandon and Duke provide a high-level overview of the apprenticeship program, which will serve as an excellent resource for anyone who may be interested in joining our team. Brandon discusses what initially attracted him to a job at Ranchlands, his learning curve as an apprentice, and some specific details of his evolving day-to-day responsibilities at the ranch. Duke talks about the characteristics that make for successful apprentices, what qualities he seeks out in candidates, how he works with apprentices to execute complex grazing plans, and much more.

If you’ve ever wondered about what we are looking for in our Ranchlands team members or how to go about getting a foothold in the ranching world with limited experience, then I know you’ll enjoy this episode.

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Work with Ranchlands: https://ranchlands.com/pages/work-with-us

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 2:22 - How Brandon first heard about Ranchlands
• 8:00 - What Duke saw in Brandon that led to hiring him
• 9:54 - Overview of the apprentice and intern program 
• 14:17 - What Brandon's first year was like
• 17:59 - Scariest experience of Brandon's first year
• 24:37 - What's changed between Brandon's first year and now
• 29:28 - How ranching differs in the winter
• 31:50 - Biggest challenge of the job
• 34:04 - Common misconceptions and surprises about ranching
• 37:46 - New skills Brandon has learned while ranching
• 41:07 - How grazing plans are created and implemented
• 46:19 - What keeps Duke interested in ranching
• 47:41 - Why Brandon doesn't have or need a 5-year plan
• 50:20 - Brandon's book recommendations
• 52:08 - How Brandon got into writing
• 55:53 - Why should a life-long city dweller care about the land, land stewardship, and conservation? 
• 57:30 - What is a common misconception about ranching or agriculture that you’d like to correct? 
• 59:27 - Can you name a few resources that have played a critical role in your understanding of land and land stewardship? 
• 1:00:50 - When it comes to conservation and land stewardship, what is giving you hope?

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ABOUT RANCHLANDS:

• www.ranchlands.com
• Ranchlands Mercantile
• Ranch Stays
• Ranchlands Meat
• Stories

Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]!

For the fourth episode of the Ranchlands Podcast, Duke III and I headed up to Denver to meet with our friend and renowned artist Duke Beardsley.

Beardsley is a sixth-generation Coloradan who grew up splitting time between Denver and his family’s eastern Colorado cattle ranch. For as long as he can remember, Duke has been drawing and painting scenes from the American West– ranchers, horsemen, anglers, plants, landscapes, and more. And over his career as an artist, he’s developed a one-of-kind approach to art that captures the west in a contemporary style that is completely his own.

Beardsley has been a fixture in our community for many years. His unique brand of western art appears all over our ranches– from the walls of the Chico Basin headquarters to the huge door of our Quonset. And perhaps more importantly, he’s been a trusted friend, collaborator, and mentor to many different generations of the Ranchlands team– especially Duke and Duke.

Those who call Beardsley a friend know that he brings optimism, humor, and creative energy to every interaction and relationship. So we’re thrilled to bring you this conversation that highlights his connection with our community, his deep friendship with the Phillips family, and his fascinating approach to art and creativity.

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• Duke Beardsley: https://www.dukebeardsleystudio.com/
• Episode Notes & Links: https://ranchlands.com/blogs/podcast/4-duke-beardsley

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 2:50 - How Beardsley first heard of Ranchlands
• 6:14 - Duke’s first thoughts upon meeting Beardsley
• 7:47 - Beardsley’s background in ranching
• 9:00 - Beardsley’s first impression of the Chico Basin Ranch
• 13:00 - Shared love of hard work and rough conditions
• 17:45 - What Duke has learned over the years from Beardsley
• 21:06 - What Beardsley has learned from Duke
• 23:09 - Why Ranchlands attracts interesting people
• 25:57 - Learning from the great Cam Schryver
• 28:19 - How Beardsley “found his voice” as an artist
• 35:20 - Background information on Duke’s Lineup Riders
• 39:50 - Duke’s thoughts on Beardsley’s creative process
• 41:57 - How and why Beardsley takes the road less traveled
• 44:02 - The value of stepping outside of your own little world
• 48:18 - Advice to a 25-year-old with dreams of living a creative life
• 54:00 - Why should a life-long city dweller care about the land, land stewardship, and conservation?
• 56:15 - What is a common misconception about ranching or agriculture that you’d like to correct?
• 57:03 - Can you name a few resources that have played a critical role in your understanding of land and land stewardship?
• 58:40 - When it comes to conservation and land stewardship, what is giving you hope?

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ABOUT RANCHLANDS:

• www.ranchlands.com
• Ranchlands Mercantile
• Ranch Stays
• Ranchlands Meat
• Stories

Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]!

Every so often, we’re going to record episodes dedicated exclusively to Questions and Answers– episodes that will offer an opportunity for listeners to engage directly with the Ranchlands community. We’re planning to have Q&A sessions with members of the Ranchlands leadership team, interns, apprentices, and even with some of our friends who will be guests on future episodes.

For the first Q&A episode, I sat down with Duke and asked him ten questions that had been submitted over the past few months via email and social media. As you’ll hear, we cover a wide range of topics– everything from the specifics of the Beefmaster cattle breed to whether or not Duke watches Yellowstone. Duke’s answers are filled with hard-earned wisdom and lighthearted humor, so we hope you glean some value from this relatively quick episode.

To submit questions for future Q&A episodes, you can email us at [email protected]. Let us know what your question is and who from the Ranchlands community you’d like to answer it. We’ll keep a running list of all the questions, and we’ll do our best to answer them in future episodes.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED:

• 2:10 - “I want to work at Ranchlands, but I don’t have any ranching experience. Is there any chance I could ever become a part of the team?”
• 3:31 - “When and why did you become committed to Beefmaster cattle?”
• 4:55 - “I’m a recent college graduate with an ag degree and some ranching experience– what traits should I look for in a potential employer? Any specific red flags I should avoid?”
• 5:38 - “When did you know that you are a good teacher?”
• 7:45 - “I’ve seen some references to an annual event called Bison Works– what is that?”
• 9:10 - “Did you ever think that you would be in the bison ranching business?”
• 10:39 - “I’ve seen online that you use horses, as well as dirt bikes and helicopters, for your ranch work. Is that a common practice on ranches in the West?”
• 13:00 - “A few years ago, Colter Wall put on a concert at one of your ranches. Is he as cool as he seems to be?”
• 15:54 - “Why is Ranchlands so closely aligned with artists and the art scene? On the surface, that doesn’t seem to be closely aligned with cattle ranching.”
• 16:57 - “What is the best time of year to visit the ranch?”
• 18:07 - “Do you watch Yellowstone?”
• 19:39 - “I live in Colorado Springs and want to visit the Chico Basin Ranch, what do I need to do to arrange a visit?”

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ABOUT RANCHLANDS:

• www.ranchlands.com
• Ranchlands Mercantile
• Ranch Stays
• Ranchlands Meat
• Stories

Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]!

For our second episode, we’re going to introduce you to the next generation of Ranchlands– Duke’s children Tess Leach and Duke Phillips IV.

Officially, Tess is the Head of Business Development and Duke is the Chief Operating Officer, but those titles fail to capture the all-encompassing responsibilities that they each hold. Both Tess and Duke are heavily involved in Ranchlands’ day-to-day operations and the organization’s long-term vision and strategy. Whether it’s formulating a complex grazing plan or offering a brand new product at the Ranchlands Mercantile, there’s no question that either Duke or Tess played an important role.

The three of us sat down at the Chico Basin Ranch and had a fun conversation about their lives and careers at Ranchlands, as well as their visions for the future of the organization. In a little less than an hour, we managed to cover a lot, including their respective career paths that led them into the family business, how they balance work with their young families, managing risk, the importance of flexibility, the reality of working with your sibling, COVID’s effect on the business, and much more. Check out the show notes for a full list of everything we discuss.

This is a fun behind-the-scenes peeak into the multi-generational nature of the Ranchlands business, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy getting to know Tess and Duke.

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 3:00 - Tess and Duke introduce themselves
• 4:30 - Their respective paths to working in the family business
• 7:18 - Why they studied non-ag subjects in college
• 10:23 - The importance of multiple income streams
• 14:00 - How Duke and Tess think about drought, markets, and flexibility
• 16:57 - Balancing travel and family obligations
• 18:05 - COVID’s effect on the hospitality business
• 20:55 - Details of the apprentice and intern programs
• 25:07 - Creating and maintaining the Ranchlands culture
• 30:15 - Teaching and empowering team members
• 32:05 - Why Ranchlands decided to start a podcast
• 34:58 - Why such interesting people are drawn to Ranchlands
• 38:20 - The realities of working with siblings
• 42:59 - What is the long-term vision of Ranchlands
• 46:05 - Why should a life-long city dweller care about the land, land stewardship, and conservation?
• 48:20 - What is a common misconception about ranching or agriculture that you’d like to correct?
• 51:00 - Can you name a few resources that have played a critical role in your understanding of land and land stewardship?
• 56:00 - When it comes to conservation and land stewardship, what is giving you hope?

ABOUT RANCHLANDS:

• www.ranchlands.com
• Ranchlands Mercantile
• Ranch Stays
• Ranchlands Meat
• Stories

Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]!

For the inaugural episode of the Ranchlands Podcast, it only makes sense to sit down and chat with the man who started it all– Duke Phillips III, the Founder and CEO of Ranchlands.

More than 20 years ago and with only 35 cows to his name, Duke moved his family to the Chico Basin Ranch located on the prairie just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Over the course of two decades, Duke, his family, and his growing team have built Ranchlands into a large-scale ranch management business that now stewards 380,000 acres of land across four western states.

While Ranchlands’ business has evolved in many exciting and unexpected directions, Duke’s commitment to cattle ranching and conservation has never been stronger. As you’ll hear in this episode, Duke considers conservation to be the primary product that Ranchlands produces.

We’re going to use this first episode as an opportunity for you to get to know Duke and learn more about the history of Ranchlands. We talk about the mission and vision of Ranchlands, and why we decided to start a podcast. Duke discusses people’s intellectual and emotional connection to the land, his life-long commitment to ranching and conservation, the fascinating individuals that make up the Ranchlands community, and much more.

Thanks so much for tuning in– we’re excited to bring you many more conversations in the coming years.

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 2:30 - Why is Ranchlands starting a podcast?
• 4:36 - What is the mission of Ranchlands?
• 6:48 - The importance of combining profitable/sustainable business and ranching
• 8:35 - The various businesses of Ranchlands
• 10:45 - The ranches currently managed and/or owned by Ranchlands
• 13:16 - The emotional and intellectual connection to land
• 14:24 - Duke discusses his career prior to winning the Chico Basin Ranch lease
• 16:13 - Why Duke decided to pursue the Chico Basin lease
• 18:45 - How Duke remembers his early days on the Chico
• 20:30 - The evolution of Ranchlands’ non-traditional business
• 23:20 - Duke’s cattle ranching philosophy
• 26:51 - Lessons learned over the years
• 27:40 - Conservation as a product of ranching
• 31:40 - Why interesting people are drawn to Ranchlands
• 35:14 - The long-term vision for Ranchlands
• 39:45 - Why should a life-long city dweller care about the land, land stewardship, and conservation?
• 42:14 - What is a common misconception about ranching or agriculture that you’d like to correct?
• 43:09 - Can you name a few resources that have played a critical role in your understanding of land and land stewardship?
• 44:55 - Using college to learn how to think
• 46:18 - When it comes to conservation and land stewardship, what is giving you hope?
• 48:00 - How can people get involved with Ranchlands?

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ABOUT RANCHLANDS:

• www.ranchlands.com
• Ranchlands Mercantile
• Ranch Stays
• Ranchlands Meat
• Stories

Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]!

“Working together to live with the land.” For more than two decades, this credo has guided our work at Ranchlands. Our core business is cattle ranching, but over time it has grown to include education, art, hospitality, craftsmanship, and more.

Our mission has evolved organically from our work with the land, and our vision has attracted a fascinating array of friends, partners, and collaborators–people whose work extends far beyond the world of mainstream ranching.

The Ranchlands Podcast features conversations with members of our community– discussions about our shared connection to the land, stewardship of natural resources, the pursuit of purpose-driven work, lessons learned, and wisdom earned.

We’re excited to share these conversations with you over the coming months and years. Please hit the subscribe button and look for our first three episodes on Tuesday, September 13th.

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www.ranchlands.com