The Making of a Ranch Manager

In this episode, Fiona Jackson shares her unconventional journey from growing up in Redwood City, California with jeweler parents to becoming a ranch manager deeply involved in regenerative agriculture. Fiona talks about her initial exposure to agriculture at Cal Poly, her hands-on learning experiences, and her subsequent dive into the ranching world, including her stint at Flying Diamond Ranch in Colorado. She sheds light on her passion for sustainable grazing practices, learning from mistakes, and the importance of community, mentorship, and a positive mindset. Fiona also discusses her current role at Redwing Ranch and emphasizes the significance of combining profitability with ecological stewardship.

Music attribution:
A Folk Story by Alex Cristoforetti

1:16 introducing today’s guest

1:54 Promoting Nature’s Genius podcast

3:05 Fiona’s background and college experience

7:55 why Fiona wanted to go into ranching

12:15 The town of Kit Carson and how Fiona became a part of the community

18:03 what are things that surprised Fiona when ranching at such a large scale

22:18 general mindset about being bad at something and making mistakes

25:01 what were things that were harder than she thought it would be

27:36 what led Fiona to ranch management

34:00 connecting with Christy, owner and operator of Redwing Ranch

36:45 Redwing’s mission and goals

41:22 what has Fiona learned about being in good relationship with a ranch owner

49:08 resources: Ranching for Profit, Women in Ranching, Executive Link, Ranch Right

50:21 rapid questions round