As a wildlife ecologist, Christy’s career has focused on wildlife conservation and ecological land management, skills that she is now using to move Redwing Ranch from conventional to regenerative grazing practices. Prior to her move back to Colorado in 2022, Christy was the Deputy Director of the Santa Lucia Conservancy, in Carmel, California, where she led the wildlife research, prescribed-fire and community-fire-preparation programs. She also supervised the land management program which included the Conservancy’s novel conservation cattle grazing program that used cattle for habitat restoration. Christy received her BS in Biology from Stanford University, ‘02, chased feral pigs at Texas A&M University-Kingsville for her MS, ‘07, and delved into the molecular world of chronic wasting disease in elk at Colorado State University for her PhD, ‘13. Over her career Christy has advised and mentored over 40 students (undergraduate and graduate) advancing the careers of young conservation and land management scientists.

Fiona joined Redwing Ranch as the Ranch Manager in January of 2023. After graduating California Polytechnic State University with a BS in Agricultural Business and a minor in Sustainable Agriculture, Fiona worked on a large, commercial cow-calf operation in eastern Colorado for three years where she implemented cell grazing at a landscape scale. She is enthusiastic about decision making that is driven in profitability, animal performance, and the ranch’s ecological goals. Her ability to problem solve, growth-centered mindset and love for all things numbers and excel are assets for Redwing as the ranch prioritizes more holistic decision making. She has had a pulse on SDA calculations to reflect what we are seeing with both animal and pasture condition, which has informed appropriate pasture utilization. Because of this managed grazing, Redwing Ranch has been able to put on 2lbs/day on our summer stockers! Fiona is living on the ranch with her two pups and enjoys being horseback, making lattes, and having friends and family to visit.

Erin is the Programs Coordinator at Redwing Ranch, while simultaneously finishing her MS in Land Resources and Environmental Science with Montana State. In her current position, she is dedicated to spearheading an educational program that tells a positive and hopeful story for the future of agriculture and fuels management, while staying actively involved in day-to-day operations at Redwing. Growing up in a rural mountain town, Erin developed a passion for agriculture and the outdoors. With a background in Ag. & Environmental Plant Science from Cal Poly SLO, Erin has diverse experience in leadership roles on cattle ranches, vegetable farms, and fuel reduction projects. Her masters project is developing a model to demonstrate the capability of remote sensing in providing cost-effective and large-scale monitoring solutions for invasive species and fuel management. Erin is super excited to be doing this project at Redwing Ranch! Her enthusiasm for regenerative livestock management drives her to continuously learn and improve as a steward of the land in agricultural settings.  

Payton Salas is a local ranch hand that is 10 miles down the road. She was born in Southern Wyoming and lived there for a few years before moving to South Central Colorado. She joined us full time the summer of 2024 and works part time during the school year. Payton is going into her sophomore year of high school at La Veta School District. She is the owner of Salas Show Goats and sells show goats to 4H and FFA members around the United States. Her interests and hobbies include fishing, hunting, camping, cooking, riding her horse, and spending time with her friends and family. Growing up she helped local ranchers brand and move their cattle-that is one of her favorite things to do. Payton’s need to keep busy and hard work ethic got her to her most recent position. She is super excited to be a part of the team at Redwing Ranch and hopes to learn more about regenerative agriculture.

Gabriel is the newest New Agrarian Program apprentice from the Bay area of California. He spent 4 years in the United States Marine Corps, as an engine and propeller technician on KC-130J aircraft in North Carolina. Gabe sought out to change his lifestyle by moving to Colorado to meet new people, see different parts of the country, as well as learn how to work on a ranch. Gabe enjoys spending time with friends and family, participating in outdoor activities like camping, hiking and riding motorcycles. Gabe is most excited about getting to work with nature and learning about regenerative grazing and the positive effects it has on the environment.