You could call Dave Gottenborg and his family cattle ranchers. After all, that is what they do on the historic Eagle Rock Ranch in Jefferson, Colorado. “But first and foremost,” Dave says, “I am a grass farmer. I am an ecosystem manager. A land steward. That’s what I call myself.”
Like many ranchers across the country, the Gottenborgs see themselves as part of a future of sustainability. That’s not to minimize the family’s cow-calf operation on the 3,000-acre property where they run about 115 head of cattle, sell beef directly to consumers, and supply restaurants in nearby towns. Ranching is a livelihood for the family that got into the business in 2012 when Dave and Jean Gottenborg—a husband and wife team and first-generation ranchers—bought the property.
Over the past twelve years, the family (Dave and Jean’s children and grandchildren included) has learned a great deal, in part because they’re so new to ranching. “I don’t have a dad or grandfather to tell me how to do it,” says Dave, who previously had careers in geology, law, and gas production. “We’ve learned a lot by trial and error, but the benefit is we’re not afraid to try new things.”
In trying those new things, they’ve fallen as much in love with the land as with the animals that call it home. According to a biological survey of the ranch conducted by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) in 2023, there were more than 81 animal species recorded at Eagle Rock Ranch in addition to cattle. The land is riparian and diverse, home to bald eagles, salamanders, and even a herd of elk that migrate through the property each year. “The elk use our ranch as refuge,” says Erin Michalski, Dave and Jean’s daughter who represents the ranch’s second generation.
Rather than deterring ungulates like elk from coming to the property and eating grass, the Gottenborgs welcome them. They’re even experimenting with a lay-down fence system so elk will have an easier time accessing the property in the winter and spring, before heading into the hills for the summer. In creating a haven for wildlife, the family learns from those animals.
For instance, the family now does their calving in late spring, rather than earlier in the year. “We mimic nature,” Dave says. “The elk and antelope, they all calve in May and June, so we do, too.” There are several reasons for this. Among them, the mothers have green grass, which makes their milk better, and the calves enter the world at a more temperate time—something Dave thinks ultimately creates great beef. “We’ve had people come to the ranch, big-time chefs, and they say the best beef comes from happy cows,” he says. “So we’re constantly looking for ways to reduce stress on animals.”
Looking to the future, the Gottenborgs can’t say exactly what the next decades of ranching will look like for their family or for Colorado ranchers. They point to factors like drought and population growth, both of which impact their territorial water rights. Still, having cattle on the land is essential as the family stewards the land.
Dave points to emerging research that indicates, for instance, that saliva from cattle helps improve the quality of perennial plants, that healthy grasses can better store carbon and reduce emissions, and that by spreading manure on the land they can improve soil health. These types of processes don’t just create quality beef, they create healthy ecosystems. Proof can be found on the Gottenborgs’ ranch and on ranches all over the country, where cattle producers listen to the land and use cattle to improve its long-term health “We’re finding out how important working lands are to the whole ecological system,” Dave says. “We can’t take those animals off the landscape without damaging it right now.”
Since 1868, Eagle Rock Ranch has had cattle on the land and that’s a key reason the landscape is in such good shape. As the CNHP report pointed out, Eagle Rock Ranch is a highly diverse ecological system—one that wouldn’t be in such pristine condition without the benefits of cattle ranching.
Today, in addition to revenue from beef sales, the family earns money through ranch tours, in which guests can tour the property and see how eco-friendly agriculture is at the heart of their business these days. They also operate a mercantile ranch store in nearby Fairplay, and Dave says he’s always looking for more ways to grow the business “The future,” he says, “is both uncertain and exciting.” And with the Gottenborgs at the helm, it’s also sustainable.
