From Dairy to Beef Cattle & Hay

Established in 1922 by Alfred and Josephine Roberti, the ranch has grown from a small dairy to a nearly 6,000-acre cattle and hay operation. In 1952, the Robertis and their son Elmer purchased thirty heads of registered Angus cows from F.E. Bush in Cedarville, California. At that time, the operation slowly began to phase out the dairy and headed toward becoming a beef ranch. The thirty cows mentioned above became the foundation of today’s herd, which is roughly 400 mother cows.

Until the 1960s, the ranch produced enough forage for sixty dairy cows and a small beef herd. Hay was grown on native meadows, and dry-land grain was also harvested. There was not much time for fun and games in those days. Travel was more challenging, and so were the winters. Entertainment included hunting and fishing, along with many Grange dances.

The Robertis were some of the first farmers in the valley to start eradicating sagebrush. This picture on the right shows Elmer, Helen, and Josephine examining a dead sagebrush sprayed the previous year. Over time, some benefits of spraying brush were better pastures and more forage for livestock.