Blazing Trails

Meet: Alli Fender, proud california rancher

by Alli Fender, a California National Trailblazer Program Representative

Wait, San Diego has cattle? Yes, we do! Growing up in the back country of San Diego naturally raises an eyebrow when someone asks the basics upon meeting me, “Where are you from?” And, “What do you do?” Then I answer, “I’m from San Diego, and I raise black Angus beef cattle on my family’s historic cattle ranch.” Then, more profound questions start pouring in. I guess that is how I became more inclined to share more about my story and what I do personally as a rancher in Southern California, I went to a community college in San Diego, and my classmates always thought I was from Texas or Montana when I explained a little about my family’s ranch. Once they realized I grew up just an hour away, I became known as the “cowgirl” to most of my “city friend groups.” Naturally, I had to talk about cattle and beef in a light that made sense to those who asked me these questions.

I had a fantastic childhood. I watched my dad and uncles milk cows daily, chasing my brother and cousins all over the ranch. I got hurt and got back up again, rode horses through every inch of the property and swam in the ponds in the summer. It is what every kid dreams of. From a young age, I knew the ranch was my heart and something I promised to protect.

My husband, Bryce, and I were married on

Mesa Chiquita Ranch, the ranch I grew up on. Our wedding gift from my dad was ten bred heifers, which started our herd.

After a few weeks of doodling on the couch, we finally settled on three brands to send off to the state. The brand that was selected for us was “The Flying F.” This was meaningful to Bryce and I because it was designed as a spin-off of my grandpa’s brand.

As our herd grew and we learned more about our cattle, we started getting questions from our family members and friends about if we sold steaks and burgers. I had never really dove into that idea until the questions kept coming, and there was a void to fill. My family’s business was originally a dairy and then converted to a cow-calf operation. So, this was foreign territory for us to look into. However, we kept back four steers in 2020 and experimented with feeding out our beef and selling custom-cut beef shares. That is how our small-scale direct-to-consumer beef business was created. We called the business Flying F Ranch.

When we started our direct-to-consumer business model, I shared a lot of the behind-thescenes of our new business endeavors on social media and our blog on our website, flyingfranch. org. This led to me sharing about up-cycling by- products like spent beer grain to our feeder steers, how the land and livestock work synergistically, herd health protocols and recipes to try with uncommon cuts of beef. Later, I went through the Beef-Checkoff funded Masters of Beef Advocacy Program (MBA) offered through NCBA to learn even more about the cattle life cycle and deepen my knowledge to share with my customers and consumers everywhere.

In 2021, we sold some of our original herd and bought a set of registered black Angus. We wanted to utilize the “quality not quantity” mindset to diversify our business and create the best carcass traits possible for our beef program. It has been very successful and we love the end product of our beef. I started to share more about how vital genetics are for our program. I talk about topics like artificial insemination techniques, carcass traits and why all of this matters on the dinner plate.

I was nominated as the San Diego County CowBelle of the Year in 2022 and had the opportunity to attend my very first California Cattlemen’s Association’s Convention in Reno. I went to the media training seminar that was hosted by the California Cattlemen’s Foundation and led by Chandler Mulvaney, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Director of Grassroots Advocacy and Spokesperson Development. He had the group do a few mock interviews, and we were asked questions on the spot with a prop camera and microphone. This piqued my interest because I love talking to my local consumers about the beef production's ins and outs and advocating for our industry, especially in San Diego County. I feel like I have a job to accomplish by creating more understanding of the importance of cattle to our ecosystem, diets, and heritage.

I was surprised to get a phone call from Chandler back in February that I was selected to represent California as a Trailblazer for 2023. The Trailblazer program is essentially a level up from the MBA program, which is funded by NCBA, a contractor of the Beef Check-off.

Throughout this year, the group of selected individuals will be trained to have innovative conversations with the public and media while correcting myths and advocating for the beef industry. There are 10 diverse participants this year for this unique experience and I am very excited about our first in-person training in Denver, at the beginning of May.

I am proud to represent the Golden State and highlight that California is worth fighting for regarding agriculture and livestock production. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, California’s agricultural abundance includes more than 400 commodities. We produce over a third of the country’s vegetables and three-quarters of the country’s fruits and nuts. Regarding cattle, California dairy products bring in $7.57 billion, and beef cattle bring in $3.11 billion. The bottom line, we feed a lot of people. I feel responsible for highlighting our state as a top food producer and pioneering the trails of knocking out developing issues we face.

It is going to be an exhilarating experience this year as a Trailblazer. I am honored to be selected as one of ten people in the United States. I will learn about tools and techniques to add to my skill set as a spokesperson for the beef industry. If you have any questions or need help in any way for sharing your own story or if you are faced with current issues on your ranch or farm, please contact me. I am happy to bring it up within the Trailblazer program to collaborate to share the good word about cattle and beef production in California.

About Trailblazers

The Checkoff-funded Trailblazers program was created in 2021 to support the efforts of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, in identifying, recruiting, empowering, and engaging with advocates in the beef community. The program will provide a train-the-trainer model to support state beef councils and partner organizations in mobilizing a cadre of spokespeople who are equipped to have tough conversations and seek solutions in telling the beef story.