23 Questions with Justin Rhoades

by Derek Sample. Derek@ABPmag.com

Justin Rhoades

Owner, Operator

Rhoades Ranch

Cambria, California

IG: rhoadesranches

email: rhoadesranches@yahoo.com

1. Tell us more about what you do.

We’re a registered Angus as well as a commercial cattle operation. Our passion is towards the registered, but commercial is primary, though they feed off each other in many ways. We make great bulls here to sell and use them on our own commercial cattle. It’s like peanut butter and jelly, they just work together. Of course, you have your annual tasks for both operations, which are similar year after year. There’s branding season, boosting and shipping the purebreds, putting in embryos and setting up cattle, weaning and tagging calves, and then raising ‘em. So, we do a lot of the same for both sides along with lots of supplements put out in salt blocks. I try not to feed too much hay cause if you're feeding a lot of hay, then you're running too many cattle. So, I try and find the sweet spot for that cause hay can get pricey. I’ll feed some hay before I put in CIDRs, just to give 'em a little boost about a month before.

2. Do you make any of your own hay or buy it from a local source?

I have a hundred acres of it, but I honestly think I will quit because I have an expensive tractor and a good disc and all that stuff that just sits the whole year. I can just go buy hay in bulk for a decent price. I think that's kind of my goal since I really want to put in permanent pasture. I’d try these two big fields out here at 40 acres or so first. Then, if it works out, I can do a few more, but just start with those two. Plus, I think it really would be good for the commercial end too. We can wean our commercial calves on there and you can see by the prices that they’re bringing a premium now. But it would sure be nice to go higher! I'd love to do some more permanent pasture, so we'll see how that turns out. That whole farming thing is not making sense to me. I think there are a lot of people that like it, my dad really did. I just hate going in circles. <laughs>

3. Tell me more about your dogs and the training you put them through.

Well, with the dogs, it's a process. I mean, you start really bonding with them when they're young. The initial steps are teaching 'em the basics. Then once you progress from that and have a good handle on 'em, you start introducing 'em to cattle. Based on how they respond to that, you can progress more and start teaching directions out there, like bringing ‘em to you and pushing cattle away from you. Of course, you can teach 'em to fetch or how you want to teach where you push 'em to cattle. Then they must bring the cattle to you, or they must find the cattle. It's all a progression, though slow. It's worth it though. Some are just bred for it and take to it quickly. Once you get to where they're efficient, they're probably equivalent to two guys on horseback, or more. They really can do a lot in the big country, while the horses get tired easily. If a big ranch is one thing, it's usually flatter, but when it's real steep like around here, that's when the horses get really tired.

4. You have a Bull Sale coming up, the first one here on your ranch?

Yes. It’s a bit scary. I'm not gonna lie, but I think hiring CK6 (Chris Earl & Wes Tiemann) to manage it will benefit me. They’re super good people, and they seem to really go to bat for you. They want to work, and you're not just another person to them. They’re your friend too. That’s rare. Most of those guys just show up and then run away when it’s done. Either way, when we get through this first year, the next one will be much easier.

I've been selling bulls since 2007, mostly private treaty. Plus I’ve been selling bulls at Visalia for the last couple of years. Now it’s time to do this on my own.

5. So then what made you decide that this was a good move this year and host it yourself

For one, having enough bulls to do it. There’ll be 75 bulls in my sale here at the ranch. There will be another 30 in Visalia the day before and then I'll have about 20 private treaty left for later. So, I had plenty of bulls to do it with, and that was a deciding factor. The way this cattle market's going and the amount of rain we got, it seems like it's gonna be a hot year for people that need bulls. It's just a lot of those little things are now aligned, so I was thinking I gotta do it this time. I think it'll be a good thing. Now that will be part of the annual process, our annual bull sale. Maybe down the road, we'll host a female sale too. I do quite a few consignment sales with my females now, and that's the hardest part for me personally, selling registered females. Those high-end ones, you can sell anywhere, anytime.

But just your solid females, those are tough to sell. I can sell the bulls easier, that’s definitely our thing. We’re known for our bulls.

6. Where did you grow up?

Born and raised here my whole life until I moved away for college. I went to junior college in Santa Cruz and then I went to Sonoma State for a while. I moved from Sonoma State so my Dad could go to more games since I went to college to play baseball. Baseball was my life from high school on, playing year-round. I played semi-pro and got a pro contract. But then decided not to pursue it cause it was time to start being a cowboy. I probably would’ve continued playing baseball if I hadn’t met my wife already. She totally would've been fine with that, but, you know, I just knew I was gonna marry her. Plus, it's a tough life on the road and hard for any serious relationship. At the time, I was only a contractor for $680 a month, so I wasn’t getting rich. None of those guys do until they start to turn really pro.

The number one factor that made my mind up was that they all take steroids. They all take ‘em no matter what anyone says. When you don't take steroids, you're considered to be behind, so they won’t waste their time. There was this guy on my

junior college team, and his family had money that he had access to, which led him to use steroids all the time. Sure, he probably shouldn't have been on the team. You better believe that he wasn't even good enough to be on a junior college team, but he was on it anyway. He took steroids, and he did it all correctly with the right combo while eating and working out with a pro trainer every day. Then suddenly that sucker was starting in right field and hitting third in the order right before me. I'm a hitter. I love to hit. It's the best part of the game for me. So, I was at a crossroads. When I did the pro tryout, there were three first basemen, and I was one of those three. They were like, do you take steroids? I started laughing and said no, I just lift a lot of hay bales, dig water lines and holes, plant posts for new fence. I've never done that steroid stuff. They said I’d better take ‘em cause I'll make it through if I do.

But I decided not to do it, especially since I knew I had the ranch to take care of and that would be my livelihood. The health concerns after years of steroids weren’t worth it. With all that said, it was time to be a cowboy. I met a lot of good people, had a really good run, and I got a free education out of it.

7. Introduce us to your family at the ranch

Well, I met my wife Chrissy in college at a bar. She bought me a Coors Light, and I fell in love. Literally just at the bar, not like at a bar between friends, no setup, no date, no blind date. The funny thing is that I brought a girl to the bar that night and she wasn't a girlfriend. I went up to Chrissy, and I talked my game like I always do. However, I wasn’t sure how well it went because I was realizing she was pretty sharp. But she came right out of the bat swinging and asked if she could buy me a beer. She said she didn't want me to buy her a beer as she doesn’t really like guys buying her drinks. I loved that about her already, which meant she was one of the better ones. So, she bought me a beer, and things were going great. Then that gal, <laughs>, the one I brought to the bar, kissed me on the check in front of Chrissy. Obviously, Chrissy wasn't into that at all, thinking that all baseball players are the same, you know? Anyway, long story short, that's how i met my wife. She's as good as they get, and I couldn't do any better. Then there's McCoy, she's my daughter, she's nine. Ridge is my son, and he's six. Plus, there's my mom, Pam, my sister Birttany, her husband Wes, and their daughter Penny. We all live here on the ranch. You also just met my Uncle Jay. He's in and out of here now and then, kind of a gypsy. He's an incredible roofer and keeps busy. My son Ridge plays flag football and is also really into baseball. He really likes to rope and he's really into the ranch. He knows how to use a hot shot and sort cattle. He does a really good job, and he's a super athletic little guy. McCoy is a very good dancer, a good swimmer and great at softball. I think she's got a chance at softball, that girl can play.

8. What's your favorite tool(s) on the ranch?

That's easy, the dogs. Without the dogs, I wouldn't be able to do most of the work around here. I mean, I have 12 ranches and can gather every ranch with my dogs. I'm just trying to show you the value of the dogs and that's why they're the best. I train 'em how I like 'em. I have people asking about my dogs all the time so I decided to sell 2 of 'em at our sale on September 18th.

9. Do you use social media at all?

Yeah, I use snapchat cause it's good for the cattle deal. You can take a snapchat of a new calf or something you want to show, and then you have certain people you send it to. They're always gonna follow the cattle, which keeps them aware of what you have. It's just quick and easy communication. You can see what each other's doing, and then it just disappears. Snap, it's gone. You're not making or managing a feed every day like on Facebook. It's just a quick little bit, then done. If I did a snapchat right now, I would just go like this, take a picture of you, and that's it. Cool, ok. It'd just be a quick little glimpse of life and what you're doing now. It's kind of cool. I think it's the best one of 'em all. Basically picture texting and I don't have to think about it much.

10. Do you use liquid supplements anymore?

I've always done it for 20 years, but I haven't done it yet this year. The guy I always dealt with quit, so I haven't pursued it. Now I really like these tubs; they're cleaner, and they aren't so hard on the trucks. I have around 25 different spots to put supplements, but I gotta drive ranch to ranch and the farthest one is an hour's drive. I have just the right formula, and I’m happy with it. Plus, we're deficient in copper here, so add the right balance of protein and fats, which really works in this area. It might be more money, but I hate putting out that liquid. When you do, you gotta drive slowly everywhere. There’s no fast way with 4,000 pounds in the back of your truck, driving through ditches and berms. Then you always need a towel to wash your hands to not to get it all over the truck. There are a lot of negatives to it, so I find that the tubs are so much easier

11. Switching it up a little, what do you think about our cattle industry right now?

I think that everything is really headed in the right direction. There's a lot of stuff goin’ on because of the shortage of cattle nationwide. But, the shortage is definitely kind. We're down 50%, and once it gets closer to where they need to be, then we’ll hopefully see that everything stays strong with those numbers going back

up. We'll have at least another year of really good prices. It usually takes two years to build back up to that minimum. So, everything looks promising as far as cattle are going. It also seems people like beef more than ever. That’s not gonna stop. It’s hard for people to give up hamburger.

12. Is there anything that you would like to tell the politicians in Washington?

Politicians. Well, it would be good for them to be reminded that this is probably our oldest industry. I mean, they were running cattle thousands of years ago. I think there's nothing but positives to it. The other thing that isn't really talked about is what it does for the land. Eating grass and pooping the grass out, creating that natural fertilizer, is great for the ground as a whole. On top of that, the fire control fire is so scary, and it’s such a big deal if you don't have a grazing program. There are many more fires these days, and we can't control 'em anymore. With more grazing, a lot of that would be fixed.

13. What's your favorite cut of beef and how do you like it cooked?

I'll probably get made fun of, but this is how I've always rolled. I like medium well, no matter what the cut. I’d say top sirloin is my favorite, but any cut is fine as long as it’s medium well.

14. Favorite restaurant for a night out with your family?

McPhee’s in Templeton. It's both steak and seafood. We’re probably there once a week. We love it. It’s a little pricy, but the food is phenomenal.

15. Any industry organizations that you support? Any that have been there for you?

Yeah, California Cattlemen's Association. I'm honestly not very political. Since I am running this ranch by myself, I'm just so busy, and I can’t find the time to be political. Every day I ranch, and then I ranch some more, though I do make time for my family. I team rope when I have any extra time, but other than that, it’s family and work. I'm not against being political, it’s just that there are only so many hours in the day, and I’m the only one working here.

16. Remind me again how long your family’s been ranching here?

Around 150 years. I’m 6th generation. This land was homesteaded by my family. Some old cabins are still up in the hills on some of this land. As far as the cattle, they’ve changed quite a bit with the industry and what you’d get a premium for. Way back, it was Hereford. Then it switched to Shorthorn for a little while. Then it went back again to Hereford for a bit. Then it was Brahman. Then they crossed Brahman with other breeds because the buyers wanted a little hardier calf with some ear, which was popular back then.

That's how Angus started taking off for us. Our Angus and Brahman cross was popular when I was a kid. Then from there, less and less ear. Then it was just Angus as it is now.

17. What's the craziest, most unexpected thing that's happened to you on the ranch?

Man, there are a lot of them. From rolling four-wheelers to wrecks with tractors. We’re in steep country, and it’ll get you into some pickles. But the real story would be that I had a horse roll over on me and snap my leg. Oh, that was bad, real bad. That happened about 5 years ago, and it took about eight or nine months to come back from that. I had a bad time mentally. It was just horrible. I had a good doctor who got me dialed in, but it took a long time. It was a clean break. When I would move, the bones would rub together. My horse had some kind of seizure. It was weird, and it came out of nowhere. I was training a dog for a trial, and my horse started quivering. What was he doing? Maybe I should get off, but it didn't make sense. Then right at that time, he just flipped over. It was so bad.

I’ve also had lots of intense encounters with wild cattle. Up in the hills with cattle that don't have a brand and have never seen a corral. Those turn into the devil. A couple of close calls scared me, I'm not gonna lie. Because I'll get horns, you know, and they don't know how to use them. It seems like there’s always something that happens here on the ranch.

18. Tell us about any mentors you've had along the way.

My father, number one, he was a mentor to me with everything. I’m an observant person, and I always tried to learn and watch the way that other people do things, making my own twist on ‘em. Maybe I combined a few of their moves too.

Then I’d say my grandma, she was a badass cowgirl. She was really involved with the California CattleWomen and was the national president. She ran all these ranches, and she did it herself since my Dad did all the farming. There were many cool things about her, and I was really tight with her. My Dad was more of the farming type and being more of the brains. He figured out quickly that we can make much more money farming than cattle. <laughs> He grew Sugar Peas since they did well. Then there was squash and cherry tomatoes. We had more land then, even some in Mexico. He took it to a big scale.

I did some right after he passed away to keep it going. I had one good year, but the rest of them weren't at all. I just needed better guys, and those guys are very hard to get, especially in farming. I had zero passion for it. It was just a way to make extra money, and I really liked the leftover product for the cattle, which was helpful. That's always a big plus with the farming side. But no, I'm not a farming guy.

19. What do you do to get away from it all?

We started to go on little family trips to Bass Lake, about three hours from here. We all love it there. That’s a cool spot. My goal is to buy a little house there someday. I'd say if we go anywhere, it’s there. The kids like the water, and we go with friends usually, like three or four couples, along with some jet skis and a boat. It’s become a tradition.

20. Ford. Chevy, or Dodge? I see a GMC and a Dodge over there by the barn.

I got a question for your question, which one wins in all your interviews?

21. Ford by far. Dodge is a hot second for trailering, cause of that Cummins exhaust brake.

Well, I've never bought a Ford in my life. Dodges stop really good, and that's why I like Dodges. It stops with a heavy load and that exhaust brake works every time. I drive that old GMC over there cause it’s a cushy ride, and I got it for a good price from an old farmer. I bet

it will last forever so I’ll never get rid of it. I’d like to give Ford a try though, since everybody I know says they like ‘em a lot. Plus, I don’t like working with the Def fluid. That Dodge over there is hooked up to the trailer 24/7, and it goes through a lot of DEF fluid. That stuff is a pain.

22. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Got any plans for the ranch, the family?

I always think outside the box, so you never know what could happen. But I'm always looking for more land leases. They’re pretty popular, so you gotta get a little lucky and go off your reputation when they become available. I've been fortunate enough to get quite a few, but you're always looking for more, right? I'd probably do one for 50 acres in the right spot. But it’d be nice to have another 50,000 acres or so. After seeing how this bull sale goes, I’ll keep progressing to try and get better every year. Maybe I should put some avocado trees in at some point, which is smart cause you can make good money, but I’m not sure I have the time or enough interest to do that.

23. Do you have any advice for up-and-coming ranchers? We’d love to see more people get into this, so what would you tell ‘em?

Well, you just gotta have the passion for it. All it takes is some hard work, and learning as you go works if you ‘allow yourself’ to learn.

My plate is full every single day. If you plan your day and something else comes up, I call that getting derailed. That’s gonna happen all the time. If you that's not your thing, then you can't do this.

Find out why Justin Rhoades is well known for his Angus bulls!

The Rhoades Ranch Bull Sale will be held for 2 days September 17th at Visalia Livestock & September 18th at the ranch in the beautiful coastal town of Cambria, California. Don't miss it!