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By Jim Henry ‘75
> Rocky Dixon ’74
Rocky Dixon ’74, of Asotin, WA, is the co-founder of a successful
Outside the region, Dixon said it’s not widely appreciated that
private-equity fund, Endeavor Capital, based in Portland, OR.
most ranches are small mom-and-pop operations with an aver-
While he’s at home around spreadsheets and corporations, “my
age of 50 head of cattle. A lot of older ranchers are retiring,
passion is agriculture,” he says.
he notes.
Dixon maintains business interests in about 27 companies the
“Each cow eats two and a half tons of hay in the winter. Hay
private-equity fund has in its portfolio of investments. But his
costs $350 to $400 per ton. It’s really expensive,” Dixon said, but
preferred pursuit in semi-retirement is raising thousands of beef
the operation is profitable because the high-quality beef com-
cattle—his own and for other operations—without antibiotics
mands a premium.
or growth hormones, for “people who want to know where their food comes from.”
However, it’s hard hiring and retaining workers, he says. “This life out here, it’s seven days a week. You might be able to get
The Whole Foods grocery chain is a big customer. “They want to
Sundays off. The climate can be tough. It’s physical,” Dixon says.
know how happy the cows look,” he says with a laugh.
“We provide housing. But the nearest grocery store is a half-
On a much smaller scale, Dixon also has a vineyard that produces a variety of Malbec wine, and he also does a lot of hunting and fishing.
hour away, and somebody probably goes into town once a week.” To be a rancher, he says, “You’ve got to be kind of a self-starter.”
He describes the region around his Rock'n J Ranch as, “where Idaho, Washington, and Oregon run together.” He said he put the ranch together by acquiring 13 contiguous properties. taboracademy.org/magazine 49
