With over 13,000 acres of land and 100s of head of livestock, Red Bluff provides unique opportunities for the students who work there. Ranch foreman Noah Davis is responsible for maintaining the ranch and livestock, as well as coordinating with instructors and researchers from Montana State University. Davis says that the primary goal of the ranch is “to produce research for other ranches.” That research can take many forms, from advancements in livestock to new information about the land itself. 

One recent advancement made by the ranch is the extension of the grazing season. According to Davis, most ranches typically graze for 10 months out of the year, and then switch to hay-based diets for the other two months. Because the hay-feeding months are very expensive for ranches, being able to reduce that cost would significantly raise the profit margins. To help alleviate the financial burden for ranchers, Red Bluff successfully extended the grazing season to a full 12 months, while ensuring that the nutritional needs of cattle were still met and that calving season was adjusted accordingly. This meant they changed their calving season to begin in May, when traditionally, ranches start calving around March. 

However, students aren’t just working there to participate in advancing ranching technology. One former student worker, Eli Erickson, chose to work for Red Bluff partly for the opportunity to take part in lambing season. Lambing season is the time of year when pregnant ewes give birth, and Erickson hadn’t experienced this process before. The student workers oversaw penning and corralling the newborn lambs and the mothers, and the job even extended to helping with the birthing process as needed. “There’s nothing cooler that I’ve done in my life, but it’s gross,” said Erickson. Being from Minnesota originally, Erickson was drawn to Red Bluff for the “country” experience, and his time at Red Bluff fulfilled that. He also acknowledges the uniqueness of the job. “The pay wasn’t amazing,” says Erickson, “but the experiences are really worth it.” 

With work opportunities for college students often being limited or being unrelated to their field of study, places like Red Bluff Research Ranch are incredibly important. The ranch provides unique opportunities for interested students. It allows students to gain hands-on experience in research and fieldwork, provides education on the business side of running a ranch, and offers financial assistance during challenging times.