Opuntia Ranch
Trinidad, CO
Opuntia Ranch
Dedicated to sustainable forestry practices, regenerative agriculture, and environmental stewardship, while producing beetle-kill pine products (firewood, mulch, wood carvings), pine nuts, cashmere goat fiber, and duck eggs, feathers, down products in the pinon pine forests of semi-arid Southern Colorado.
What is “Opuntia”, as the namesake and among the founding principles of the ranch? Opuntia is the genus of the prickly pear cactus, which is a welcome natural food, fodder, and fuel resource across this region. In Southern Colorado, we have many species from the Opuntia genus, most of which have lots of spines, but this does not stop the plant from being a remarkable source of nutrition for humans and livestock such as our goats after some processing work to remove spines, as well as offering a wealth of other high-value products. Prickly pear harvests for human and livestock consumption are just one of the many sustainable forestry and agricultural practices we implement on the Ranch, and active areas of agricultural research and development.
FARM STATS
FARM STATS
Trinidad, CO
Location:
230
Acres:
1-50 Goats
Herd Size:
Available Services & Activities:
Within the boundaries of biosecurity protections for the flock and herd, by special arrangement Opuntia Ranch is available for hosting private parties (weddings, special events, etc...) in the peaceful mountaintop with stunning views of Fishers Peak, and the Sangre de Cristo range.
On-Farm Stay:
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Farm Website:
Meet the Farmers
Dagni
Life-long I wanted to be a farmer, but instead pursued a career in chemistry and energy research for decades which was fulfilling and meaningful, yet left that dream unwavering. Finally decades later, took the dive to finally realize the dream and it has lived up to be everything hoped for and more, cherishing every day of hard work and dedication, continuous challenges that require adaptation and flexibility, and the joys of fostering relationships with the land, the forest, and the creatures under my protection.
Farm Interview
Why Cashmere?
Goats have long been a favorite farm animal for their intelligence, creativity, and humorous antics. Refining that to specifically raise cashmere goats was a natural progression due to an absolute love of the high-quality soft fiber (which is the only animal fiber I'm able to wear with sensitive skin), and how this thick undercoat makes these goats excellently suited to the occasional extreme cold of Colorado winters, then shedding it in time for the hot summers.
Biggest Challenge?
Not enough time in the day to achieve all the lofty aspirations for growth and farm improvements. But... taking it one day at a time, one step at a time!
Biggest Successes?
Through all the long hours and hard work, one of the greatest successes of raising cashmere goats is the rewarding connectivity to your land and animals of being a shepherd: the daily gift of interacting with each goat recognizing their unique personality, caring for them, and being able to tell that they know they are loved.
Do you view farming as more of a business or a lifestyle?
Farming is very much a way of life at Opuntia Ranch -- the day-to-day is defined by a connectivity to the land, to each animal tended, attentiveness to weather/microclimate with all its uncertainty. Farming becomes a grounding force that reconnects us to the roots of what it means to be human, existing in this wondrous Earth.
What have been the biggest changes you've implemented on your farm?
Sustainable forestry practices have been one of the biggest changes for Opuntia Ranch's plot of land. This forested region is unfortunately one of the areas of Colorado plaqued with beetle-kill. The combination of dense underbrush (mostly scrub oak) and immense fuel load of beetle-kill pinyon pine trees creates an exceptionally high-risk area for wildfire. Fuel removal and processing into lumber, firewood, and mulch produces valuable products, which couples excellently to raising goats who devour the prolific scrub oak underbrush, fertilizing the forest on the way. The result is the slow transformation of a struggling forest in the face of the invasive beetles, to creating a healthier, more biodiverse and resilient forest with reduced risk of wildfire.
