June 19-20, 2025 - selkirk arena

Headwinds & the Future
of Agriculture

Join us at Matador Ranch and Cattle Field Day 2025. It's a gathering of experts and enthusiasts where we will explore topics like natural capital, regenerative agriculture, financial resilience, and the regenerative beef supply chain.

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What to expect

Keynote Presentations

Industry specialists will give keynote talks on natural capital, regenerative agriculture, financial resilience, and sustainable beef supply chain. These presentations will bring the latest insights and best practices from the field.

Panel Discussions

The event will host comprehensive panel discussions. These will involve thought leaders from areas like regenerative agriculture production, finance/market trends, conservation, innovation, and genetics. This is an opportunity for an in-depth exchange of ideas and robust discussions.

Networking Opportunities

The event will be interspersed with strategically planned networking sessions. These sessions will offer ample opportunities for attendees to engage in dialogue, build new relationships, and foster collaborations within the industry.

Interactive Pivot Tour

Field Day 2025 will also feature interactive workshops and field demonstrations. Attendees can participate and get a firsthand look at intensive grazing, soil health, and multi-species.

Zach, from Impact Ag, giving a presentation at the 2024 Matador Field Day Event.

A black and white photo of cowboys watching a presentation at the Matador Field Day 2024.

See Full Agenda

Cocktail & Networking Hour

Date

June 19, 2025

Time

5:00 pm

Speaker

Music by Morgan Seymour

5:00 pm

Cocktail & Networking Hour

MRC History Presentation

Date

June 19, 2025

Time

5:30 pm

Speaker

Hank Willemsma

5:30 pm

MRC History Presentation

Dinner from Engine 18

Date

June 19, 2025

Time

6:30 pm

Speaker

Music by Morgan Seymour

6:30 pm

Dinner from Engine 18

Welcome to Matador Ranch and Cattle's Field Day 2025

Date

June 20, 2025

Time

8:45 am

Speaker

Bert Glover

8:45 am

Welcome to Matador Ranch and Cattle's Field Day 2025

Agricultural Tariffs, Opportunities and Impacts of New Administration

Date

June 20, 2025

Time

9:00 am

Speaker

Mike Espy

9:00 am

Agricultural Tariffs, Opportunities and Impacts of New Administration

Markets Trends and Tariffs

Date

June 20, 2025

Time

9:45 am

Speaker

Prime Pursuits, Country Natural, & Kirk Donsbach with StoneX. Moderated by Dr. Peel.

9:45 am

Markets Trends and Tariffs

Date

June 20, 2025

Time

2:00 pm

Speaker

2:00 pm

Uniting the Industry to Secure America’s Agricultural Future

Natural Capital: The Do’s and Don’ts for Ranches

Date

June 20, 2025

Time

2:30 pm

Speaker

Ryan Dierking with Earth Optics, Jeff Goodwin with Center for Grazinglands & Ranch Management, Jim Johnson with Noble Foundation. Moderated by Lora Soderquist.

2:30 pm

Natural Capital: The Do’s and Don’ts for Ranches

Selkirk Pivot Tour: Intensive Grazing, Soil health, & Multi-species (optional)

Date

June 20, 2025

Time

3:30 pm

Speaker

Race King

3:30 pm

Selkirk Pivot Tour: Intensive Grazing, Soil health, & Multi-species (optional)

Meet the Experts

Our speaker roster comprises prominent thought leaders with expertise in various fields. These experts will share their insights through keynote presentations, panel discussions, and workshops. Stay tuned for the announcement of our speaker lineup!

Ryan Dierking

Guest Speaker

Director of Northern Rangelands

Earth Optics

Job Title

Ryan Dierking was raised on a Red Angus cattle operation in Missouri and still manages the operation with his family. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from the University of Missouri, where he studied agronomy with a focus on pasturelands. Currently, Ryan is the Director of Northern Rangelands at Earth Optics. Here, Ryan works directly with ranchers and cattlemen, project developers, non-profit organizations, and companies looking to participate in sustainability/carbon markets as off-sets or in-sets both domestically and internationally.

Race King

Guest Speaker

Selkirk Ranch Manager

Matador Ranch and Cattle

Job Title

Race King was raised on a cow-calf and row-crop operation in eastern Utah. His professional background began with internships at Deseret Land & Livestock and Gardiner Angus Ranch. Race has served as Herd Manager for Sitz Angus, VP of Operations for Riverbend Ranch, and 15+ years as Manager of La Cense Montana LLC. Race developed his passion for resource management and became a strong advocate of grazing management strategies that use high stocking densities for short durations.

Pam Lyford

Guest Speaker

Head of Compliance & Wildlife Projects

Matador Ranch and Cattle

Job Title

Pam Lyford grew up on a 3rd generation farming operation in Northern Illinois. She earned degrees in Agriculture Education and Business. Lyford moved to Kansas and worked for Koch Industries for 30 years, with the last 20+ years working specifically with the ranching operations. Pam is now the Compliance Manager for Matador Ranch and Cattle, focusing on the health and safety of the Matador team and managing natural capital and wildlife projects.

Nick Hammett

Guest Speaker

Key Accounts Manager

Neogen

Job Title

Nick Hammett serves as the Key Accounts Manager for Commercial Beef and Dairy at Neogen, where he oversees the company’s largest domestic and international clients. He specializes in delivering customized genomic testing solutions that maximize return on investment for each unique operation. Before Neogen, he spent the majority of his career at Circle A Angus, a prominent 8,000-head cattle operation in Missouri, where he managed bull and bred heifer sales and feeder calf procurement. His career also includes roles at the American Shorthorn Association, Crystal River Ranch, Future Beef Operations, and the American Gelbvieh Association.

Mike Espy

Guest Speaker

Chair of CNFA (Creating New Frontiers in Agriculture)

Mike Espy, PLLC

Job Title

Mike Espy is the 25th United States Secretary of Agriculture, having been nominated by President Bill Clinton and confirmed by the United States Senate in January of 1993. Before his appointment to the cabinet, Mike Espy served for six years as a Member of the United States House of Representatives. Mike’s passion leans towards agricultural and financial development, helping to lift impoverished persons, communities, and countries towards more favorable economic outcomes.

Lora Soderquist

Guest Speaker

Natural Capital Specialist

Impact Ag Partners

Job Title

Lora Soderquist is the Natural Capital Specialist for Impact Ag Partners, where she focuses on regenerative agriculture, soil health, and land management strategies that build long-term ecological, social, and economic resilience. Raised on a multi-generation agricultural operation in Southeast Idaho, Lora brings deep-rooted experience. She previously served as an Associate Professor at Montana State University, specializing in soil health, rangeland ecology, and holistic management decision-making.

Jim Johnson

Guest Speaker

Senior Regenerative Ranching Advisor

Noble research Foundation

Job Title

Johnson provides regenerative ranching consultation and course facilitation alongside his role as product delivery manager at Noble Research Institute, where he has worked since 1999. Between 2000 and 2020, Jim consulted with over 2,000 producers, consistently adding 100 additional producers yearly. Before his work at Noble, he spent two years working for a large, diverse vegetable farm that sold directly to consumers and restaurants. At Noble, Jim focuses on soil health, cover crops, and no-till.

Hank Willemsma

Guest Speaker

Beaverhead Ranch Manager

Matador Ranch and Cattle

Job Title

Hank Willemsma grew up on a small family ranch in southern New Mexico, where he developed a passion for ranching and agriculture. After graduating from New Mexico State University with a bachelor's degree in animal science, he worked on ranches across the west for ten years as a cowboy on large and small cow/calf operations, intensive grazing stocker operations, and commercial feedlots in Texas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, and Utah. Hank became the ranch manager in 2019, overseeing the ranch's day-to-day operations.

Dr. Jeff Goodwin Ph.D., CPRM

Guest Speaker

Director

Center for Grazinglands & Ranch Management, Texas A&M University

Job Title

Dr. Jeff Goodwin is the Thomas M. O’Connor Endowed Director of Rangeland and Wildlife Management and Director of the Center for Grazinglands and Ranch Management at Texas A&M. He also holds a faculty appointment as Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management and Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension. Dr. Goodwin specializes in applied research and education to enhance the ecological and economic resilience of grazing lands and ranching operations.

Bert Glover

Guest Speaker

CEO

Impact Ag Partners

Job Title

As Impact Ag Partners’ founder, and CEO of our US operations, Bert leads the firm’s investment in agriculture as a nature and climate solution across North America. A pioneer of nature-positive investment, agricultural management, and asset development, Bert has secured and deployed $1 billion in global capital to transform agricultural ecosystems at scale.

Race King

Beaverhead Ranch Manager

Hank Willemsma

Beaverhead Ranch Manager

Pam Lyford

Compliance Manager

Kaitlyn Pederson

Office Manager

Race King

Beaverhead Ranch Manager

Hank Willemsma

Beaverhead Ranch Manager

Pam Lyford

Compliance Manager

Kaitlyn Pederson

Office Manager

Event Details

Matador Ranch and Cattle will be updating this section as we move closer to the event date. Here you can find info about lodging, liability waivers, how to get here, and more.

Is there a student discount?

$35.00 for students for general admission

Can I purchase tickets for employees of my ranch?

Yes, as a ranch owner, you are allowed to buy multiple tickets at once and distribute them to your employees. However, please note that each employee will be required to sign and date the General Ranch Indemnity - Entire Ranch Waiver before they can participate in the event.

Do I need to sign a waiver for Field Day 2025?

Yes, everyone that attends Field Day 2024 at Matador Ranch and Cattle must sign and date the General Ranch Indemnity - Entire Ranch Waiver

Sign the Waiver

Are there hotel room blocks?

Yes! We have room blocks at the Fairbridge Inn in Dillon

Fairbridge Inn

Thank You to Our 2025 Sponsors!

We extend our sincere thanks to the generous sponsors of the 2025 Matador Ranch and Cattle Field Day. Your support plays a vital role in making this event a success and in helping us bring together producers, partners, and community members to share knowledge and celebrate innovation in ranching. We appreciate your continued commitment to the future of the beef industry and ranching!