Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On 500 acres of rolling land, a herd of 45 cattle graze Ciardullo Ranch, a first-generation, family-owned operation started in 2016.
“I would love to think that I would be able to hand this down to my son,” said Josh Ciardullo, who runs the Wellington, Colorado ranch with his wife, Erica. “At this point right now, if I was a betting man, I would probably bet against that happening.”
When Ciardullo, a former firefighter, and his wife, a former teacher, began ranching in Northern Colorado a decade ago, they didn’t anticipate the challenges that would lie ahead. They’ve provided grass-fed, pasture-raised beef to around 700 families, selling directly and locally. But rising operational costs are putting pressure on small American ranches like theirs, Ciardullo said. And increasing beef imports is not going to help sustain American ranching long term, he added.
Read more at rmpbs.org
Reporting by Priya Shahi
On 500 acres of rolling land, a herd of 45 cattle graze Ciardullo Ranch, a first-generation, family-owned operation started in 2016.
“I would love to think that I would be able to hand this down to my son,” said Josh Ciardullo, who runs the Wellington, Colorado ranch with his wife, Erica. “At this point right now, if I was a betting man, I would probably bet against that happening.”
When Ciardullo, a former firefighter, and his wife, a former teacher, began ranching in Northern Colorado a decade ago, they didn’t anticipate the challenges that would lie ahead. They’ve provided grass-fed, pasture-raised beef to around 700 families, selling directly and locally. But rising operational costs are putting pressure on small American ranches like theirs, Ciardullo said. And increasing beef imports is not going to help sustain American ranching long term, he added.
Read more at rmpbs.org
Reporting by Priya Shahi
