Sheldonna Zwicker gazes at a herd of cows grazing the land in Yellow Jacket, Colorado. Though this is one of her favorite pastimes, it is also important research.
“I spend a lot of time watching cattle because it’s fun, but my daughter thinks I’m weird,” Zwicker said grinning at a video she took of a cow gnawing on a cattail. “Most people don’t think that cows eat cattails, but they love them.”
Zwicker is a mother of three and a self-employed cattle rancher, born and raised in McElmo Canyon. She describes her occupation as a lifestyle, rather than a job.
“In this business, you have a lot of little projects you do every day,” she said. “So it doesn’t feel like a real job.”
Days are filled with small tasks that will help Zwicker complete bigger projects. After sending her children to school, she checks on the cows and watches what they eat to determine the health of the herd and when it is time to move them to the next pasture.
Zwicker also oversees all operations of the ranch – meeting cattle buyers, finding suppliers, running errands, paying bills and leasing land for the cows to graze. She installs and maintains fences, water tanks and other equipment. She helps her husband, Dean Ives, run his farm as well. Most of all, she is always learning to better manage her herd to improve soil health and adapt to the dry conditions.
“You start out and you kind of think you know what you’re doing,” Zwicker said. “And then you get a few years down the road, and you realize how much you don’t know. And that’s when you really start trying to learn. It makes you more humble.”
Zwicker went to Battle Rock Charter School until fifth grade, then was partially home-schooled with assistance from her grade school teacher. She didn’t attend high school, earning her GED instead, and pursued a college education through Pueblo Community College. She later transferred to Colorado State University to earn a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and Agricultural Economics. She also has a Master of Agricultural Education from Utah State.
“My professors said they love home school kids because they know how to get an education, not be fed an education. Once you’re out of school there is no reason to quit being educated,” Zwicker said. “That’s when real education starts: How do you use your education to make a difference or do what you really want to do?”
Zwicker applies a variety of different science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills to help her accomplish both personal and professional goals. While watching cows graze, she takes note of what they are eating, how much ground they cover and how eating habits change over time.
“If your cows have what they need, they are pretty good at staying healthy,” Zwicker said. “I don’t want to be feeding the animals for the sake of keeping them fed. I want to figure out how to use them for tools to improve the land because that is what you’re going to pass on to somebody else.”
Zwicker said animals and the land are designed to work together, and her goal is to find new ways to establish sustainable practices in Montezuma County through regenerative dryland grazing. She is developing community partnerships with other farmers, ranchers and landowners through collaborative projects and hopes the outcome increases agricultural opportunities for the next generation.
“More than anything, I want to be in a position where I am able to help other people who are not as fortunate,” she said.
Her commitment to the community extends into her volunteer efforts as well. Zwicker serves on the board for Dolores Water Conservancy District and she is a volunteer firefighter for the Yellow Jacket Fire Department.
“I always thought it would be cool to be a firefighter when I grew up,” Zwicker said. “Just because you’re a female, or you’re a different color, or you’re from the wrong side of the tracks, none of that should limit your potential.”