Meet Stan Searle of Searle Ranch in El Paso County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stan Searle.

Stan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My family’s principal businesses were magazine publishing and cable television, headquartered in Englewood beginning in 1969—where we “settled” after being invited to Colorado by Gov. John Love and our friend Bill Daniels. We operated cattle ranches near Evergreen, Walsenburg and–for the past 31 years–in El Paso County.

Forty-five years ago, we became interested in Texas Longhorn cattle and soon found that their self-sufficiency made it possible for me, or our whole family, to be gone from the ranch for days or even weeks so long as the livestock had plenty of pasture and water. Soon we were selling breeding stock to buyers across the country and into Canada.

Because of my involvement in publishing, as CEO of Cardiff Communications, we were asked by the Texas Longhorn registry if we would create a breed magazine which led to the establishment of the Texas Longhorn Journal. It was published for the next quarter-century by my family, initially by my (late) wife, Lorna, and for a dozen years by our son Charlie. (It was eventually sold to a consortium of cattle breeders.)

Meanwhile, our principal pursuit had become building, acquiring and operating cable television systems in a half dozen states. Colorado towns that were served included Breckenridge and Monument, as well as small communities in Jefferson, El Paso and Huerfano counties. Other cable properties were located in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Idaho. Cardiff’s systems were sold in the late 1980s, with my family personally acquiring the operations north of Colorado Springs. After growing them from a few hundred to several thousand subscribers, we eventually sold those properties, which later became part of Comcast.                                                              

Having lived on ranches since moving to Colorado, we had no desire to retreat to a golfing community when I “retired,” although we had owned second homes over the years in the Cayman Islands and Costa Rica. Rather, I now had more time to focus on the cattle business and land development.

Denverites and people across the country have seen our Texas Longhorn “downtown cattle drive” that kicks off the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo each January. Subsequently, when Mayor Michael Hancock and his team undertook to “sell” Denver voters on the $750 million makeover and expansion of the Stock Show facilities a few years ago, they chose to feature our now-famous steer in the campaign commercials. Video shoots took place in the lobby of the Hyatt, a saloon, the stockyards and the Convention Center.

We enjoy having a part in special events in Denver–such as the Stock Show and the Wild West Show but our “day job” is running two cattle ranches. However, the value of land, influenced by the expansion of space, military, information technology and non-profit organizations in Colorado Springs, demands more return on investment than cattle ranching will generate. The natural consequence of that has been to develop some of our land into two small “Western Lifestyle” subdivisions. First and foremost, is the Silverado Ranch, located a few miles east of Colorado Springs, with the first two homes recently put on the market.   

The ranches are still home to Texas Longhorns raised for breeding stock and sold coast-to-coast. Ramrodding the day to day operations is Gary Lake, ranch manager and part-owner.  Nearly half of each calf crop, the bull calves, will become steers, destined for our grass-fed beef business which is supervised by my son Monty Searle. Health-conscious Americans willingly pay a premium for meat with the same omega-3 / omega 6 ratio as wild venison. Avoiding feedlot beef, with its growth hormones and antibiotics, is sufficient motivation to bring Denver and out of state buyers to Searle Ranch. Our meat is processed in a USDA inspected plant at Westcliffe, Colorado, then stored in commercial freezers in a modern barn on the ranch. Customers pick up their orders by appointment.

A bonus of living on a ranch is sharing it with wildlife, including squirrels, deer, raccoons, coyotes, antelope, elk, a variety of birds, bobcats and, on two occasions, a transient moose. Our land and cattle businesses enable my family to live in the west edge of Black Forest, conveniently close to both Denver and Colorado Springs.  With this “lifestyle” comes the predictable chores that go with owning cattle and horses and the climate, at 7,400 ft. along the Palmer Divide, makes being here a blessing, as it is a few degrees cooler than Denver in the summer and usually a bit colder in winter. Of course, we get to plow some snow, but we are in a choice part of a great state . . . with no desire to be anywhere else.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The cattle business, like every agricultural pursuit, is subject to unpredictable weather. In our part of the country, we can go from blizzards to drought, and when the weather is favorable and the native grass is flourishing, the bottom can fall out of the market! Texas Longhorns have, over the five centuries since Columbus brought the first Spanish cattle to the hemisphere, developed remarkable ruggedness through survival of the fittest, but unfortunately, there is no genetic immunity to price fluctuations. We have targeted two markets: high end breeding stock which can bring tens of thousands of dollars per head from buyers across the country, and grass-fed beef which brings a premium over meat from feedlot beef.

In our land business, we’ve weathered the market doldrums triggered by the dot-com collapse more than a decade ago. Right now, despite surging inflation in building costs, the Colorado Springs market is strong, and recent turmoil in some big cities has sparked new interest in moving to less densely populated areas. Our developments are a few miles from town and Silverado Ranch offers miles of hiking and horseback trails in the wide open spaces. We think the timing is good for this sort of development, and the Space Command, located just a few miles away, will bring new home buyers to the area.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up on a small ranch outside Yakima, Washington, my sister, three brothers and I had some chores to do but also the freedom to explore and create our own hobbies and diversions. It was a time before electronic devices, including the absence of electricity until I was a teenager, and fostered a lifestyle that encouraged independence and self-reliance. All of us attended a three-room school for eight years and played baseball but, after hours, had horseback riding, hunting, exploring and ranch work to occupy our time.

Everyone in my family seemed to have inherited writing and artistic skills which proved useful, both in school and in the business world. Starting in a country school with fewer than 10 kids per grade and eventually finding ourselves in classes of more than 400, we still gravitated to leadership and competed in athletics, although transportation made extracurricular activities a challenge. Most of my siblings and I were able to attend college on scholarships.  The self-reliance fostered by growing up “in the country” gave us a head start later on.  Except for my brother who was a decorated Marine aviator, we all found opportunities in publishing and other commercial pursuits.  In my case, cable television provided the best rewards, including the reason for locating to Denver. 

Contact Info:

• Address: Searle Ranch
  18911 Cherry Springs Ranch Dr.
  Monument, CO 80132
• Website: SearleRanch.com
• Phone: 7194813735
• Email: stansearle@gmail.com

Image Credit:
All photos are property of and provided by Searle Ranch

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