Vesco Ranch

About the Ranch

Found about 45 miles south of Winnemucca, Nevada, Vesco Ranch was first homesteaded by a man named Bushey back in 1863. Since then, the subsequent owners have expanded the ranch by combining it with other nearby ranches. In 1973, the Vesco family purchased the ranch and moved into the homestead headquarters, where they’ve lived for the past 50 years. Coincidentally, the previous owner also lived in the home for 50 years. Clearly there is something special about the land where Vesco Ranch is found, making the owners want to stick around.

The Vesco Ranch is 100% a family operation, with the only workers being Vance; his wife, Jody; and his 92-year-old mother, Diana. In 2022, Diana was awarded the 100,000 Mile Club Award for cowboys and cowgirls who have traveled more than 100,000 miles on horseback over their lifetime. Vance brags that his mother comes into the ranch to do work every single day! Vance and Jody have worked hard to expand their ranch, having combined three ranches since taking ownership of the land and homestead

About the Location

The 540 Black Angus mother cows of Vesco Ranch enjoy a wide variety of land to graze on. Located in a “high desert” with elevations between 4,800 and 10,000 feet, these cattle graze on naturally growing hay and grass between two mountain ranges. Since the ranch only sees 7–9 inches of rain per year, the crops and cattle receive water through naturally occurring springs.

Uniquely, the Vescos choose to institute two calving seasons per year, one in the spring and one in the fall. The calves are born just outside of their home, providing the Vescos with greater convenience and access to the best possible care before allowing the calves and mothers to roam the expansive mountains. Overall, the cattle have more than 500 acres on which to graze, wander, and enjoy life.

Better Cattle With a Focus on Care and Quality Genetics

The Vescos take a lot of pride in their ranch and the cattle they raise on it. They choose the best bulls for breeding from Riverbend Ranch and have since 2013. Vance says that the improvement in their cattle is visually discernable. In fact, one of his favorite parts about being a rancher is watching his hard work create better cattle with every generation. 50% of the cattle they sell back to Riverbend Ranch harvest Prime-graded beef, an extremely impressive statistic.

The Vescos also pride themselves in a better level of care for their cattle than the average rancher. They make sure that their cattle do not mingle with any cattle not directly under their care to prevent the spread of disease or lower-quality genetics. They have worked hard to prevent disease from spreading through their herds, maintaining a picture of health and happiness.