The Diablo Trust land base is comprised of 426,000 acres of working ranches that span rim forests, ephemeral lakes, and expansive grasslands, in the uplands of the Lower Colorado River Basin. It is on this land base that Diablo Trust works to restore wildlife habitat, protect open space, preserve our local food-shed’s agricultural foundation, and promote land-based research to improve how we interact with our natural surroundings. The Bar T Bar and Flying M Ranches span the Diablo Trust land base and utilize a holistic approach to ranching to regenerate these sensitive ecosystems.

About the Ranches

The Bar T Bar

The Bar T Bar Ranch spans 348,000 acres and has been in operation since 1924. The owners, Judy and Bob Prossers, are third generation Arizona ranchers. The Bar T Bar Ranch has about 2000 cattle, and specialize in breeding heirloom bloodlines.

The Bar T Bar Ranch is a model for efficiency, utilizing solar power wherever possible on its 72 pastures. The Bar T Bar is home to nearly 30 types of native grasses, and over 300 million gallons of water, or enough water for 5,000 people to use for a year, is protected by the Bar T Bar’s agricultural water rights. This means that instead of being sold to a municipality or for industrial use, that water is kept on the watershed where it originates, protecting the local health of the Lower Colorado River Basin watershed. With nearly 350 earthen ponds, and 2 Lakes, the all of that water is used year round by thirsty antelope, elk, deer, and waterfowl.

The Flying M

The Flying M Ranch is a family ranch that has been in operation since 1914 owned by The Metzger Family. The Flying M Ranch spans 93,000 acres.

The Flying M Ranch has 900 cattle and sells calves. Market forces make it tough to sell much of the cattle as local beef, and the Metzger Family has worked hard to sell up to 4% of their beef locally.

The Metzgers are champions of holistic range management, working to utilize electric fences to move cattle frequently in order regenerate grazed pastures. The Ranch also has two lakes, and almost 100 earthen ponds, used by cattle and wildlife. The Flying M Ranch is home to 10 employees, 19 dogs, 30 cats, and 13 horses, so it’s no wonder they ranch consumes nearly 300 lbs of coffee annually.