Apprenticeship Program
Diamond Bar Ranch
Location: North-central Montana
Start Date: mid-April (somewhat flexible)
Length of Apprenticeship: Approximately 7 months, mid-November end date
Stipend: $1200/month
Application Deadline: November 15, 2026 (We will be in touch to schedule interviews with selected candidates by December 1st)
About the Ranch
The Diamond Bar Ranch is located in a small island mountain range in north-central Montana. The terrain varies from irrigated fields situated alongside drainages to steep, rocky hillsides with densely wooded areas. The ranch is privately owned by a family who loves to spend time here as often as they are able. The winters are harsher than at any of the other Ranchlands locations, so one of the biggest challenges on this ranch is to minimize winter feeding costs by grazing the cattle through as much of the winter months as we can. This involves utilizing pastures that are not accessible in winter months more heavily during the summer and stockpiling as much forage as we can on the irrigated fields and lower elevation pastures that are grazeable throughout the winter. The irrigated fields along the creek near headquarters were historically used for hay production, and our goal is to use high-density grazing (both during the growing season and winter months) to diversify the plant communities and improve soil health and productivity.
Meet the Ranch Managers
Brandon Sickel and Anja Stokes co-manage the DBR and have worked for Ranchlands for 7-9 years.
“We both spent our earlier years of training living and working on the Chico Basin Ranch in southern Colorado. Having grown up in major cities, we understand intimately what it is like to begin a career in ranching with little or no experience and are passionate about working with young people to develop a broad range of skills that will allow them to excel in future careers in agriculture.
The Diamond Bar is a very different landscape and climate than where we did our training, and we are excited to continue learning how to best make decisions about the cattle’s impact in this new environment. Our Beefmaster cross cattle are not a breed that is traditionally run in this part of the US, and one of our biggest and most exciting challenges is working to select for and develop a herd of efficient, productive cows that fit their environment and are able to thrive in rough terrain and through harsh winters. We are passionate about building a team of great horses, dogs and people, who together strive for the highest possible level of stewardship for all components of the ranch.”
Apprenticeship Details
Type of Work
The majority of our cattle work is done horseback given the nature of the terrain, but we use a combination of horses, dirtbikes, ATVs, and working on foot to manage the cattle. There is a portion of the ranch that is only accessible to graze during the summer, meaning that for a couple of months in late spring the fencing workload is heavy in order to get those pastures ready as soon as enough snow melts off. We also irrigate fields near our headquarters using a single tower pivot, sprinkler guns, and flood irrigation during the spring and summer which becomes a high priority and time-consuming task at that time. Portable electric fencing is a tool that we use frequently year round in order to better control recovery periods, increase forage utilization and for ease of gathering/drifting cattle through larger pastures with a small crew. Apprentices will become comfortable and proficient in designing, building, and maintaining temporary electric fences independently in varying terrain. Apprentices will have the opportunity to participate in all aspects of cattle work throughout their time here including doctoring, sorting, branding, weaning, and pregnancy testing.
The apprenticeship begins by spending the majority of time alongside one or both of us as they learn to navigate the ranch and are taught the necessary foundational skills. As time progresses the apprentice will be encouraged to make decisions and plan and execute projects on their own with support. There will be a mix of working independently, as a small group, alongside Anja or Brandon, and occasionally with neighbors.
We believe that the success of the ranch depends on a cohesive team that is composed of individuals who truly enjoy the work they are doing. The apprentices who are most successful have strong communication skills and are excited to take on the challenges of living and working remotely alongside a small crew.
Housing
You will live in a private room in a shared house with one other apprentice. The house has a full kitchen and laundry, two bathrooms and two bedrooms. There is generally no cell service at the ranch, though we do have very good Wifi in the houses and headquarters buildings and cell service can be accessed in certain spots on top of hillsides. We have a Garmin Inreach satellite device that can be used while working in more remote parts of the ranch.
Town/Amenities
The ranch is 45 minutes away from two different towns, Havre and Chinook. There are a couple of different grocery store options and a handful of restaurants, and while you’d have no trouble finding what you need, these towns don’t compare to bigger cities across the state like Missoula, Helena, or Bozeman. This can make the ranch feel more isolated for those looking to socialize in those types of settings. Access to hiking and camping is 2-3 hours by car, or can be enjoyed on the ranch itself (Glacier NP, lots of good fishing, etc. are easy weekend trips). Great Falls is the next closest city (2.5 hr drive) and has more to offer in terms of shops, dining, a bigger selection of grocery stores, and an airport. You will never be required to use a personal vehicle for anything work-related, but you will need your own car for trips to town during your off time.
Other Things to Know
The terrain (steep, rocky in some areas, many drainages and springs, snow, wind, and wildlife damage to fences) is a unique challenge in these mountains that can make the job more physically (and mentally) demanding at times. We want to emphasize that especially during the spring/early summer a significant portion of apprentices’ time outside of moving cattle will be spent fencing. It can be monotonous, and due to the terrain a lot of the fencelines must be hiked on foot, including hiking in supplies for both barbed wire and temporary electric fences. Once the big push to fence the summer grazing areas early on is complete, more time will be spent exposing the apprentice to other aspects of ranch work including graze planning, vehicle/equipment maintenance and other larger corral/fence/water improvement projects.
Some riding experience and general comfort handling/being around horses is preferred, but not required.
This apprenticeship is partially funded by The Ranchlands Collective, our nonprofit organization dedicated to education, land stewardship, and expanding pathways into ranching. As part of this support:
- Apprentices will participate in periodic check-ins with a Ranchlands Collective program coordinator to discuss learning goals, progress, and any support needed.
- Attendance for all apprentices is required at the annual Collective Summit. Dates are TBD but will be shared with you as soon as confirmed. The Collective will also sponsor 2-3 workshops or educational field days over the course of the season on topics such as soil health, graze planning, horsemanship, or ranch economics.
- Participants may occasionally be asked to contribute short reflections, photos, or testimonials to help share their experience with donors.
- These contributions help the Collective demonstrate impact, strengthen the apprenticeship pipeline, and expand opportunities for future apprentices.
