As the story goes, Charles Collins, the ranch’s founder, fell in love with our country along the Big Sandy during a cattle drive from Mexico to Montana as a teenager in the late 1800s. So when the opportunity arose in 1907, Charles Collins bought and moved his family from Kansas to the Collins Ranch just west of Kit Carson, Colorado. The ranch remained in tact until the fourth generation divided it among siblings. It was then that The Flying Diamond Ranch became what it is today. In 1990, Scott and his wife, Jean, moved their young family to his family’s ranch and raised their four children. The Flying Diamond’s vision is, and always has been, to leave the resources under our stewardship in better condition for the next generation. Though cattle genetics, ranch enterprises and grazing management practices have evolved since 1907, our management philosophy remains one that, to borrow the words of Aldo Leopold, “reflects a conviction of individual responsibility for the health of the land.”
Thoughtful consideration of new ideas has been a common vein throughout our history. Five generations have successfully navigated depressions and droughts, and we attribute our profitability for the last 106 years to the tradition of being open-minded problem solvers who believe there is always room for improvement. The most notable change in the ranch’s management was due to Scott’s attendance at a Holistic Resource seminar in 1986 taught by Allan Savory. As a result of the seminar, holism is the central tenant of our ranch management. On the Flying Diamond Ranch, holistic management means looking at the whole and finding a balanced, all-encompassing approach to our operation. Whether that be grazing, monitoring, financial/business planning, wildlife, collaborating with NRCS and other groups, continuing our education, or improving family and community relations.
