The Talbott family has been raising sheep in California and Nevada since the early 1900s, when Raymond Talbott’s father Ramon Artadi first arrived in the Reno, Nevada area from Bilbao, Spain. Raymond was 12 years old when they came, and his father went to work herding sheep for the Talbott family. When his father returned to Spain a couple years later, Ramon remained in the U.S. with the Talbotts, eventually taking their last name. He grew up in the Reno, Nevada area working in the Talbott family sheep operation, and then went to work for the Tryon Wool Company in Stockton, California where he was their contact person for many wool growers in the region.

Back then, it was common for wool companies to finance sheep producers, and Ray was in charge of livestock head counts for the producers, which he reported back to Tryon. It was Tryon that started Raymond into his own sheep operation by offering him land in lieu of payment in the early 1920s near Los Banos, California. Ramon Talbott began his own sheep business which grew over the years in both acreage and sheep numbers, and passed it on to his son Raymond Jr. The Talbott family has managed through the ups and downs of tough economic times and continues their heritage sheep operation still today. 

Raymond Jr and Teresa Talbott had two daughters who were raised in the sheep business; but Andrée and her sister both followed in their mother’s footsteps becoming nurses. In 2014, after 28 years as a nurse, Andrée (Talbott) Soares, a 3rd generation California Rancher whose Basque heritage and custom of herding livestock began over 100 years ago in the Pyrenees Mountains, has returned to the ranch to manage the family sheep operation. 

Andrée’s father had a long-time foreman, Emilio Huarte Sr, who was an important part of Talbott Sheep Company for many years. He immigrated from the Basque Country of Spain in 1959 as a western range sheepherder (H-2A), and began working with Talbott Sheep Company. Emilio’s kids and Raymond and Teresa’s kids grew up together at the home ranch at Los Banos. Emilio’s son, also named Emilio, grew up around the sheep and worked in the livestock industry for a number of years, until coming back to work for Raymond permanently in 2004. He became the ranch foreman, just as his father had been.

Andrée’s daughter Bianca is the 4th generation in Talbott Sheep Company. She has a tremendous passion for livestock and has been around sheep all her life. She graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor’s Degree in Managerial Economics in 2018, and has spent much time immersed in the world of holistic grazing, learning about the benefits of sustainable and regenerative grazing through proper management. 

Today, Andrée, daughter Bianca and Emilio Jr work cooperatively to manage more than 120,000 acres, of which more than 95% are native natural ecosystems (forest or grasslands). They graze about 2,700 head of Rambouillet/Merino sheep on a combination of owned and leased lands. They are successfully adapting and continuing the traditions as well as building their business for the future. 

Talbott family members have been very visible spokespersons for the sheep industry for decades. They serve in key leadership positions and are working on some of the greatest natural resource and policy challenges of our time.