Our Team | John Ritten, Ph.D.
Contact: [email protected]
Director of Grazing Land Research and Engagement
Dr. John Ritten is an agricultural economist at CSU and a member of the AgNext team. He received a BS in Marketing from Arizona State University, an MBA from New Mexico State University, and a PhD in Natural Resource Economics from Colorado State University. His research interests include the intersection of agricultural production and natural resource management. Prior to joining AgNext, John served as the University of Wyoming’s state Agricultural Systems Extension specialist for 14 years.
Recent Publications:
- Schilling-Hazlett, A. K., Stackhouse-Lawson, K. R., Bryant, T. C., Place, S. E., Ritten, J. P., Vargas, J. J., Reis, I. A., Martins, E. C., Swenson, M. A., Burke, E. N., Campion, R. K., Velasquez, C., Shadbolt, A. M. & Carvalho, P. H. (2025). Evaluation of cattle Sub-species and growth-promoting technology on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and enteric gas flux of steers finished in winter feedlot conditions. Journal of Animal Science, skaf448.
- Derner, J. D., Augustine, D. J., Irisarri, J. G., Ritten, J. P., & Raynor, E. J. (2025). Does Initial Body Size Influence Weight Gain of Stocker Steers During the Growing Season in Semiarid Western Great Plains Rangeland?. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 103, 196-201.
- Gandolfo, I. M., Derner, J. D., Enns, R. M., Kuehn, L. A., Johnston, M. K., Kearney, S. P., Place, S., Raynor, E., Ritten, J., Shadbolt, A., Stackhouse-Lawson, K., Vargas, J., & Carvalho, P. H. (2025). Steer Growth Performance and Enteric Gas Flux Across Backgrounding Phases in the Western Great Plains. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 103, 247-257.
- Schilling-Hazlett, A. K., Stackhouse-Lawson, K. R., Bryant, T. C., Vargas, J. J., Place, S. E., Ritten, J. P., Martins, E. C., Souze, W. A., Swenson, M. A., Burke, E. N., Campion, R. K., Shadbolt, A. M., & Carvalho, P. H. (2025). Evaluation of cattle sub-species and growth-promoting technology on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and gas flux of steers finished in summer feedlot conditions. Journal of Animal Science, skaf322.
- Raynor, E. J., Shadbolt, A. M., Johnston, M. K., Augustine, D., Derner, J., Ritten, J. P., Delay, N., Carvalho, P., Vargas, J., Place, S., & Stackhouse-Lawson, K. R. (2025). Incorporating virtual fencing to manage yearling steers on extensive rangelands: spatial behavior, growth performance, and enteric methane emissions. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 12, 1637190.
- Windh, J., Meredith, G., Miller, M., Lee, K., Ritten, J., Thayer, A. W., Torell, G., Speigal, S., & Wulfhorst, J. D. (2025). Identifying a Path Forward: Evaluating Ranch Socio-Economic Sustainability and Impacts on Ranch Succession Planning. In Western Economics Forum (Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 18-27).
- Fancher, H., Nagler, A., Ritten, J., & Wulfhorst, J. D. (2025). Labor Changes in the US Beef Industry Magnify Challenges with Succession in Rangeland Systems. In Western Economics Forum (Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 56-68).
- Donovan, M., Spiegal, S., Kaplan, N., Archer, D., Bean, A., Beebout, S. E., Bestelmeyer, B. T., Clark, P., DeLong, A., Fortuna, A., Friedrichsen, C. N., Hoover, D. L., Huggins, D., Kleinman, P. J. A., McIntosh, M. M., Renschler, C. S., Ritten, J., Smith, D. R., Webb, N. P., & Wulfhorst, J. D. (2025). Selecting performance indicators for farms and ranches engaged in collaborative agroecosystem research. Journal of Environmental Quality.
- Kazanski, C. E., Balehegn, M., Jones, K., Bartlett, H., Calle, A., Garcia, E., Hawkins, H. J., Mayberry, D., McDonald-Madden, E., Odadi, W. O., Zionts, J., Clark, M., Garnett, T., Herrero, M., VanZanten, H., Ritten, J., Mallmann, G., Harrison, M. T., Bossio, D., & Gennet, S. (2025). Context is key to understand and improve livestock production systems. Global Food Security, 45, 100840.
- Salerno, J., Aguirre, A. A., Aguirre, L. F., Bonacic, C., Bosco-Lauth, A., Breck, S. W., Gitonga, P. N., Goldstein, T., Gonzalez, M. N., Hoag. D. L. K., Mayo, C., Mizia, J., Raynor, E. J., Ritten, J., Sherman, T. J., Shockley, K., Sukumar, R., Thekaekara, T., Titcomb, G., Wilson, S. M., Wolfe, B. A., Yovovich, V., & Crooks, K. R. (2025). Transdisciplinary research priorities for a One Health approach to human–wildlife coexistence. BioScience, biaf026.
- Herreid, J. S., Lee, B., Islam, M. A., Ritten, J., & Jabbour, R. (2025). Alfalfa harvest timing impacts on alfalfa weevil with agronomic and economic contexts. Crop Protection, 107134.
- Fancher, H., Nagler, A., Ritten, J., & Wulfhorst, J. D. (2025). US Beef Cattle Inventory Trends With Implications for Land Use and Rangelands. Rangeland Ecology & Management.
- Hoag, D. L., Reuter, R., Mooney, D. F., Vitale, J., Ritten, J., DeLay, N., Evangelista, P., & Vorster, A. (2025). The economic fundamentals of virtual fencing compared to traditional fencing. Rangelands, 47(1), 92-101.
- DeLay, N. D., Mooney, D. F., & Ritten, J. (2025). Climate and Consolidation in the US Beef Cow Sector. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 50(1), 97-118.
Derner, J., Ritten, J., Baldwin, T., Jorns, T., Mortenson, M., Augustine, D. (2024). Flexible Stocking: Livestock Production and Economic Responses in Mixed-Grass Prairie. Rangeland and Ecology Management.
Asay, J., Ritten, J., Lee, B. & Norton, J. (2024). Feasibility of Integrating Cover Crops into Irrigated Barley. Journal of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA).
Augustine, D. J., Ritten, J. P., Hoover, D. L., & Derner, J. D. (2024). Does Drought Intensify the Effects of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs on Livestock Production and Net Revenue in Semiarid Rangelands? Rangeland Ecology & Management.
- Augustine, D. J., Derner, J. D., Porensky, L. M., Hoover, D. L., Ritten, J. P., Kearney, S. P., Ma, L., Peck, D., Wilmer, H. & the CARM Stakeholder Group. (2024). The LTAR Grazing Land Common Experiment at the Central Plains Experimental Range: Collaborative adaptive rangeland management. Journal of Environmental Quality.
- Vargas, J. J., Menezes, T. C., Auvermann, B., Derner, J. D., Thoma, G., Hales, K., Johnson, K., Leytem, A., Place, S., Plaut, J.,& Stackhouse-Lawson, K. R. (2024). Net zero initiative in US beef and dairy systems: integrative on-farm recommendations for greenhouse gas reduction. Environmental Research Communications, 6(10), 101010.
- Nagler, A., Ritten, J., Mealor, B. A., Lee, B. P., Kniss, A., & Hart, M. T. (2024). Current and Potential Economic Impacts of 10 Invasive Weed Species in Wyoming–A Pilot Study of Agricultural Losses.
- Maher A. T., Quintana N. E., Tanaka J. A., Ritten, J., Maczko K. A. (2023). Financial barriers and opportunities for conservation adoption on U.S. rangelands: A region-wide, ranch-level economic assessment of NRCS-sponsored Greater Sage-grouse habitat conservation programs.
Hart M., Ritten, J., Mealor B. A. (2023). A ranching economic analysis of ventenata (Ventenata dubia) control in northeast Wyoming. Invasive Plant Science and Management.
- Raynor, E. J., Derner, J. D., Augustine, D. J., Jablonski, K. E., Porensky, L. M., Ritten, J., Hoover, D. & Elliott, J. (2022). Balancing ecosystem service outcomes at the ranch-scale in shortgrass steppe: The role of grazing management. Rangelands, 44(6), 391-397.
- Crow L., Porensky L. M., Augustine D. J., Ritten J., Bastian C. T., Paisley S. I. (2022). Evaluating Prairie Dog–Cattle Competition from the Perspective of a Ranching Enterprise in the Western Great Plains: Economic Analysis of Potential Effects on Long-Term Profitability. Rangeland Ecology & Management.