Mike Callicrate is a farmer-rancher, business entrepreneur and family farm advocate. A native of Evergreen, Colorado, he began his career by earning a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Colorado State University in 1975. After college, he started farming and ranching at St. Francis, Kansas. In 2000, he formed Ranch Foods Direct, a branded beef company and retail and online food store located in Colorado Springs. His fabrication plant processes high quality meats, and his retail store sells those products along with many other seasonal and handcrafted items from the surrounding area.