Ranch training & mentorship
At Warrior Rizen Ranch, the land becomes a classroom and meaningful work creates opportunities for connection.
The ranch service program
Giving back and uniting families and community is the mission and purpose of Warrior Rizen. The greatest joy in life is being surrounded by those you love.
Uniting the community for service projects and finding ways to give back.
The ranch organizes community service initiatives, allowing veterans and their families to give back and stay engaged.
Many in the community have given so much of their time and talents to various projects. Thank you so much!
Through hands-on farming, ranching, animal care, and service, veterans, law enforcement personnel, their families, and volunteers can experience the satisfaction of learning new skills, overcoming challenges, and working together toward a common purpose.
From caring for livestock and growing food to maintaining ranch facilities and helping with daily operations, every experience offers an opportunity to build confidence, develop practical skills, and discover the value of service.
Real Work. Real Skills. Real Connections.
What you'll do
01
Warrior Rizen is a working ranch year-round, raising beef cattle and growing the feed that goes with them.
Families receive an orientation and assignments of farm chores, including feeding horses and other livestock, harvesting produce, and gathering eggs from the chickens.
The ranch operates whether or not guests are visiting, so the work guests join is the real daily work of the ranch.
02
Guests pick the produce they will eat that day and learn where their food really comes from.
Meals are farm-to-table, prepared by a professional chef using ingredients grown on the ranch or obtained locally, with accommodations for special dietary requests.
Guests are shown everything from the greenhouse and outside garden to the fields. As John Schlichte puts it, "We help them to see that the steak they are eating wasn't born at [a grocery store]."
03
Real ranch work: calving season, moving cows on the mountain, welding, cutting and baling hay, and fixing equipment.
Volunteers working on the ranch have helped with calving season, moving cows on the mountain, welding, cutting and baling hay, building ponds, fixing broken excavation equipment, fixing irrigation, preg checking cows and moving hay.
[Needs administrator approval: confirm which of these skills are offered to visiting families versus long-term volunteers, and whether fencing and general facility maintenance should be listed.]
04
Working alongside the Schlichte family, people learn to solve the problems a ranch puts in front of them every day.
John Schlichte teaches a simple approach for unfamiliar situations, which he calls "IDS it": Identify the real root of the problem; Discuss the problem openly without blame; then determine the action needed to Solve it.
"Solving the problems you find every day on the ranch brings great satisfaction," he says. "We tell them often to be comfortable being uncomfortable, and working on a ranch is always uncomfortable."
This is informal, hands-on mentorship. It is not a certification, apprenticeship or employment program.
05
Whole families come to slow down, work side by side, and reconnect.
The ranch welcomes military and law enforcement families to stay, working together on chores, sharing farm-to-table meals, riding the mountain trails and joining service projects, in an environment that recognizes the sacrifices these families have made.
Dedicated weeks are reserved for Gold Star families and White Star families.
06
Volunteers, including service missionaries, work on the ranch throughout the year and build confidence and resilience through farm work.
Volunteers contribute to real ranch operations while learning from the Schlichte family and ranch personnel. John Schlichte believes volunteers benefit as much from the lessons learned as the families attending.
[Needs administrator approval: volunteer schedule, minimum age, time commitment and any training or safety requirements.]
07
Photos, videos and first-person stories shared by families and volunteers.
Approved stories, testimonials and contributor photos appear on this page once the foundation has reviewed them and the people involved have given permission.
Ranch safety
Safety is a top priority on the ranch. Every task begins with a plan, hazards are named before work starts, and no one new to a task works alone. Every volunteer and visitor takes part in a ranch safety orientation before any ranch work begins.
Learn about safety training →On the ranch
Utah ranch helps veteran families recover and reconnect
KSL News Utah
Stories of growth
“Warrior Rizen reminded us that there can still be beauty, joy and happiness in the midst of devastation. What some don’t realize is that we lose our hero day after day, it’s a constant loss. Warrior Rizen is a non-profit organization that embraces and supports our Veterans and Go…”
“We are so blessed to have been able to be at your paradise for a week. It was so amazing for all of us and it is just what we needed. Thank you for what you do for so many! We will be back soon!”
“War is hell. It can do a lot of things to many different people... fortunately, we can be set at ease through our struggles while we are here. It’s a place we can still come together and continue to talk about our son Miles.”
“Everyone who volunteers is fantastic. I have a whole new group of friends I met here. There is a lot of talent and there’s always someone here to learn from. I’m able to take home what I learn here and add it to my own personal life.”
Who you'll work alongside
Co-founder & ranch operator
John served in the military special forces in the 1980s. He mentors the volunteers and service missionaries who work on the ranch throughout the year, teaching his "IDS it" approach to problem solving.
Also part of a ranch stay
We have a professional Chef who cooks personally grown or locally obtained food. Menus can be altered for special requests or accommodations.
Whether you’re in the arena or riding through the mountains, you can’t get the true wild west experience unless it’s from the top of a horse. Our horses are trained for every type of rider.
We will show our guests everything from the greenhouse, outside garden, to the fruit trees growing on the side of the mountain.
We have all kinds of farm animals here at Warrior Rizen! Part of getting the true dude ranch experience is learning to value where our food comes from and the hard work it takes to produce.
We provide the tools and experience to discover your forefathers and those who have passed on a legacy for you to follow.
The property and surroundings offer several recreational activities: tubing, fishing, hiking, archery, and much more.
Giving back and uniting families and community is the mission and purpose of Warrior Rizen. The greatest joy in life is being surrounded by those you love.
Military and law enforcement families, including Gold Star and White Star families, along with the volunteers who help run the ranch.
Source: www.utahfarmbureau.org
As reported in March 2026, the ranch welcomes families to stay free of charge from Monday through Saturday during the summer months.
Source: www.utahfarmbureau.org
Families receive an orientation and assigned farm chores such as feeding horses and livestock, harvesting produce and gathering eggs, plus farm-to-table meals, trail rides and service projects.
Source: www.utahfarmbureau.org
Inquire
Tell us a little about yourself or your family. Our team will follow up with details. Your information is private and only seen by foundation staff.
Eligibility, dates and selection details are being confirmed by the foundation. Submitting an inquiry does not guarantee a stay.
Gifts support families' stays and the day-to-day work of the ranch.