LaSalle, Colorado

The Gilcrest Feedlot, a 60,000-head feedyard completed in 1970, is located on Weld County Road 31, a few miles west of LaSalle, Colorado. Gilcrest is located near Greeley, Colorado. Five Rivers Gilcrest Feedlot is a proud member of the LaSalle, Gilcrest and Weld County community.

On Sept. 16, 1869, the Denver Pacific Railroad started laying tracks from Denver to Cheyenne, Wyoming. The track was completed in May 1870 and the day the first train steamed its way through the area known today as LaSalle, a community was born. Today, agriculture, oil, gas and of course the Union Pacific, remain central to the community of 2,000 LaSalle citizens. The natural environment of Northern Colorado provides low humidity, cool summer nights, mild winters, clean air and water – ideal conditions for raising cattle.

Located on the Great Plains of Northern Colorado, Gilcrest was the second 100,000 head feedyard built and owned by the Monfort family of Greeley. In 1966, Monfort pioneered the practice of cooking, rolling and feeding grain warm to cattle. Today, most feedyards process their own corn flakes and other grains to enhance digestibility, palatability and the more efficient use of grain fed to cattle. Five Rivers feedyards produce more corn flakes annually for cattle consumption than the leading manufacturer of corn flakes for human consumption.

Gilcrest was built by Monfort of Colorado and has carried the names of ConAgra Cattle Feeding Company, MF Cattle Feeding Company and Five Rivers Ranch Cattle Feeding.