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Jeff Rogers
January 20th, 1964 - December 9th, 2024
January 20th, 1964 - December 9th, 2024
Jeff Rogers was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and carried the love of good food throughout his life (he could make simple rice exceptional with one secret ingredient)!
After high school, Jeff attended the University of New Orleans where he was on the tennis team and obtained a walk-on scholarship. He then transferred to the University of Denver and stayed in Colorado to work for the Olympic Training Center, biking and fly fishing. Once, to understand the fish, he swam the local stream with a wet suit and a snorkel. After that he could tell exactly where the fish were and what they were eating.
Jeff applied the same dedication to all his endeavors. Prior to Jeff's Aspen Hollow Sheep Company, he had a short stint in the U.S. Navy where he was a corpsman (but spent much of his Navy time as a great tennis partner). He was also a software engineer working with companies from startups to Sun Microsystems.
Jeff was an explorer. Traveling to a new place, he would know immediately where the local trails and good sandwich shops were, and probably knew the local barista by name as well.
In 2000 Jeff and Katya met in San Francisco. A few months later Travis the Border Collie joined them. In 2001, they left California for the Wasatch Mountains in Utah, and Travis got 6 sheep for his second birthday. What followed was Jeff diving into the world of working dogs, agriculture, pasture management and organic production. Two more border collies - Tipsy and Pickle, herding dog extraordinaire - joined the tribe.
With the same passion to learn and experiment he acquired the knowledge of animals, soil, seasons and growth. He tested the grass mixes, and built a year round grass fed program. With pride he took care of the flock (although he called himself a grass farmer), and he knew all his animals by name. In the Pacific Northwest, where he and Katya moved in 2005, Jeff developed the pasture and animal lines that were perfect for the local climate, and founded the first USDA certified organic lamb farm in the western US.
Initially Jeff would not rule out retirement from the hard work of farming, but once presented with the choice, he stayed with his passion for organic agriculture. Rob and Silt were his new team. On his last birthday, he was asked if he had ever planned to retire, and he said he would continue doing it as long as he could.
Jeff - the dogs are waiting for you to roam the fields and the mountains again. Rest in peace; You did what you loved in this life.
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Rich Kiesel.
Only A month ago I told my daughter this story about Jeff (mudbug) that follows. She was learning to fly fish in MT so I told her about mudbug me and the Eisenhower fly. Before I hung up with her I said “damn I need to get in touch with mudbug”. I wish I had. This is one of many fun memories and this was in the mid 90’s before we lived together in sausalito. I visited Aspen. He lived in a cool cabin (before that house in old Snowmass) in fact he showed me this office where the founder of Sun micro set up computers to check out this new thing called the internet. The next day he (& Reid) took me to a party in a field on private property on the Roaring fork river. Jeff came up and said I am going to teach you to flyfish. In fact I am going to attach a very rare and special fly for you since this is a special treat to have you here. It was owned by Dwight D Eisenhower. I told him not to because, “what if I lose it”. He said “how the hell could you lose it? …but….don’t lose it”. So the Keg was flowing in the distance and “The Samples” were the band that was playing on a makeshift stage and folks were dancing to a blue sky gorgeous day and we both had huge smiles on our face and said. “It doesn’t get any better than this”. Unitl I snagged the fly. & I lost it. For years he would say “I can’t believe you lost my Eisenhower fly” to which I would reply “I can’t believe you let me use it”. There are things in this world you can’t bring back but memories last forever and stories like that, that I tell and people laugh, means his legacy and ability to put a smile on faces will live on forever. I am sad I did not reach out a month ago to tell him that my daughter now tells her friends in Montana about the “Eisenhower fly”. Rest in peace my friend and when god gives you his favorite fly to fish with…don’t lend it out. ❤️ 😎 Rich Kiesel.
Ross Miller
I have tons of fond memories of Jeff. The ones that have truly stuck with me are the smells. The searing both smell of lamb testes I will never forget. On shearing day Jeff attempted to hold ewes one at a time by their front legs with their backs against his chest with one hand while the squeaked and squawked for their haircuts. I recall ‘Elroy’ the prized lamb who I believe was sat on by his mom at birth. Jeff casted him up and was so proud of his little hop along buddy. (c. 2014) Jeff had a hilarious way of describing the bottle lambs. He made it appear that he was frustrated, but anyone could tell he looked forward to nurturing the little guy. He was super proud of his camera install, as well. This was high tech farming. We could log in online and check on our sheep, how high the river was etc. Another ewe suffering from Mastitis became Dr. Jeff’s obsession. He must have laid ten different beds for her and carried her begrudgingly from one dry spot to the next. Jeff had a heart of gold. I remember him telling me that he had brought 155 lambs for slaughter that year and was thinking about buying a trailer and butchering them himself the next year. Jeff was not satisfied with others work. He wanted things done right. That meant doing them himself. He even appreciated me laughing at him while he man handled the ewes. I met Jeff on one of Isla and my ‘baby animal hunts’. We would drive around the valley looking for baby animals. Jeff was our best find. He invited us in to hold and pet the newly born lambs. I then brought up the fact that my two border collies needed exercise and he jumped on the idea of helping me train them. He was never shy of a good challenge, seeking them in every form. He is the best! I remember the good times often. What a mentor, farmer, and friend!
Richard Wieth
I was very sorry to hear of Jeff’s passing. I hadn’t seen him since college and when I saw his memorial photo I thought tgats the same great guy I remember (hasn’t changed a bit). He’s the first person I met from Louisiana and he wore his college nickname with pride. I’m very sad to hear of his early departure and disappointed we lost touch. Cheers to him and his kind mellow spirit.
Jeremy Tingle
Growing up, Uncle Jeff sparked my fascination with computers, technology, and animation. He always seemed to be ahead of his time, knowing the latest trends and even working on things before they became standard. I remember when he gave my siblings and me incredibly advanced computers for the time, saying they were for school. One year, he gifted us a Mac G4 Cube and told me it was an excellent computer for animation. He was right—it planted a seed that would grow into my passion. In high school, my friend and I made home videos, and I asked Uncle Jeff what the best video editing software was. Without hesitation, he said Adobe Premiere, even sending me a textbook on it. Years later, I earned a Master’s in Art & Technology with a specialization in 3D animation and created my own anime series, Secret Treasure. I’ll be dedicating the next episode in his honor because, without his guidance in technology and animation, I wouldn’t be on this path today. I also had the honor of house and dog-sitting for him and Aunt Katya in Utah. Their dogs—Travis, Sissy, and Pickle—were the sweetest companions. Uncle Jeff even showed me how he worked the sheep with them, demonstrating his incredible connection to both the land and the animals. Uncle Jeff was a true pioneer in both technology and agriculture, and his legacy will continue to inspire me. Rest in peace, Uncle Jeff. We miss you deeply, and I am eternally grateful to have had you as my uncle.
Carlos Javelera
I’ll always remember Jeff’s humor, putting others before himself, and his love of animals. I am struck by his courage and determination to chase his dreams. He was always kind and respectful to all. I feel blessed to have known Jeff. My condolences to Katja and all who were touched by Jeff.
Jeff Ziegler
Very Sad to hear the news of Jeff's passing. I only have fond memories of DU and all the other places we ran into each other. Great friend and brother. You will be missed my friend. Zig
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