Joe Richards
Hereford, TX
Branch Manager
Joe Richards is the owner and manager of Diamond Cattle Feeders, a 20,000-head commercial feedyard located in Hereford, Texas — in the heart of cattle feeding country. With decades of hands-on experience in feeding, marketing, and risk management, Joe brings a producer’s perspective to every customer relationship.
At Diamond Cattle Feeders, Joe and his team are committed to exceptional cattle care and personalized service. In 2014, he expanded that commitment by offering comprehensive risk management services to cattle feeding customers, joining IFG as a broker and branch manager. During that time, Joe helped test and refine analytical tools designed to better measure and manage price risk — technology that later evolved into Watershed Ag Analytics.
Today, Joe serves as Manager of the Hereford office of Compass Ag Solutions. He works alongside feedyard clients and independent feeders to develop practical, disciplined risk management strategies utilizing CME Group products and Livestock Risk Protection (LRP). As an active cattle feeder himself, Joe understands firsthand the volatility and financial pressures producers face. He actively manages customer positions through Compass’s Navigator platform, reconciling cattle inventory with hedge positions to ensure clear, aligned market exposure
Joe earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University in 1994 and his Master of Agribusiness from Sam Houston State University in 1996. A native of Fairfield, Texas, he was raised on his family’s ranch and livestock auction in Buffalo, Texas, where long days and hard work shaped his deep understanding of the cattle business from the ground up.
Joe and his wife, Brandi, have two daughters, Madalyn and Lucy, both pursuing degrees in Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University. When not at the feedyard or working with customers, Joe and Brandi enjoy following their daughters to college and professional rodeos, where they compete in breakaway roping.
Trent Sharon
Caitlyn Ochsner
Jenny Evett
Ty Wilson