2000 Winners

Protecting, Conserving, Preserving The Land
Nation’s top stewards share common commitment.

Given the differences in cattle businesses across the United States – type of operation, climate, land base – it’s easy to think far-flung beef producers have little in common except the end product. But the heart many share for taking care of the land, being a good neighbor, and leaving things better than they found them is significant. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) calls that environmental stewardship, and believes it’s worth noting, both to the public and to encourage one another.

During its annual convention in February, the NCBA honored the Triple U Ranch of Correctionville, Iowa, with the 10^th Annual Environmental Stewardship Award. Sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, the award recognizes beef producers who use innovative practices to protect and enhance natural resources, all while maintaining or increasing the profitability of their business.

Here’s a look at this year’s national and regional winners:

Triple U Ranch – Correctionville, Iowa
Ritter Farm – Glasgow, Kentucky
The Gaddis Farms – Bolton, Mississippi
Morgan Cattle Company – Chickasha, Oklahoma
Hanson Livestock Inc. – Lusk, Wyoming
Johnson Ranch – Rush Valley, Utah
Cammack Ranch – Union Center, South Dakota

Triple U Ranch – Correctionville, Iowa

Soil conservation and maintaining water quality are priorities for national winners William Utesch and his sons Craig, Kirk and Brad. The family operates a 2,500-head capacity feedlot, 200-head cow herd and farms 2,000 acres of cropland amid the hills of western Iowa.

Through a system of terraces and ponds, Triple U Ranch contains all feedlot waste. Soil testing and GPS mapping helped them develop an eight-year cycle for pumping liquid manure on surrounding crop fields.

In the cow-calf operation, rotational grazing guards against overuse of hilly pastures. The family built nine ponds to catch sediment and provide stock water. Following silage harvest, they seed those acres with a winter cover crop of rye or oats to protect the soil and provide a spring calving area.

Some Triple U Ranch land lies idle to provide wildlife habitat. About 100 acres of forest is home to wild turkeys, deer and pheasant. The Triple U Ranch is this year’s Region III winner.

Ritter Farm – Glasgow, Kentucky

After leaving the farm for careers away from rural America, Region I winners Greg and Joan Ritter felt they were moving away from the values they held dear. To return to those values, the couple bought a neglected 240-acre farm at an estate sale in 1985. They became part-time farmers with a big challenge. On their rolling land next to Barren River Kentucky State Park Reservoir, water quality is an issue.

With guidance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, they implemented a plan to control erosion. They created grassed waterways, installed drainage tile and built structures to slow stream flow. In areas with dense underbrush but no ground cover, they cleared brush and established grass. They renovated pastures and established crop rotation.

To manage cattle waste, the Ritters recently built a facility with covered concrete where they store and feed hay, and also stockpile manure to use as fertilizer. They then can be apply the waste to pastures when there’s no danger of runoff. The Ritters also chain-harrow pasture ground to distribute manure, reduce runoff and protect water quality.

The Gaddis Farms – Bolton, Mississippi

The Gaddis Farms, the Region II winner, maintains grass and timber on the steepest slopes of the large west-central Mississippi operation, while raising crops on the gentler grades. The cattle enterprise includes 2,100 head of brood cows and about 5,000 winter stockers. Ted Kendall IV, farm manager and vice president of the operation, is a descendant of John Gaddis, who started the operation in the late 1800s.

To conserve soil and protect water quality, Gaddis Farms uses conservation tillage in planting ryegrass and row crops and uses grass filter strips near cultivated fields. Streamside buffers provide timber. They remove manure from concentrated feeding areas and apply it where crops can benefit.

Farm managers worked with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to develop a deer management plan and to monitor wild turkey populations. Habitat improvement is a criterion in managing timber production and CRP acres. Food plots feed deer and ducks. The operation now includes a hunting club and hunting leases.

Morgan Cattle Company – Chickasha, Oklahoma

Converting 1,000 acres of rolling, unproductive farmland to soil-stabilizing bermudagrass pasture is just one the conservation measures employed by Region IV winners Ralph and Evelyn Morgan.

The Morgans also built terraces and shaped and seeded grassed waterways. Their 24 ponds help prevent flooding, collect sediment and provide water for livestock. A lagoon system handles and distributes waste and runoff water from the feedlot.

Morgan annually turns 1,500 head of stocker calves through the operation. He also produces hay for his own use, plus about 500 round bales for sale each year.

Hanson Livestock Inc. – Lusk, Wyoming

Since the 1980s, Hanson Livestock Inc., the Region V winner, has reduced costs and improved productivity and profitability while enhancing the environment.

A combination cow-calf and yearling operation, the ranch run by Danny and Donna Hanson now buys hay instead of producing it. This has reduced the need for equipment and labor, and has freed more acres for grazing. With more and better acres to graze, plus rotational grazing, the ranch has gone from 50 acres per animal unit year of grazing to 24. Both cattle and wildlife numbers have increased.

The Hanson family is active in community development, leadership and education. They host outdoor classrooms and daylong ranch tours where local school children study soil, water, air, plants, animals, grazing, wildlife habitat and rangeland health.

Johnson Ranch – Rush Valley, Utah

In a high desert valley, the Johnson Ranch runs about 250 cows on 5,000 acres of deeded land and another 2,000 acres of federal and state lease. Region VI winner Darrell Johnson strives to restore the land to the pristine condition his ancestors found when homesteading here 140 years ago.

When Johnson started buying land from family in 1962, one tract suffered from heavy use and invasion of juniper. Johnson mechanically cleared the juniper, used prescribed burns to control sagebrush and juniper whips, and reseeded grasses. Carrying capacity on the 2,500 acres has increased from 50 animal unit months (AUMs) to 660.

The conversion from juniper to grassland improved water flow from the springs and seeps. The increased water flow created small, year-round streams and riparian areas.

Johnson manages deer by planting clover high in the mountains to lure them from cattle grazing areas. Along with deer, several species of birds inhabit the ranch. Recently, Johnson hosted the spring Audubon Society outing and two researchers studying hawks.

Cammack Ranch – Union Center, South Dakota

Gary and Amy Cammack cite energy conservation as a big part of their environmental stewardship goals. The region VII winners switched to an energy-free cattle-watering system and eliminated use of electricity to heat water. They can save $100 each month in electric bills because of pipelines and insulated water storage tanks.

The family has planted 15,000 trees on the 5,300-acre ranch, many in windbreaks, which enhance habitat and reduce energy and feed costs.

Rotational grazing has improved native forage quantity and quality, allowing a 25% increase in stocking rates. At the same time, weaning weights have increased from 500 lbs in 1985 to 722 lbs today.

In addition to 290 cow-calf pairs, wild turkeys, partridges, grouse, prairie chickens, Canada geese, deer and antelope call the Cammack Ranch home. The family also developed six natural springs and stocked them with trout.

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