South Dakota Ranch Receives Regional Environmental Stewardship Award

 
NEW ORLEANS, LA – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced today that Jorgensen Land & Cattle Partnership in Ideal, South Dakota, was selected as one of seven regional winners of the 2022 Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP). The ranch was recognized during the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in New Orleans. 
 
“Farming and ranching families across the country continue to incorporate practices that protect and preserve land and water resources for future generations,” said NCBA President Don Schiefelbein. “These regional winners represent the cattle industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship.”
 
Established in 1991, ESAP celebrates outstanding land stewards in the cattle industry. The regional winners will compete for the national award, which will be presented during NCBA’s Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., April 24-27, 2023. The 2022 Environmental Stewardship Award Program Regional Winners are:
 
Region I: Lamb Farms, Inc., Oakfield, New York
Region II: Carter Cattle Company, LLC, Pintlala, Alabama
Region III: Huth Polled Herefords and S&H Livestock Enterprises, LLC, Oakfield, Wisconsin
Region IV: Parks Ranch, Goliad County, Texas
Region V: Mannix Brothers Ranch, Helmville, Montana
Region VI: Fulstone Ranches, Smith, Nevada
Region VII: Jorgensen Land & Cattle Partnership, Ideal, South Dakota
 
“The Jorgensen family depicts all aspects of the award ideals while working to improve their operation each year since 1909,” said Cindy Zenk, coordinator of the South Dakota Soil Health Coalition. “The love of cattle and the land, a passion that continues to be handed down through generations is vividly evident with the fourth generation now managing the operation.”
 
Soil and animal health are the primary drivers for practices implemented at Jorgensen Land & Cattle. Grazing rotations are developed based on the impacts to soil health, livestock feed demands, and the wildlife benefit created from good cover and plant diversity. Rotational grazing has increased grazing efficiency and improved the productivity of the grassland. The ranch practices diverse crop rotations, integrates livestock grazing on both grassland and cropland, and adds as few external inputs to the cropping or pasture systems as possible. In addition to the cattle operation, Jorgensen grows 12,000 non-irrigated acres of crops every year using no-till, which has helped improve soil structure and nutrient efficiency.
 
“We strive to learn from Mother Nature by studying the native prairies,” said Cody Jorgensen, chief livestock officer at Jorgensen Land & Cattle. “Based on what we learn, we develop cropping rotations that are intended to mimic the ecosystem we live in.”
 
ESAP is generously sponsored by companies and federal agencies who share the cattle industry’s commitment to caring for the environment and protecting natural resources. Sponsors including U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, Corteva Agriscience, McDonald’s, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partner with NCBA to promote environmental stewardship throughout the beef supply chain. For more information, visit www.environmentalstewardship.org.