Regional ESAP Winners
Environmental Stewardship Award Program honors seven U.S. cattle operations.
Seven diverse U.S. cattle operations were recognized July 29 as regional winners of the 2010 Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP), a program that has honored farm and ranching families for outstanding resource management since 1991. Winners were announced at a reception during the 2010 Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver, Colo., July 28-Aug. 1.
Winners are chosen from each of the seven regions of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA). Regional winners will compete for the national award, to be presented at the cattle industry's winter meeting in February 2011.
"To be successful in the long run, farms and ranches have to be sustainable, both environmentally and economically," said Dave Owens, a marketing executive for award sponsor Dow AgroSciences. "You see that tradition in these regional winners. It's not uncommon in the beef industry, but it is worth noting. So much of the hard work and personal investment is done by people who don't call attention to themselves."
The seven regional winners are:
Region I: Cleremont Farm, Loudoun County, Va.; Ann-Mari Lindgren Horkan, the late George Horkan Jr., Carl Lindgren, Tony Horkan and the late Lorna Talbot; nominated by the Virginia Cattlemen's Association and Thomas Massie Jr., president, Virginia Veterinarian Medical Association
Region II: Deseret Cattle & Citrus, Orange, Brevard and Osceola Counties, Fla.; Erik Jacobsen, general manager; nominated by the Florida Cattlemen's Association
Region III: Couser Cattle Co., Nevada, Iowa; Bill and Nancy Couser; nominated by the Iowa Cattlemen's Association
Region IV: JA Ranch, Bowie, Texas; J.K. "Rooter" Brite Jr. and family; nominated by Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and the Texas Section, Society for Range Management
Region V: Mesa De Maya Ranch, Branson, Colo.; John and Carolyn Doherty, Joe and Lisa Doherty; nominated by the Colorado Cattlemen's Association
Region VI: TN Ranching Co. and Tavaputs Ranch, Price, Utah; Butch and Jeanie Jensen, Tate Jensen, Jennie Jenson, Jim and Klenell Jensen; nominated by the Utah Cattlemen's Association
Region VII: Sproul Ranch, Sedan, Kan.; Bill and Peggy Sproul; nominated by the Kansas Livestock Association
The 2010 ESAP Award Selection Committee consists of past award winners, university faculty, federal and state government agencies and conservation/environmental organizations. Any group, organization or individual may nominate a U.S. producer for the award. Candidates are judged on management of water, wildlife, vegetation and soil, as well as the nominee's leadership and the sustainability of his/her business as a whole.
The award program is administered by the National Cattlemen's Foundation (NCF) and the NCBA, based in Denver, Colo. It is sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), NCF and NCBA. For more information visit www.environmentalstewardship.org.
[Click here to go to the top of the page.]