Kevin Wiltse’s conservation journey began on a bus. He traveled with his father to Dakota Lakes in 1996 to learn about soil health. The day after returning home, they sold their tillage equipment and bought a no-till drill. But soil health success didn’t come overnight, nor was it achieved relying solely on not tilling the soil. Ever since that fateful trip, Kevin’s commitment to conservation has driven him to challenge conventional approaches and pursue untested methods of farming. The result has been a more profitable business, one less reliant on commercial inputs and subsidies, while balancing agricultural productivity with ecological integrity. One of the most transformative aspects of his strategy has been successfully transitioning more than 500 acres of conventional cropland to native perennial grasses and forbs, without cost-share assistance. By fostering deep-rooted plants, he improves soil structure, enhances water retention, and mitigates the impact of drought. Enhancing biodiversity while preventing erosion is why Kevin also began growing cover crops within his normal rotation of crops. The presence of continuous ground cover provided more options to graze beef cattle year-round. Beyond individual farming techniques, Kevin’s success lies in his mindset. He partners with nature rather than trying to control it. This philosophy drives experimentation with interseeding crops, biological amendments, and perennial cool-season planting. Each practice reinforces his farm’s ability to withstand unpredictable weather and market conditions. Kevin, and his wife Amanda and their three children farm with his mother. Wiltse Family Farms consists of native range and dryland cropland spread across three counties. Kevin made sweeping changes to the farm’s business model after attending the Ranching for Profit School in 2013 amid a three-year drought. He decided to rely less on cash crops and more on grazing cattle. The large, intact land base at Wiltse Family Farms has made grazing and moving livestock easier. The borders of farm fields, planted with diverse perennial vegetation, are fenced in to serve as travel lanes between pastures for cattle. These perennial borders attract beneficial pollinators and pheasants. About 30,000 feet of water lines were installed to distribute water to stock tanks. The only cash crops grown now are, milo, triticale and rye, all of which can double as forage for livestock and wildlife. Kevin credits rotationally grazing livestock on cover crops and diverse perennial pastures with accelerated restoration of the soil. His pastures have remained green during recent periods of drought. More grass on the ground attracts more wildlife and insects, which Kevin considers a good indicator of success. Kevin’s impact extends beyond his own farm with speaking engagements and mentoring other landowners. Leading experts in regenerative agriculture seek his insights. Yet, he admits that 30 years ago as a Kansas State graduate, he was more concerned with crop yields than soil health and bird habitat. “You need to be at your place and time to do this,” he said. Much like the bus tour he took years ago, he encourages others to visit farms and ranches that utilize conservation practices, and to then experiment on a few acres at home. Peers and visitors are consistently inspired by Kevin’s quiet and humble stewardship. His willingness to test and refine methods is pushing conservation agriculture forward, while establishing a model for future generations.

The Pearson Ranch’s story is one marked by resiliency. The resiliency it takes to grow crops and graze cattle in an arid environment, coupled with a ranch family’s resiliency to repeatedly rise above volatile markets and personal loss. Ralph and June Pearson, who began dairy farming and ranching in the 1940s, had four children. Hit hard by the post nuclear weapons testing era, the Pearsons and their sons Raul, Scott, and Shaun died from related illness between 1996 and 2016. Today the ranch is run by their daughter Jetta Robinson, her son Seth Davie, and Shaun’s wife Tammy. The conservation of water has long been the focal point of the Pearson Ranch’s strong commitment to land stewardship and agricultural innovation. It dates to when Ralph Pearson served as president of the Twin M Conservation District and the Minersville Irrigation Company. Under his leadership, a pipeline system replaced a series of open canals that fed irrigated fields in the 1970s. Ever since, the Pearsons have upgraded their irrigation systems with technology that reduces water usage while increasing yields on their 600 acres of alfalfa. Since 2007, Utah’s Grazing Improvement Program has provided assistance to livestock producers to enhance grazing systems on private and public lands. This helped the Pearsons replace aging windmills with efficient solar pumping systems, and upgrade old wells powered by gas generators with energy-efficient solar technology. Installing extensive water lines to distribute water across their 8,000 acres of pastures has improved grazing utilization and distribution of their 600 head of Hereford and Angus beef cattle. The herd is rotationally grazed to maintain healthy forage and to provide ideal habitat for prairie dogs and sage grouse. Other investments include multiple 30-foot ring tanks for water storage, both on their ranch and on 129,000 acres of public land used for grazing. All water troughs are equipped with rescue ramps for birds and small wildlife. Natural springs have been developed at Pearson Ranch to supply livestock and wildlife with drinking water. Springs and riparian areas damaged by wild horses and burros have been rehabilitated. Despite wild horses and burros being a politically polarizing issue, Tammy Pearson is credited with being a driving force behind reaching consensus on the Path Forward Coalition, a diverse group that included the Humane Society and Farm Bureau. “Simply put, Tammy is involved at every level – from her local county to the state and national stages, in all things public lands and agriculture,” said Redge B. Johnson, Director of Utah’s Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office. “When it comes to advocating for our lands and the agricultural community, she is the go-to person.” Watershed restoration is another arena where Tammy Pearson has excelled. Her local leadership in a stewardship project for the Beaver River watershed led to successfully treating thousands of acres of overgrown forests. This effort created a healthier and vibrant ecosystem for grazing livestock and wildlife habitats, while significantly decreasing the risk of wildfires. State officials often bring visiting dignitaries to the Beaver River watershed to demonstrate how active management is critical to forest health. Efforts to replicate this work across Utah are benefiting the ranchers and wildlife that rely on rejuvenated public lands. The land ethic of the resilient Pearson family is expressed through the conservation practices they employ on their ranch, and through advocacy and outreach that provides for ranchers across the West.

Bruce Thomas is as passionate about conservation as he is about Hereford beef cattle, and that’s saying a lot. Bruce grew up showing and fitting world-class Hereford cattle on the ranch his parents Richard and Shirley Thomas established in 1957. His career as a sawmill’s environmental manager proved to be influential. Interacting with governmental agencies and becoming well-versed with environmental regulations led him to see how doing things differently could make the ranch environmentally and economically resilient. “I wanted to demonstrate to both the agricultural and environmental communities that a win-win solution could be achieved,” Bruce said. Bruce and his wife Tammy prioritized conservation practices that could improve biodiversity and water quality, leading to healthier cattle, fish, and wildlife. Their vision was set into motion in the early 2000s by enrolling land into an Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contract and collaborating with several public agencies and private non-profits. Gold Creek is a Clark Fork River tributary that runs through the ranch. Like other ranchers, ancestors built their first corrals next to the creek to easily water their cattle. Overgrazed riparian areas led to soil compaction and degradation, and creek contamination. Loss of riparian vegetation led to warmer water, impacting native fish populations and reducing wildlife habitat. With EQIP’s financial and technical assistance new cattle pens were designed to direct runoff into filtration areas on the ranch’s uplands. Grazing was ceased along the creek’s riparian area for five years to allow native vegetation to recover. As a result, the creek was cleaner thanks to a reduction in runoff of manure nitrates. The herd’s daily weight gain also improved from a new watering system. Converting from flood irrigation to pivot irrigation also benefitted Gold Creek by diverting 50 percent less water. Other environmental benefits like enhanced in-stream flow, cooler water temperatures, and drought mitigation are being studied at Thomas Herefords by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and other local and state organizations and agencies. Located in western Montana’s Flint Creek Mountain Range, the ranch sits at 4,250 feet, with summer pastures up to 6,500 feet in elevation. Replacing woven and barbed wire with three-wire electric high-tension fencing is wildlife-friendly while proving a more secure fence for cattle. Rotational grazing has improved the quality and quantity of grasses. Likewise, investment in rangeland water development has helped triple the carrying capacity of the ranch’s pastures. The Thomases prioritize soil health principles by utilizing annual soil analysis, reducing chemical fertilizer use, and managing for drought by building organic matter to improve moisture retention. While the Thomases are best known as a renowned international seedstock producer of red and white Hereford cattle, their holistic approach to ranching is just as noteworthy. Bruce’s mother Shirley recalls a time when she would go to a hilltop overlooking the ranch and privately wonder how she was going to pay the next month’s bills. Bruce says embracing his conservation ethic is why those fears no longer exist. As for the future, Bruce and Tammy are proud their children, Kurt, Amber, Heather, and their families, are involved in the ranch and own cattle. Along with the kids, the ranch’s succession plan includes a continuation of the conservation ideals that have brought them this far.

Jimmy Gray is a dairy farmer and avid outdoorsman. Whether at work or play, his conservation ethic knows no bounds, which he credits to his late father Reid. “We heard Dad say many times, ‘If we cannot keep this crop ground from washing away, I’m going to sew it all in grass,’” Jimmy recalls. “If there was a way to take better care of the land, Dad was willing to try.” Jimmy succeeded his father as a supervisor on the Iredell Soil and Water Conservation District. Over 34 years of service, both discovered practices that made environmental and economic sense for their farm. Today, Jimmy and his brother Andy continue their father’s legacy at Grayhouse Farms, conserving soil and water, improving milk quality, ensuring herd health and comfort for 1,200 cows, while going the extra mile for wildlife. Grayhouse Farms is home to four conservation easements. They include two stream mitigation sites, 110 acres of cropland, and a timber track of 129 acres along the South Yadkin River. Reid diversified the farm’s bottom line by investing in 500 acres of forestland. Despite some skeptics, controlled burns have produced profitable timber stands of loblolly pine. Their bark tolerates fire while killing or damaging other types of trees that compete for nutrients, sunlight, and water. Fire turns leaf litter into fertilizer for the pines, and triggers lush vegetation on the forest floor for wildlife to eat. Owning forestland coupled well with Jimmy’s lifelong interest in wildlife and duck hunting. He was one of the first in the area to create waterfowl impounds and conduct other restorations of stream, riparian, and wetland areas to enhance water quality and wildlife habitat. Jimmy strongly believes in providing others with access to farms and forests. For 23 years, he and his wife Amanda have hosted Youth Day during which speakers and activities introduce 50-180 kids to fishing, canoeing, archery, and how farming can help steward natural resources. Grayhouse Farms’ cropland is no-tilled to prevent erosion and to save the time and fuel used for conventional tillage. Cover crops of wheat, barley, winter peas, crimson clover, and tillage radish are grown to aerate and fertilize the soil. After much research the Grays relocated their dairy in 2018. The herd rests on sand bedding in freestall barns. Increased cow comfort has led to higher milk production per cow and improved milk quality. Sand and water are recycled thanks to a sand separator and a four-lagoon waste system. A flush system uses recycled water to clean the barns before moving to a sand-settling basin where sand is reclaimed for repeated use. Each time water is moved to the next lagoon, solids are encouraged to stay behind. A dragline system moves the solids to distant fields to be utilizes as fertilizer, which adds more biodiversity to the soil. Heifers are kept on 300 acres split into eight pastures, each with a roadside feed bunk for supplemental feeding and well water piped to water tanks. Fencing the cattle away from streams has improved water quality, and the herd now has fewer health problems and better growth rates from drinking well water. Grayhouse Farms is a mix of modern agricultural and timber innovations, coupled with the Gray family’s old-school commitment to their local community’s people and landscape.

Father and son, Ray and Cole Viramontes, admit they stumbled upon the importance of soil health. Verticillium wilt, a disease prevalent in chile pepper fields across southern New Mexico, was reducing their yields by 20 to 25 percent. Crop loss coupled with constantly rising input costs meant Viramontes Farms would need to stop growing green and red chiles. Desperate for a solution, they began hosting research trials with New Mexico State University that examined their soil’s biology. While experimenting with bacteria and fungi products, they were introduced to applying brewed compost teas enriched by worms and molasses. This holistic approach to feeding their soil’s biology cut crop losses by half the first year. Verticillium wilt now impacts just 1 to 2 percent of their chile peppers. Ray and Cole gained an appreciation for how what happens beneath the ground impacts everything above it. They also began employing a more holistic approach to growing other crops of onions, wheat, cotton, pecans, alfalfa, milo, and pumpkins. After the Viramonteses replaced acidic fertilizers with biological applications, they found their crops required fewer insecticides and fungicides. These changes, coupled with a regular crop rotation between 5- to 10-acre fields, have reduced their environmental impacts while improving their bottom line. Cover crops grown between cash crops are beneficial to the soil’s biodiversity while their shade moderates the soil’s temperature. Cover crops also help suppress aphids and reduce wind and water erosion amid the 22 acres of pecan orchards at Viramontes Farms. In a region that receives just 12 inches of rain annually, irrigation is mandatory to grow crops. Viramontes Farms has been at the forefront of efficient drip irrigation technology since the 1990s. Ray, who began farming on rented land in 1983, sought to diversify his farm’s income by getting into the chile pepper business. After convincing a contractor and cannery to buy his product, he began by growing less cotton and more green and red peppers. Ray’s wife Courtney manages their Homegrown Market, which sells chiles and other locally grown produce and meats. Cole says farmers practice growing crops much like surgeons practice medicine. He researched which of his crops could benefit from micro-nutrients. This prevents overapplying essential nutrients like phosphates and nitrogen. Excessive amounts are both costly and cause water pollution. “I’ve got big shoes to fill,” said Cole, who began farming with his father in 2010. “I want to leave it in a better place.” Cole follows in his father’s footsteps by helping his community and industry through serving on the New Mexico Chile Commission, and the Farm Service Agency’s State Technical Committee. Cole’s wife Jamie serves on the board of the New Mexico State Farm & Livestock Bureau. The couple advocates for mental health awareness in rural areas through the Here to Help NM campaign. Cole freely shares his agricultural conservation successes and missteps with others. He agreed to speak at New Mexico’s first-ever soil health conference in 2024. “I called him, and he agreed, though he said it would be his first such presentation to ever give,” said Katie Crayton of the New Mexico Department of Agriculture’s Healthy Soil Program. “You’d never guess Cole was a newbie at the podium.” Among the positive comments from conference attendees: “The chile farmer was by far the best presentation.” It’s proof that Cole’s soil health journey has firmly taken root.

Aldo Leopold wrote that the oldest task in human history was to live on a piece of land without spoiling it. Throughout their ranching career, Brian and Vicki Maddock have demonstrated this ethic by choosing to restore rather than abandon or exploit in the face of adversity. The Maddock family’s 4,000-acre ranch is in the heart of the Drift Prairie physiographic region of northeastern North Dakota. It’s one of North America’s most important rangelands and depressional prairie pothole wetlands. Brian and Vicki first farmed and ranched with his parents Miles and Dorothea, on the original Maddock homestead. In the early 80s, Brian and Vicki moved their family to their current farmstead and began farming and raising cattle on their own. A significant portion of their ranching operation was adjacent to Devils Lake and was covered by water when the lake rose in the early 90s. Forced to abandon a significant portion of the land, they pivoted to holistic grazing practices on the remaining grassland. With assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, they installed cross-fencing and water developments to begin rotationally grazing cattle in more than 20 paddocks. Raising more cattle per acre with better management helped them save their business by increasing productivity and sustainability. Conservation practices also safeguarded the ranch against future droughts in the region. Over time, Brian refined his approach by adopting intensively managed grazing systems that prioritize soil health, forage diversity, and long-term ecological stability. This adaptive mindset reflects Aldo Leopold’s view that resilience is born from a deep understanding of natural systems and a willingness to work in harmony with them. In the early 90s, Brian seeded all of the erodible cropland back to grass, but he noticed hilltops remained barren. Recognizing the need to rebuild soil fertility, he started feeding large round bales to cattle on hilltops to add nutrients to the soil. Within a year, vibrant rings of green grass began to emerge. He quickly embraced bale grazing as an important tool to rebuild soils and restore balance to the ecosystem. “The Maddocks have been conservationists when conservation was not cool,” said Kevin Sedivec, a range specialist for North Dakota State University Extension. “They knew implementing grazing systems would increase their bottom line while creating habitat for wildlife. They knew farming marginal lands was not good for the soil and would rarely be profitable,” he added. “They take what they learn – both good and bad – and tell their story to help others succeed.” Brian and Vicki have instilled conservation values in their six children and 21 grandchildren, creating a multi-generational ripple of influence in the agricultural community. All their children work in the cattle and beef business, including three sons who ranch with their parents. Together, the Maddocks have planted 10,000 feet of trees, seeded over 900 acres of grass, installed more than 100,000 feet of fencing to create more than 100 grazing paddocks. By installing miles of fencing along rivers and coulees, they have protected fragile riparian areas, prevented livestock from eroding streambanks and reduced sedimentation in waterways. By growing full season cover crops they have enriched habitat and provided valuable food sources for wildlife, while improving soil health and reducing erosion. Expanding water infrastructure with 14 miles of pipeline and 40 water tanks ensures sustainable water distribution for livestock and wildlife while minimizing environmental impact. By embracing regenerative agriculture, the Maddocks have sustained their livelihood and safeguarded the critical landscape they call home. Their stewardship of soil, water, plants, and animals demonstrates that conservation is a way of life, not just a practice.

Every decision Norah Lake makes at Sweetland Farm is done with careful consideration of how it impacts the productivity of her business and the landscape. That’s why she calls it a “thinking farm.” Norah is on a mission to sustainably feed her community by choosing the conservation practices that make the most sense across 210 acres of orchards, forests, pastures, vegetable and hay fields. Norah’s strong land ethic was instilled in her by working alongside her nature-loving parents. As an environmental studies and sustainability student at Dartmouth College she helped start a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program for the school farm. She gained five years of experience in farm management before purchasing the core acreage of Sweetland Farm from the Vermont Land Trust with husband Chris in 2012. Norah spent the next decade converting portions of the farm and conserving additional field and forest: transitioning steep hills to fruit orchards, expanding riparian buffers, restoring wetlands, strategically establishing wildlife corridors, restoring soil organic matter to a reclaimed gravel pit, and cleaning up an old farm dump. It’s Norah’s mix of big-picture thinking and attention to detail that has nearly allowed her to cross what once seemed like an impossible item off the farm’s to-do list; more than 99 percent of the perennial invasive species have been eradicated from the forest. What was once an overgrown thicket of invasive species was replaced with more than 10,000 Elm, Chestnut, Ash, and Hemlock trees. Her soil health plan involves extensive use of cover cropping, and rotating livestock across pastures and vegetable fields. To protect water quality and prevent erosion, she eliminated livestock crossings of streams. Extensive wildlife corridors were considered in the thoughtful layout of all pasture fencing and vegetable fields, the largest of which is just three acres. Despite the presence of streams, ponds were built to supply water for Sweetland Farm’s drip and micro-sprinkler irrigation systems. This protects native fish by eliminating the need to draw water from natural streams during times of low flow. In addition to nesting boxes for bats, songbirds, raptors, and ducks, more than eight acres of mast producing trees and shrubs have been planted for wildlife along the farm’s river banks and throughout the forest. Sweetland Farm also protects areas where threatened wood turtles and orchids have been identified. Norah pledged to reduce the farm’s fossil carbon emissions by 90 percent over a decade. Now in the seventh year of this mission, she has realized a 73 percent drop in emissions. In addition to multiple roof-top solar arrays, five greenhouses now run on biomass-based heat, old refrigeration equipment was replaced with super-efficient models, and irrigation pumps and delivery vehicles run on electricity rather than gas. Sweetland Farm is known for its bountiful farm store and 350-member vegetable and fruit CSA. The diversity of the farm enables Norah to work with the patchworked New England landscape to utilize fields, forests, streams, and hillsides to their best potential. She has worked with local land trusts to place and uphold conservation easements on her land that will permanently protect its resources and ensure affordability to farmers in perpetuity. Sweetland Farm is a conservation ethic at work. Its owner’s thoughtful approach to farming is a refreshing look at how to work with a landscape rather than against it.