This week at the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA trade show in Houston, Texas, ranchers from across America were recognized for their environmental stewardship. One of the winners recognized from Region V, which includes Montana, was the Joe C. King and Sons Ranch in Winnett.
“Well, it's a great honor,” said Chris King. “It's also very humbling because no matter how well you think you're doing, you know that you could always do better. So it's inspiring in that sense to keep trying to do things better.”
He says for the last 50 years improving grazing management has been a fundamental key in the ranch’s sustainability efforts.
“My father started a rest-rotational grazing system 50 years ago, and we've continued to modify that and change it,” said King. “We try to attend workshops, soil health workshops, grazing workshops because there's always new information out there. You can always be doing better. So we continue to try to do better, and it's great to be honored or trying to do better.”
Under the ranch's rest-rotation grazing system, he says, vegetation and soils are allowed to recover and therefore providing habitat for wildlife.
“Research is showing that well-managed grazing is compatible,” said King. “In fact, maybe even conducive to good wildlife conditions. Everything we do for our cattle works as well for the wildlife.”
All of the regional winners will compete for the National Award, which will be presented during this year’s NCBA summer business meeting headed for Reno, Nevada, July 25-28, 2022. For more information you can visit www.environmentalstewardship.org.
