Vance Voldseth (second from left) rides the range at TG Ranch with his ranch hands.
Environmental Stewardship Award Recognizes Industry Leaders
The American cowboy has long evoked images of the lone man atop his trusty horse, braving the frontiers, looking for greener pastures. Our Western art, stories, and songs play into these nostalgic images, and though they have a place in our history, this is a new day. Our eyes and ears—and our planet—are ready for a different, more realistic kind of cowboy.
Every year the Montana Stockgrowers Association recognizes a Montana ranch that is looking forward and setting the example for what it means to be responsible to the land, animals, environment, and their human neighbors. Known as the Environmental Stewardship Award, this program not only highlights stewardship overall, but it invites interested individuals to come and learn from award recipients through the annual Raising the Steaks Environmental Stewardship Tour. During these multi-day tours, participants engage in insightful conversations and witness firsthand how Montana ranchers are committing to sustainability.
The heartbeat of a successful and sustainable ranch is only as strong as the community of committ ed and knowledgeable individuals who are invited to engage in the endeavor.
In July 2021, the Voldseth family hosted Raising the Steaks guests after being recognized as the 2020 recipient of the Environmental Stewardship Award. The Voldseths own and operate the TG Ranch in the tiny town of Lennup, approximately 70 miles north of Livingston. As a multigenerational operation, family is a strong tie that moves the Voldseths across the land, working hard and dreaming up ways they can improve the soil and grasses. Along with family, one of the Voldseths’ greatest assets is open-mindedness and a willingness to think outside the box and invite other voices into the conversation.
Last July, the Voldseths shared their experiences with pasture improvement, sagebrush control, grazing management, irrigation, low-stress cattle handling, logging, fire mitigation, and hunting management. Various professionals contributed to the conversation, sharing how they had worked with the Voldseths over the years. As the two-day tour progressed, the idea of the lone cowboy became a more distant figment of the imagination. It was evident that the heartbeat of a successful and sustainable ranch is only as strong as the community of committed and knowledgeable individuals who are invited to engage in the endeavor.
There’s a lot to consider in ranching these days: environmental changes, technology advancement, financial profi tability, sustainability practices, innovative movement inside agriculture. But we won’t ever advance or grow out of the need for community, conversation, or collaboration. The Voldseth family demonstrates this well.
- On June 28–29, as the 2021 Environmental Stewardship Award recipient, the Joe C. King & Sons Ranch in Lewistown will host the Raising the Steaks Tour. For further reading on the TG Ranch, the Joe C. King & Sons Ranch, and to learn more about the 2022 Raising the Steaks Environmental Stewardship Tour visit mtbeef.org.
