G Bar C Ranch in Rosston, Texas, is this year’s 2023 National Environmental Stewardship Award Program winner, announced during the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association annual Spring Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. 

“For our operation, this is a lifetime achievement award, and this is a moment I will remember for the rest of my life,” said Meredith Ellis of G Bar C Ranch. “It took me going far away to college and coming home to realize just how special ranching is and how I want to be just like my greatest mentor, my father.”

G Bar C Ranch, located north of Dallas, continues to improve ranching practices in ways that nurture the environment while remaining economically sustainable. The Ellis see themselves as caretakers of the land, maintaining biodiversity, natural habitat, and clean waterways. More than 500 species of plants, animals, and insects have been found thriving on the ranch alongside cattle that are being grazed. 

“Stewardship means that I am a shepherd and must take care of all the living things that call this place home,” said Ellis. “No animal, plant or insect is too insignificant for consideration.”

G Bar C Ranch implements an adaptive multi-paddock strategy that rotates cattle through 58 permanently fenced pastures. Wheat Creek runs through the ranch and eventually feeds into the Trinity River, which is a water source responsible for half of Texans’ water needs. The Ellis family grazes in a manner that keeps the vegetative filters and sponges working effectively and prevents erosion, keeping water clear and pure.

The family also strives to keep carbon stored in the soil by minimizing disturbance. The ranch is a living laboratory and opens its gates to researchers from organizations, universities and other institutions. Some of the research has found that G Bar C Ranch is sequestering 2,500 tons of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to taking 551 cars off the road every year.

“It is because of cattle that our grazing lands are as abundant and full of life as they are,” said Ellis. “Whenever I share my story, I think of my son, and know that it’s not about me, but it’s about his future and what it is going to look like.”

Established in 1991, ESAP identifies outstanding land stewards in the cattle industry. Each year, regional award winners are recognized with one being honored as the national winner.

“Cattle producers across the country are committed to being good stewards of natural resources,” said NCBA President Mark Eisele. “G Bar C Ranch is an exceptional example of the dedication required to share the land with future generations.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has reported that transmission from cow-to-cow plays a role in the spread of avian flu within dairy herds. However, the exact mechanism of how the virus is being disseminated remains unknown.

Farmers and veterinarians have been eager to understand the transmission of the virus to enhance control measures. In the past month, avian flu has been detected in dairy herds across eight states, as well as in one dairy worker in Texas.

“Those of us that have worked with influenza for a long time were fairly quickly saying, ‘Yep it moves cow-to-cow,'” Jim Lowe, associate dean at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, told Reuters on Friday. “You can’t explain the epidemiology any other way.”

Wild migratory birds are suspected to be the original carriers of the virus. However, the USDA’s investigations have found instances where the virus spread was linked to cattle movements between herds. Additionally, evidence suggests the virus may have moved from dairy cattle premises to nearby poultry premises via an unknown pathway.

The USDA reports that cows excrete the virus in milk at high levels, indicating that unpasteurized milk could potentially transmit the disease. Respiratory transmission is not considered a primary means of virus transmission among cattle, according to the department, however, it does seem to impact older cows, though younger cattle have been reportedly affected as well. 

Despite the ongoing uncertainties about transmission routes, the USDA has chosen not to enforce quarantines limiting cattle movement around affected dairy farms, as it does for chickens and turkeys near infected poultry facilities. While infected cattle seem to recover, avian flu is typically fatal for poultry.

The USDA believes that reducing cattle movement, testing those slated for transport, and implementing stringent safety and cleaning measures on farms can avoid the necessity of imposing regulatory restrictions.

Current confirmed cases of HPAI in domestic livestock have been reported in Idaho, South Dakota, Kansas, New Mexico, Texas, Michigan, Ohio, and North Carolina. 

Canadian poultry and pork processor and distributor, Olymel LP announced on April 19 the closure of another one of its plants. 

This time, the plant slated for closure is the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu location in Quebec, which primarily focuses on poultry production with a few pork products. 

“This decision comes against a backdrop of falling production volumes, which has led the plant to operate at only 40 percent of its operational capacity,” wrote Olymel in a news release. “A reorganization of production within the Olymel family will enable operations to be redeployed to neighboring plants with residual capacity to handle these volumes.”

The closure will impact 135 employees, including 23 non-regulated employees and 30 employees with temporary foreign worker status with official closure set for July 19. 

Employees of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu are expected to be part of a relocation plan where people can move to other operations in Olymel, including Saint-Jean-Baptiste (Unidindon), Saint-Damase, Ange-Gardien, or the Boucherville distribution center. 

“This is a difficult decision for the employees affected, and one we regret having to make,” said Yanick Gervais President and CEO of Olymel. “We are aware of the value and expertise of our employees at the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu plant, and we are determined to keep as many of them as possible within the Olymel family. That’s why we’re going to put in place a solid relocation plan that will enable those who wish to do so to pursue their careers within our organization.”

“Despite all our accomplishments, we all owe our existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact it rains,” said Paul Harvey. And, he wasn’t wrong.  

Farmers have a distinct understanding of nature’s influence. Excessive or insufficient rainfall can devastate a harvest. Imbalances in soil nutrients can cause crops to fall or yield poorly. Factors like temperature, wind, rain, frost, and snow shape how farmers care for their crops and animals.

We hold nature in high regard, appreciating its fluctuations. We understand our reliance on the natural resources we are surrounded by. Therefore, Earth Day today serves not only as a reminder of our duty to the environment but also an acknowledgment of the daily efforts farmers make to show their reverence for Mother Nature.

Demonstrating commitment with on-farm data

The recognition of our dependence on that six-inches of top soil means we also recognize the value of data that helps farmers make informed decisions to care for people, pigs and the planet.

The National Pork Board, National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management, and the National Milk Producers Federation have offered data and resources on Earth Day. 

Pork Cares snapshot

Farm-level data from the recently released 2022 Pork Cares Snapshot Report highlights the continued progress of America’s pig farmers in terms of sustainability and stewardship on the farm. The data represents information from more than 300 Pork Cares Farm Impact Reports completed by U.S. pig farmers. 

As shared by National Pork Board Chief Sustainability Officer, Jamie Burr, one of the most significant results from the 2022 Pork Cares Snapshot Report is the industry’s emerging role as a carbon sink.  

With a net greenhouse gas emissions figure of -0.44 tons CO₂ equivalent per acre and 0.28 tons of carbon sequestered per acre, pork producers remove more carbon from the atmosphere than they produce.  Agriculture and forestry represent the only two industry sectors that can sequester carbon — another unique way our industry can offer partnerships to organizations with sustainability goals. 

“Like most farmers, we’re aiming for progress, not perfection. And like most farmers, we’re always working to learn more about how to continue on the path of progress,” says Bill Even, chief executive officer of the National Pork Board. “Our family’s farm represents the thousands of U.S. farmers who daily balance doing what’s best for their animals, crops, communities, and planet.”

Dairy celebrates progress with the Conservation Practice Questionnaire 

“Dairy farmers have long been early adopters of sustainable practices and good stewards of the land,” Nicole Ayache, NMPF’s chief sustainability officer, said. “The findings from our Conservation Practice Questionnaire underscore the U.S. dairy industry’s commitment to continuous improvement and finding new ways to be even more sustainable.”

The questionnaire, a voluntary addition to the FARM Environmental Stewardship Program, highlights some of U.S. dairy farmers’ conservation efforts, including practices and technologies that show effective water, energy and other resource stewardship. 

FARM ES launched the questionnaire in August 2022 after significant stakeholder feedback and on-farm piloting. More than 450 of them have been completed on dairy farms across 20 states since its launch, with respondents ranging in milking herd size from 17 cows to more than 15,000. The completed questionnaires offer a lens into the natural resource stewardship of the dairy farmers who participate. 

As of March 2024, questionnaires indicate that: 

• 79% of participating dairy farmers reuse or recycle water on their farm: 76% reuse plate cooler water to flush the barn, as drinking water, or for other uses, 14% capture rainwater for cleaning or other uses, and 29% reuse water for irrigation
• 90% of participating farms report implementing field conservation practices
• 68% of participating farmers use recycled manure, recycled sand, or byproducts as bedding for their cows
• More than 97% of participating dairy farmers use energy-saving technologies and practices

To further support dairy farmers efforts to implement conservation practices and technologies, the FARM Program launched a searchable database of technical and financial resources. Farmers and their technical advisers may use the new resource to identify support suitable to the farm’s conservation goals.

The database contains information from government, non-profit, extension, state planning tools, and many other relevant financial or technical assistance providers and resources. Financial resources include grants, cost-share, loan programs and other incentives available. The database’s first focus areas are resources for cover cropping, conservation tillage, energy efficiency, nutrient management, and pollinator habitat.