NCBA names regional Environmental Stewardship Award winners
Seven cattle operations from across the United States have been named regional winners of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s 2026 Environmental Stewardship Award Program.
The awards recognize cattle producers for conservation and stewardship practices tailored to their land, livestock and natural resources. The seven regional recipients will compete for the national award, which will be announced during CattleCon 2027 in Nashville, Tennessee, in February.
“These regional winners undertake stewardship efforts unique to their environment, landscape and resources and they share their learnings with fellow producers,” said NCBA President Gene Copenhaver. “Their dedication to conserving natural resources is ensuring a bright future for the next generation.”
The 2026 regional winners are:
Region I: LB Porteus Farms, Coshocton, Ohio
The Porteus family has farmed in east-central Ohio’s Muskingum River Valley since the 1880s. Today, the fifth and sixth generations manage the cattle and cropping operation with a focus on economic viability, resource conservation, nutrient management and water quality.
The family’s 900-head-capacity feeding facility incorporates robotic and artificial intelligence-supported feeding technology along with a manure storage system designed to increase nutrient value. The technologies help reduce labor, energy use and emissions.
The family also emphasizes agricultural education and transparency, opening the operation to opportunities to discuss its production and conservation practices with consumers and neighbors.
Region II: Donaldson Farms/D&D Meats, Celina, Tennessee
With agricultural roots dating to 1820, Donaldson Farms/D&D Meats operates a vertically integrated cattle business that includes cow-calf production, backgrounding and U.S. Department of Agriculture-inspected processing facilities.
The family has implemented nutrient management, prescribed grazing, cover crops and practices that limit livestock access to surface water. The efforts are aimed at restoring pasture productivity, protecting riparian areas and improving grazing efficiency while creating an operation that can support future generations.
Region III: Feikema Farms Inc., Luverne, Minnesota
Feikema Farms began as a small dairy and crop farm in 1950 before transitioning to a beef feedyard when brothers Bob and Chuck Feikema returned home following their military service.
Today, third-generation farmers Shawn and Mike manage the 4,000-head-capacity feedlot.
A devastating 2014 flood became a turning point for the operation, highlighting problems with runoff and erosion. The family subsequently installed basins and tiling to protect waterways and cropland, while also adopting manure composting and a large manure stacking pad.
The operation now focuses on crop productivity, animal husbandry and land-management practices intended to build soil fertility and reduce erosion.
Region IV: Bloody Buckets Cattle Company, Falfurrias, Texas
Bloody Buckets Cattle Company traces its history through eight generations of military service and centuries of land stewardship. The ranch’s name honors the family’s ties to the U.S. Army’s 28th Infantry Division.
After serving during World War II, James “Jim” Clement worked for King Ranch before establishing Los Hermanos Ranch in 1963.
Today, James Clement III and his family work with Dr. Alfonso Ortega Sr. and Dr. Poncho Ortega Jr. to manage 15,000 acres in South Texas brush country.
Their management emphasizes restoring degraded land, adaptive grazing and infrastructure improvements intended to support both cattle production and wildlife habitat.
Region V: V Box Land and Livestock, Juntura, Oregon
Mike and Linda Bentz combined four ranches to build V Box Land and Livestock, an operation encompassing nearly 28,000 private acres and 180,000 acres of public lands.
Following Mike’s death in 2015, Linda and the couple’s five children continued the cow-calf operation and its conservation work.
Under Linda’s leadership, more than 6,000 acres of western juniper have been removed, 16,000 acres of invasive annual grasses treated and 10,000 feet of riverbank restored. Nearly 4,000 willows and native shrubs have also been planted.
Those projects have targeted water quality, sage grouse habitat, wildfire risk and long-term forage productivity. The ranch has since been divided into separate operations for the next generation, with all five children and their families continuing to ranch.
Region VI: Munns Flying M Ranch, Snowville, Utah
Tim and Laurie Munns operate Munns Flying M Ranch in northern Utah’s high desert.
The cow-calf operation includes 22,000 deeded acres, 5,000 acres of leased private land and additional grazing permits managed in partnership with government and tribal entities.
Management efforts include improving livestock water systems to better distribute cattle, controlling noxious weeds and pests, managing brush to increase perennial grass forage and working with wildlife and land-management agencies.
Those practices have helped reduce winter feed costs, improve plant vigor and strengthen rangeland health while supporting wildlife habitat.
The Munns also share their experiences with other producers and work to educate consumers about cattle production and land stewardship.
Region VII: Stomprud Angus Ranch, Mud Butte, South Dakota
Established in 1909, Stomprud Angus Ranch is a multigenerational Angus cow-calf operation in western South Dakota.
Larry and Eileen Stomprud operate the ranch alongside their son Jay, daughter-in-law Jennifer and their grandchildren, bringing together the family’s third, fourth and fifth generations.
Their management approach centers on family, environmental stewardship and financial viability.
Rotational grazing gives grasses time to recover and develop stronger root systems, while a deep-well pipeline distributes clean water across the ranch and reduces pressure on creeks and riparian areas. Wildlife-friendly fencing allows antelope to move across the landscape, while a later calving season is used to reduce feed requirements and stress and support calf health.
Together, the practices are designed to conserve water, maintain wildlife habitat and keep the ranch’s prairie productive.
NCBA established the Environmental Stewardship Award Program in 1991 to recognize cattle producers for land stewardship. The program is sponsored by Corteva Agriscience and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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