In 2011, Todd Mortenson and his family were recognized with the Leopold Conservation Award for their sustainable ranching practices, including rotational grazing, riparian restoration and wildlife conservation. Todd is the 3rd generation of his family to on this South Dakota ranch and in this video tour he describes some of the practices that have made them successful.
“The things that we have done here have helped in the ranching operation. I don’t have to feed my cattle very much. I don’t have to buy a lot of inputs. Why? Because I’m taking care of the land and the land is providing those cattle what they need,” says Todd. He attributes many of the changes to the land to rotational grazing.
Todd has the same passion for his ranch that many of our readers have. He says, “I don’t want to live on a place I can’t be proud of. It’s my goal that when I hand it to my boys, it’s as good as I can do. It’s not about what I can do to make the most money, it’s about what I can do to sustain my livelihood here and have something to pass on to my children.”
