Pelster Angus Ranch: Conservation in the Sand Hills of Nebraska

For this mini-trip we're headed to the Sand Hills of Nebraska in the summer. Pelster Angus Ranch was started in the 1930s and is now owned and operated by Duane and Nancy Pelster. This operation is interesting because it demonstrates how managed grazing can work on the larger scale required in the midwest and west. Cattle are rotated through pastures through the grazing season, and the first pasture to be grazed one year gets grazed last the following year, giving it plenty of time to grow great forage. Duane received the Leopold Conservation Award in part because he focuses on managing with Nature. His careful use of water resources and moderate grazing sets him up for the best of times, and the droughts common in the west. Duane says that this is just the right thing to do for the land, and for his own bottom line. Enjoy this summer visit to Nebraska with Duane, Nancy, and their beautiful black angus cattle. Here's the link for the tablet readers out there.