Colorado Ranch is Transforming the Concept of Environmental Ranching
"From getting the folks at Audubon to certify the ranch as bird-friendly, to selling carbon sequestration credits for the tall grass, the May Ranch near Lamar is modernizing stewardship." -Michael Booth (The Colorado Sun)
Booth, M. (2021, December 5). A Colorado family tried to save their cattle ranch by betting big on rare birds. It’s paying off. The Colorado Sun. Retrieved From https://coloradosun.com/2021/12/05/audubon-certified-beef-colorado-ranch-sustainability-climate-change/
A ranch in rural southeastern Colorado is making significant strides and setting the standard for the concept of conservation-based ranching. The May Ranch which lies due north of the town of Lamar in the Arkansas River Valley has dedicated their 15,000-acre property to conservation, creating a unique habitat for birds, endangered animals, and prairie grasses. Along with conservation, they raise nearly 800 Limousin Cattle that spend their entire lives on the ranch. These cattle are raised in a humane way, feasting on natural prairie grasses and never being sent to a feedlot prior to their death. The ranch has become a sanctuary for birds including the endangered black rail. Birders and environmental researchers come to the ranch from far and wide to spot the elusive bird and study the idea of sustainable, conservation-based ranching. This concept has garnered a lot of attention from conservation groups such as the Audubon Society and has even earned them a valuable conservation easement leading to additional funding sources. This concept is setting the standard for the future of ranching and how to remain sustainable and viable in a world of progressive climate change.