Community Management

Community management involves stewardship practices that foster collective action to maintain and enhance common resources.

As active members of rural communities, ranchers and their partners safeguard rangeland ecosystem services, protect open space from development and maintain local agriculture-based economies, traditional local knowledge and cultural heritage. As stewards of the land, they are integral to sustainable grasslands.

Many ranchers also see the benefits of connecting with neighbours from surrounding communities. They place particular emphasis on increasing public participation through partnerships, educational tours and other outreach efforts.

Field Grove Ranch Buffalo, Wyoming

The Fieldgrove Family

Ryan and Teresa Fieldgrove’s ranch, located near Buffalo, is a cow/calf range operation consisting of over 10,000 acres of deeded and leased land. Ryan Fieldgrove’s family has ranched in the area for over 125 years with his children representing the fifth generation to be involved.
Funk Farms Trust

Shirley, Illinois

Located in Shirley, Illinois, Funk Farms has long prioritized environmental stewardship. As one of the oldest farms in Illinois, management has continually adhered to sustainable practices. The farm has implemented a number of beneficial practices including water management through 35 miles of waterways and soil erosion control through 25 miles of terraces.
Gentry Ranch Partners LLC

Barber County, Kansas

Gentry Ranch Partners LLC is located in the heart of the Great Plains within southwest Kansas. The ranch manages Angus- and Hereford-based cow/calf pairs on an area with a diverse native plant community, abundant wildlife, springs, and caves. Practices carried out through this 1,426-hectare project included firebreak establishment and prescribed burns.
Gould Ranches Ltd.

Consort, Alberta

The Gould Family has ranched south of Consort, Alberta, for nearly 100 years. The operation includes native range, reseeded forage and annually cropped acreage near the center of Special Area 4.
Grasslands: Towards a North American Conservation Strategy

Commission for Environmental Cooperation

This publication is intended to provide a framework for tri- and binational cooperation between Canada, the United States and Mexico that promotes the conservation and sustainable use of central North American grasslands.
Kidd Bro’s Ranch Mayerthorpe, Alberta

Bob and Larry Kidd

The Kidd Bros. ranch was originally homesteaded in 1913. Since then, the Kidd brothers have worked hard to engrain themselves not only in the land they work off, but also in the surrounding community.
Leavitt Lake Ranches

Vina, California

Located in the Vina Plains of California, Leavitt Lake Ranches uses an integral approach to manage their land and has implemented a number of management practices aimed at improving production and profitability.
Managing Saskatchewan Rangeland

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatchewan

This book was created over a number of years by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to assist range managers in the stewardship of rangeland resources in Saskatchewan.
Managing Your Native Prairie Parcels: Your Guide to Caring for Native Prairie in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan Wetland Conservation Corporation, Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan Wetland Conservation Corporation created this planning guide to help landowners learn about and manage native grasslands on their land, covering topics such as native grassland conservation and enhancement…
Matador Ranch

Matador, Texas

Matador Ranch, located in Matador, Texas is a large historic US ranching and hunting operation. Established in 1882, the ranch has a long history of improving the health and productivity of its livestock, wildlife, and renewable natural resources.
Rancho ‘El Uno’

Janos, Chihuahua

The El Uno Ecological Reserve, better known as Rancho El Uno, belongs to The Nature Conservancy NGO. The main purpose of the ranch is the conservation of grasslands and their biodiversity through the teaching and application of good stockbreeding management and grassland restoration practices.
Rancho La Jococa

Pánuco, Zacatecas

Rancho la Jococa, located in Pánuco, Zacatecas has demonstrated a sound commitment to using sustainable ranching practices. Because it is located in a semi-arid region of Mexico, it is vital for the ranch to maintain sufficient moisture levels on the property.