National Environmental Stewardship Award Winners

Thaler Land & Livestock

Thaler Land & Livestock Co., consisting of Dennis & Sandy Thaler, Brandy & Kevin Evans, is the 2006 Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) National winner. ESAP is sponsored by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Dow Agro Sciences and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services. The 16 th annual ESAP award honors cattle producers whose stewardship practices are inventive, cost effective and contribute to environmental conservation.

The Thaler’s won the Wyoming Stockgrower’s Environmental Stewardship award in 2005. They then submitted an application for the regional program. In 2006, they won the regional award which consisted of 5 other states. There were 7 regional winners that went on to compete for the national award.

Preparation for the national award included a 3 day video shoot at the ranch and media training at the national cattlemen’s convention.

In 1903, Joe Matje (Dennis’ Great Great Uncle) left Hungary and arrived in the U.S with $1 in his pocket. Eventually, he put down roots on a 320 acre homestead in Wyoming and turned that $1 into a 20,000 acre ranch and farm.

The Thaler’s constantly work to improve the environment that sustains their commercial cattle operation and small feedlot. They have spent 40 years working to wisely use every drop of irrigation water on the ranch. Using gated pipe, low pressure center pivot sprinklers, and flood irrigation practices. Their intensive grazed irrigated pastures allow them to stay off native range until the middle of Sept. This reduces overgrazing and provides more feed for their cattle herd during the winter months.

“Over the years, the Thaler family has been an ambassador of stewardship, reaching out to educate school children, community groups, government employees, producers, anyone who will listen,” notes the ESAP selection committee.

They took on a challenging long term project to eliminate leafy spurge on one of their meadows. They tried several techniques, but with the help of Goshen County Weed & Pest Supervisor we were able to eliminate the spurge in 2 years.

Another project was the reclamation of a 40 acre sand dune that is part of a lease from the state of Wyoming. It was moving about 35 feet a year onto adjoining pastureland. Today it is used as one of our pastures that we rotate through to graze.

With the help of the NRCS they designed and developed a feedlot ensuring all runoff is contained by a dike, and eventually used to fertilize a nearby meadow. A windbreak was planted to provide shelter for the cattle and serve as a buffer against soil leaching.

The Thalers define teamwork, creating alliances and working with more than a dozen different government agencies, community groups and organizations on major conservation efforts.

The Thaler’s goal is to make every acre on their ranch more productive. Their mottos on the ranch are “Never Say Never” and “There’s no end to what can be done when we all work together.”