Trumler Ranch receives conservation award
The Trumler Ranch of Rockville has been selected as the recipient of the 2023 Nebraska Leopold Conservation Award.
Chris and Jenifer Trumler and their sons raise beef cattle and own the 930-acre Trumler Ranch in Buffalo, Howard, Hall, and Sherman counties.
Crop rotations, no-till practices, and cover crops are used on Trumler Ranch’s irrigated and dryland crop fields. Cover crops of rye and turnips are grown each fall to build the soil’s organic matter. This practice also reduces the need for commercial fertilizers and prevents nitrates from leaching into groundwater. Regular soil sampling of each field also prevents over-application of fertilizer.
In addition to many wildlife habitat improvement projects, Chris reduced his ranch’s water usage and eliminated runoff concerns by updating to a pivot and sub-surface drip irrigation system. He planted the corners of his pivot-irrigated field with pollinator-friendly vegetation. In addition to helping pollinators, the additional ground cover and prevalence of insects provides more quality bird habitat.
