Two ranches selected as conservation finalists
Two finalists have been selected for the 2024 New Mexico Leopold Conservation Award.
The award honors farmers, ranchers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.
The finalists are Hibner Ranch of Cebolla in Rio Arriba County and Lanford Livestock of Truth or Consequences in Sierra County. Before retiring as a soil scientist with a natural resources agency, Charles Hibner applied a variety of conservation practices at the 250-head cattle ranch he owns with his wife, Verna. Range renovations of bush hogging, discing and reseeding have increased forage availability.
These practices have also bolstered the soil’s organic matter and its ability to infiltrate water and sequester carbon.
Dick and Meagan Lanford rotationally graze beef cattle and raise pastured poultry to improve their soil’s health. They have installed bat boxes, stacked large brush piles for quail habitat and planted wildlife-friendly legumes in their farm fields. The Lanfords installed solar pumps to conserve electricity while providing drinking water for livestock and wildlife.
