Date:
7/23/2002 3:02:00 PM
Title:
Montana Ranch Receives Regional Environmental Award
The Hibbard family, owners of Sieben Live Stock Company, were recognized for their exceptional environmental stewardship at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) annual summer conference.
Sieben Live Stock Company was established in 1907 by Henry Sieben and today is owned by his three great-grandsons making them the forth generation to operate the ranch. Located on the north slope of the Big Belt Mountains in north central Montana, the ranch is home to a thriving cattle and sheep operation.
“Cattlemen are the original stewards of the environment,” said NCBA President and Iowa producer Wythe Willey. “It has always been in producers’ best interest to be conservationists. We need to preserve the land for future generations. The Hibbard family is a perfect example of ranchers being conservationists while maintaining profitability in the cattle industry.”
Sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, the Environmental Stewardship Award Program recognizes cattle producers whose stewardship practices are inventive, cost-effective and contribute to environmental conservations. The recipients of this top U.S. beef industry award are selected by a committee of representatives from university faculty, federal and state government agencies, and conservation and environmental organizations.
Sieben Live Stock Company derives its income from cow/calf and sheep operations approximately 85 percent cattle and 15 percent sheep. Farming on a 10-year alfalfa/small grain rotation is done to provide winter feed. The Hibbard’s do a limited amount of guided big game hunts and allow significant public hunting.
The Hibbard’s play an active role in forest improvement and the reduction of fuels for wildfires by selectively harvesting timber as needed. There has been some oil and gas exploration on the ranch and negotiations are underway to install wind power turbines for income diversification.The ranch currently maintains a brood cowherd of approximately 1,900 head, 300 to 400 head of stocker cattle, 1,000 commercial ewes and a registered flock of 200 Targhees.
Rest rotation grazing has proven extremely beneficial for the Hibbard’s, allowing for improved plant vigor, filled bare ground with plants, encouraging native grass species to gain a foothold, preventing soil erosion and improving watershed. To reduce the impact of spring transitional pasture, the Hibbard's worked with NRCS to cross fence pastures into a deferred rotation system. One of the pastures is rested each spring.
Due to terrain and vegetative diversity, many species of wildlife are found and managed on the ranch. Elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer and antelope are all in abundance. Coyotes, bear, fox, badgers, mountain lion and numerous small mammals are found as well.
Sieben Live Stock has worked actively with many groups in it’s conservation efforts including: Natural Resources Conservation Service, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and others.