Troy Lotspeich’s great-grandfather bought the family’s current ranch in 1903. Today, the 10,000-acre property is home to 600 cattle that are moved through 25 grazing paddocks, giving native grasslands time to recover while supporting a diverse population of wildlife. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) has now named the Lotspeich family its 2026 Landowner Conservationist of the Year.
A ranch in northwestern Oklahoma has remained in one family for more than a century, but its latest distinction comes from how the land is being managed.
The family follows a rotational grazing system in which its 600 cattle are moved through 25 paddocks across the 10,000-acre ranch during the growing season. The region receives an average of only around 22 inches of precipitation annually, making it essential to conserve moisture and allow native vegetation to recover between grazing periods. To make the system work across the property, the family has installed approximately 35 miles of water lines connected to 20 stock tanks.
The system follows a principle known as “take half, leave half”, which means leaving enough grass behind for vegetation to recover and continue providing food and shelter for wildlife. Wildfires have helped shape the vegetation on the ranch, according to ODWC. Instead of allowing livestock to graze continuously across the same stretch of land, the approach concentrates grazing in one area for a shorter period before cattle are moved elsewhere. The department describes the approach as high-intensity, low-duration grazing. It can improve soil conditions and organic matter, helping the ground absorb and retain more rainwater. Water availability is particularly important in this part of Oklahoma. These provide at least one water source for each paddock, reducing the need for cattle to travel long distances to drink. Troy also monitors grazing pressure through structures called grazing exclosures, which allow him to compare vegetation in protected areas with grass exposed to livestock. During winter, the cattle are moved away from the native grassland and onto the family’s crop ground. There, they graze on wheat pasture supplemented with alfalfa hay or grain produced on the irrigated farmland. Native grasses and forbs play an important role in maintaining this habitat. They provide food and cover for wildlife, while healthy vegetation helps protect soil and retain rainfall. Allowing grasslands time to recover after grazing also helps maintain the varied plant growth that supports different species. Fire is another part of the landscape’s natural history. Native prairie plants are adapted to fire and can continue growing even when rainfall is limited.
Fire also helps maintain an ecosystem that historically evolved with periodic burning.