Ranching is a perfect match for the Sandhills. It supports those who live on the land, as well as, keeps the native grassland intact for the many benefits it provides for the people of Nebraska and this nation. Those benefits include high quality and abundant water, large open space, and healthy populations of wildlife.
The family ranch brings with it a strong tie to the land and the stewardship needed to keep the grassland healthy and wildlife abundant. Everything feels so right about the relationship between family ranching and the Sandhills that we sometimes assume it will stay that way forever.
The buying and selling of land for investment purposes has caused the price of Sandhills land to be priced beyond production value--making it difficult for new ranchers to get a start. And as the age of an average rancher continues to increase, more land is being sold--often for investment purposes.
The Sandhills Task Force has long recognized this problem and began in 2003 to discuss what it could do to help get beginning ranchers started. As a non-profit organization, any action it takes has to be for the benefit of the general public and not for a specific individual. The challenge is: What can be done to help a new rancher but is focused mostly on benefiting the public?
Since those first discussions, we have been involved in two beginning rancher projects. Both projects have been well received by the public and has stimulated phone calls and letters from other young families who are looking for a start in the industry.
The first project was done through a partnership with the Nature Conservancy. The Conservancy owned a small ranch in Cherry County that they wished to use as a trial case. A ranch family was selected and the Nature Conservancy arranged a five-year lease with the option to buy. During the five-year period ranching Board members and a former TNC employee have agreed to mentor the family. Both Nebraska Cattlemen and Western Horseman magazines have written articles about the project. Those articles can be viewed by clicking on Nebraska Cattlemen and Western Horseman. Both Nebraska Cattlemen and Western Horsemen has given the STF permission to post the articles on this website.
The second project involved a young family that was already on the family ranch but were threatened with having to end ranching when land leased by the family was put up for sale. Don McCabe from Nebraska Farmer magazine wrote two articles and one editorial in the August 2006 edition. The titles of the articles are "Closing the Sale" and "Sandhills Guardians". Mr. McCabe's editorial discusses opposition to conservation easements. Nebraska Farmer gave the STF permission to post these articles on this website.