Fort Worth, Texas -- G Bar C Ranch, a North Texas cattle ranch committed to sustainability, was named the national winner of the 2023 Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) for its exemplary stewardship practices and conservation achievements. The ranch, which is owned by GC and Mary Ellis and operated by their daughter Meredith and long-time ranch manager Michael Knabe, became the fifth Texas-based operation to be awarded the national title.

G Bar C Ranch was nominated by Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association to compete for the Region IV ESAP award after being named the 2023 Texas ESAP winner at the 2023 Cattle Raisers Convention & Expo. G Bar C Ranch was named the Region IV ESAP winner in February allowing the ranch to then compete alongside five other cattle operations from across the U.S. for the national title.

"Seeing G Bar C Ranch recognized through such a respected platform as the National Environmental Stewardship Award Program is a proud moment for Texas,” said Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association President Carl Ray Polk Jr. “G Bar C Ranch is an outstanding example of the state’s commitment to caring for the environment and protecting natural resources, and we’re honored to have conservation-minded Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association members like the Ellis family.”

G Bar C Ranch, located in Rosston, Texas, outside the sprawling Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, preserves 3,000 acres of diverse habitat supporting more than 660 catalogued species of plants, animals, birds, mosses, lichens and other ecological communities. The ranch implements an adaptive multi-paddock strategy that rotates cattle through 58 permanently fenced pastures. The ranch also prioritizes water quality, implementing stewardship practices promoting clean water that feeds into the Trinity River, a water source responsible for half of Texans’ water needs.

“More than their commitment to the land is their commitment to helping others,” Polk said. “G Bar C Ranch opens its gates to research teams and ranchers from across the globe to study and learn from their operation, ultimately helping us understand new ways to care for this land.”

G Bar C Ranch received the national award in Washington, D.C. during the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Legislative Conference.

Rep. Michael Burgess commended the Ellis family and G Bar C Ranch.

“My sincere congratulations go out to Meredith Ellis for her recognition in receiving the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s prestigious Environmental Stewardship Award,” Congressman Burgess said. “I appreciate her tireless work in ensuring U.S. cattle producers and conservation organizations are set up for success. Meredith’s impact toward our community is inspiring for all of Texas and will benefit many generations to come.”

ESAP was established in 1991 by NCBA to recognize outstanding stewardship practices and conservation achievements of U.S. cattle producers. The program highlights stewardship and provides landowners and ranch managers with examples of stewardship that can benefit cattle operations throughout the nation.

To learn more about G Bar C Ranch and the Ellis family’s commitment to the land, visit www.environmentalstewardship.org.