CENTENNIAL, Colo. (Aug. 5, 2026) – Bloody Buckets Cattle Company in Falfurrias, Texas, was recognized today by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) as a 2026 Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) Regional winner. Established in 1991, ESAP celebrates outstanding land stewards in the cattle industry. The national winner, which will be selected from these seven regional winners, will be announced during CattleCon 2027 in Nashville, Tennessee, in February.
“These award recipients undertake stewardship efforts unique to their environment, landscape and resources, and they share their learnings with fellow producers,” said NCBA President Gene Copenhaver. “Their dedication to conserving natural resources is ensuring a bright future for the next generation.”
The 2026 Environmental Stewardship Award Program Regional winners are:
- Region I: LB Porteus Farms, Coshocton, Ohio
- Region II: Donaldson Farms/D&D Meats, Celina, Tennessee
- Region III: Feikema Farms, Inc., Luverne, Minnesota
- Region IV: Bloody Buckets Cattle Company, Falfurrias, Texas
- Region V: V Box Land and Livestock, Juntura, Oregon
- Region VI: Munns Flying M Ranch, Snowville, Utah
- Region VII: Stomprud Angus Ranch, Mud Butte, South Dakota
“[Bloody Buckets Cattle Company] is a testament to the idea that environmental stewardship and economic viability go hand in hand,” said Fidel Hernandez, research scientist and regents professor with the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. “By focusing on long-term rangeland health, maintaining a low-input operation, and integrating wildlife conservation, the ranch has built a profitable and resilient ranching model that will sustain future generations.”
The Clement family behind Bloody Buckets Cattle Company represents eight generations of military service and more than 400 years of land stewardship. The ranch’s name honors its deep ties and four generations of the family’s military service to the U.S. Army’s 28th Infantry Division. When James “Jim” Clement returned from service during World War II, he worked for King Ranch, then started Los Hermanos Ranch in 1963. Today, James Clement III and his family partner with father and son, Dr. Alfonso Ortega, Sr. and Dr. Poncho Ortega Jr., to manage 15,000 acres in the challenging South Texas brush country. Together, the families have built a resilient, sustainable operation that prioritizes land health over short-term production by restoring degraded ground, using adaptive grazing, and investing in infrastructure that supports both cattle and wildlife.
“Without question, our sustainability practices have improved margins across the operation. We see it in higher weaning rates, healthier cattle, more resilient wildlife populations and a ranch that performs better through drought,” said James Clement III. “The economics and the ecology are reinforcing one another.”
ESAP is generously sponsored by organizations that share the cattle industry’s commitment to caring for the environment and protecting natural resources. Sponsors including Corteva Agriscience and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partner with NCBA to promote environmental stewardship throughout the beef supply chain. For more information, visit www.environmentalstewardship.org.
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