A Living legacy

Together, siblings Allan Miller and Gail Matsumura along with their families and ranch hands that are like family, have been able to successfully continue the ranching tradition because they keep an eye on the future. Theirs is a story of resilience and constant improvement as knowledge of natural resource protection, and managed grazing has accumulated over the decades.

A core component of family's stewardship approach is planned grazing. Where and when cattle graze is determined by what will allow their pastures to be most resilient. This means not grazing grasses too low, or grazing a pasture at the same time period or part of the growing cycle each year. The plan also takes into account how grazed land reduces fire risk. When cattle graze grasslands, they remove some of the "fuel" or dry tinder a fire relies on to burn hot and fast. As several fires have burned through the ranch in recent history, the family has seen how their grazing practices can mitigate the impacts.

Learn more about the approach and specific ranching practices of Tower Rock Ranch that earned these families recognition among their peers and from sustainability experts.