Legacy Landscapes - A Lifetime of Service to the Land
A Lifetime of Service to the Land
Alfonso "Poncho" Ortega has been fostering his love of the land since he was seven years old working on his family’s cattle ranch in Mexico. He devoted his educational pursuits to furthering his technical knowledge and returned home to introduce pastures and native rangelands on his operation. Poncho said he’s committed to giving back to the environment to ensure the resources are available for future generations.
The management philosophy of our cattle company is based on Chief Seattle— “we do not inherit the land from our ancestors, we borrow it from our kids…”
Poncho has been ranching for over 50 years, but for the last 30 years has seen a lot of change in the cattle industry in terms of grazing management. On his ranch in the South Texas Plains, he’s committed to innovative practices that allow him to maintain the integrity of the land, and the productivity of cattle and wildlife, as well as the profitability of the ranch.
“Under our management, the ranches will be in better conditions when we leave than when we started managing it,” said Poncho.
One of the ways that Poncho is achieving this goal is by keeping detailed records on the condition of the rangelands and any changes in carrying capacity and profitability of the operation. He also participates in practice-based environmental programs, like NRCS Environmental Quality Incentive Program and the Rio Grande Joint Venture.
Poncho is also a participant in the Legacy Landscapes program. He said this is the first carbon-based program he’s participated in, and it is providing him with an opportunity to officially document and report the practices he already implements on his ranch to increase efficiencies and productivity.
“This program has allowed us to be rewarded for good management practices that we are in line with our management philosophy,” said Poncho.
Legacy Landscapes is a collaborative program with NatGLC, Nestlé® Purina PetCare Company, AgriWebb, and Regrow. It’s designed to support livestock producers in improved grazing efficiencies that benefit both the land and producers’ bottom-line.
Participants of the program have access to AgriWebb's leading livestock management software to track and manage their livestock and grazing through its record-keeping, insights and reporting, and expertise in implementing interventions. The goal is for producers to improve the efficiency of their grazing livestock, and in turn, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Currently, Legacy Landscapes is only available to producers in Texas, Kansas, and Nebraska but could be expand to regions of the Great Plains in the near future. If you are interested in participating in the Legacy Landscapes Project and contributing to sustainable beef production, please fill out the Interest Form to get started.