Schuler Red Angus Receives Nebraska Leopold Conservation Award

Schuler Red Angus of Bridgeport is the recipient of the 2026 Nebraska Leopold Conservation Award®.

The award honors farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land. 

The Butch and Susan Schuler family raise beef cattle and manage 20,000 acres at Schuler Red Angus in Morrill and Banner counties. The Schulers will be formally presented with the $10,000 award later this year. 

Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present Leopold Conservation Awards to private landowners in 28 states. In Nebraska, the award is presented with Nebraska Cattlemen, Cargill, BASF, and the Nebraska Environmental Trust. 

The award, given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, recognizes farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who inspire others with their dedication to environmental improvement. In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold advocated for “a land ethic,” an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage. 

“Schuler Red Angus represents the best of Nebraska ranching,” said Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen. “Across generations, they have remained dedicated to investing in our state’s agricultural community and its future. Our ability to provide world-class beef depends on producers like them, and we are grateful for their commitment to the long-term sustainability of our land and our industry.” 

Nebraska landowners were encouraged to apply, or be nominated, for the award last year. Nominations were evaluated by an independent panel of Nebraska agriculture and conservation leaders. 

ABOUT SCHULER RED ANGUS

David and Stephanie Schuler have spent their lifetimes watching their parents Butch and Susan make their ranch “more beautiful, efficient, and sustainable for the next generation.” 

Located in Nebraska’s Panhandle, Schuler Red Angus is known for supplying other ranchers with high quality live cattle and genetics. Equally impressive are the conservation efforts that have taken place on this unique landscape, diverse in its topography and ecological communities.

The Schulers have long been committed to improving the health and resilience of their 20,000 acres of pastures and irrigated cropland in Morrill and Banner counties. Investment in extensive water infrastructure has led to better distribution of grazing cattle. 

Collaboration with public and private partners has led to innovations in how to combat cheatgrass throughout the region. The invasive species from Eastern Europe found its way to western Nebraska and Wyoming. It chokes out native grasses, and its flammability is of grave concern to ranchers. Cheatgrass seeds are notorious for festering in the eyes of animals. Early each spring, cheatgrass grows, heads out to seed, and dies before livestock and wildlife can derive any nutrition. 

Schuler Red Angus is one of the region’s first ranches to demonstrate the effectiveness of a herbicide with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. The herbicide prevents cheatgrass from going to seed for a couple of years, during which this time native grasses can get reestablished.

The Schulers treated 1,500 acres with cost-share assistance from the Nebraska Environmental Trust and Mule Deer Foundation, and self-funded treatment of another 1,000 acres. Livestock actively graze the treated areas, while leaving untreated areas with cheatgrass untouched. Schuler Red Angus hosts workshops to educate other ranchers about this research. 

The Schulers conserve water by having proper pressure and shutoffs on pipelines. Dry wells and broken windmills have been replaced with solar wells to provide water for cattle and wildlife on parts of the ranch that the pipeline does not reach. Some solar wells were relocated to create better grazing patterns across the ranch. 

After every stock tank was fitted with a metal bird ladder, the Schulers noticed a large decline in bird deaths. At least one water tank is left full for wildlife even when cattle are not grazing that area. Likewise, in the absence of cattle, gates are left open for Mule deer, elk, antelope, and white-tailed deer to pass freely through the range. 

Ranch employees and interns are supplied with a tool kit that includes new rubber plungers, floats, chains, and tools needed to fix overflowing stock tanks. Pipelines are set to the correct horsepower and water pressure to ensure minimal energy consumption.

Dead and downed trees near creeks are used to created windbreaks, which provide shelter for animals to live in through hard cold spells. Keeping logs and debris out of the creek’s running water also eliminates log jams and murky, slow-flow zones. 

David and Stephanie say their parents have led by example when it comes to caring for the land. While logging thousands of miles aboard an ATV to check, move, and care for cattle, Butch is known to return each time with wire, trash, or a rock that didn’t belong in the prairie.

Through acts great and small, the Schulers demonstrate a land ethic that reflects deep caring for their landscape and community.

ACCOLADES

“Supporting the Nebraska Leopold Conservation Award reflects Cargill’s commitment to responsible stewardship of the land that sustains our food system. We’re proud to partner with Sand County Foundation in recognizing conservation leaders who are helping nourish the world in a responsible and sustainable way,” said Katrina Robertson, General Manger, AVP of Cargill Beef in Schuyler, Nebraska. 

“These award recipients are examples of how Aldo Leopold’s land ethic is alive and well today,” said Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation President and CEO. “Their dedication to conservation is both an inspiration to their peers as well as a reminder to all how important thoughtful agriculture is to clean water, healthy soil, and wildlife habitat.”

“As the national sponsor for Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award, American Farmland Trust celebrates the hard work and dedication of the award recipients,” said John Piotti, AFT President and CEO. “At AFT we believe that exemplary conservation involves the land itself, the practices employed on the land, and the people who steward it. This award recognizes the integral role of all three.”

“Schuler Red Angus is a shining example of environmental stewardship working in tandem with modern innovation. Raising Red Angus cattle while also responsibly managing the land for multiple species of wildlife takes dedication. This multi-generational family works with the land instead of against,” said Laura Field, Nebraska Cattle Executive Vice President. 

“Supporting sustainable practices in agriculture helps shine a light on the good work being done by the Schuler family in Nebraska. We applaud their commitment and dedication,” said Jessica Monserrate, Head of Sustainability, BASF Agricultural Solutions.

The 2025 Nebraska Leopold Conservation Award recipient was Diamond Bar Ranch of Stapleton. To view profiles of all award recipient since 2006, visit www.sandcountyfoundation.org/Nebraska.

Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award in Nebraska is made possible thanks to the generous support of American Farmland Trust, Cargill, BASF, Nebraska Environmental Trust, Nebraska Cattlemen, Farm Credit Services of America, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service of Nebraska, Audubon Great Plains, Green Cover Seed, Nebraska Partners for Fish and Wildlife, Rainwater Basin Joint Venture, Sandhills Task Force, University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Natural Resources, and World Wildlife Fund-Northern Great Plains. 

For more information on the award, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.