The Pearson Ranch’s story is one marked by resiliency. 

The resiliency it takes to grow crops and graze cattle in an arid environment, coupled with a ranch family’s resiliency to repeatedly rise above volatile markets and personal loss. 

Ralph and June Pearson, who began dairy farming and ranching in the 1940s, had four children. Hit hard by the post nuclear weapons testing era, the Pearsons and their sons Raul, Scott, and Shaun died from related illness between 1996 and 2016. Today the ranch is run by their daughter Jetta Robinson, her son Seth Davie, and Shaun’s wife Tammy. 

The conservation of water has long been the focal point of the Pearson Ranch’s strong commitment to land stewardship and agricultural innovation. It dates to when Ralph Pearson served as president of the Twin M Conservation District and the Minersville Irrigation Company. 

Under his leadership, a pipeline system replaced a series of open canals that fed irrigated fields in the 1970s. Ever since, the Pearsons have upgraded their irrigation systems with technology that reduces water usage while increasing yields on their 600 acres of alfalfa. 

Since 2007, Utah’s Grazing Improvement Program has provided assistance to livestock producers to enhance grazing systems on private and public lands. This helped the Pearsons replace aging windmills with efficient solar pumping systems, and upgrade old wells powered by gas generators with energy-efficient solar technology. 

Installing extensive water lines to distribute water across their 8,000 acres of pastures has improved grazing utilization and distribution of their 600 head of Hereford and Angus beef cattle. The herd is rotationally grazed to maintain healthy forage and to provide ideal habitat for prairie dogs and sage grouse. Other investments include multiple 30-foot ring tanks for water storage, both on their ranch and on 129,000 acres of public land used for grazing. All water troughs are equipped with rescue ramps for birds and small wildlife.

Natural springs have been developed at Pearson Ranch to supply livestock and wildlife with drinking water. Springs and riparian areas damaged by wild horses and burros have been rehabilitated. 

Despite wild horses and burros being a politically polarizing issue, Tammy Pearson is credited with being a driving force behind reaching consensus on the Path Forward Coalition, a diverse group that included the Humane Society and Farm Bureau.  

“Simply put, Tammy is involved at every level – from her local county to the state and national stages, in all things public lands and agriculture,” said Redge B. Johnson, Director of Utah’s Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office. “When it comes to advocating for our lands and the agricultural community, she is the go-to person.” 

Watershed restoration is another arena where Tammy Pearson has excelled. Her local leadership in a stewardship project for the Beaver River watershed led to successfully treating thousands of acres of overgrown forests. This effort created a healthier and vibrant ecosystem for grazing livestock and wildlife habitats, while significantly decreasing the risk of wildfires. 

State officials often bring visiting dignitaries to the Beaver River watershed to demonstrate how active management is critical to forest health. Efforts to replicate this work across Utah are benefiting the ranchers and wildlife that rely on rejuvenated public lands.

The land ethic of the resilient Pearson family is expressed through the conservation practices they employ on their ranch, and through advocacy and outreach that provides for ranchers across the West.