“If you take care of the land, it will take care of you.”
Gentle rolling sand dunes carpeted in grass as far as the eye can see, the landscape dotted here and there with cattle, and the Calamus River flowing peacefully in the background. This is the scene that greets you when you visit Shovel Dot Ranch – a 750-head cow-calf operation in the Sandhills. This unique terrain, covering more than a quarter of Nebraska, is regarded as the world’s most intact prairie, and five generations of the Buell family have worked hard to preserve their portion of it.
The Buell family’s history in the Sandhills began more than 140 years ago when Homer’s great-grandfather Benjamin Franklin Buell homesteaded in the area and was captivated. He continued to Washington State but only stayed for a year before being drawn back, and the family has been ranching here ever since.
A Land Steward First and Foremost
It is telling that Shovel Dot Ranch co-owner Homer Buell introduces himself as a land steward first and cattleman second. The reason, he says, is his deep-rooted belief that the long-term sustainability of the ranch depends on looking after the land.
“We try to manage our cattle well and handle them safely and have a good product for our consumers, but the biggest resource that we manage is the land. And so, we work very hard at that – just as hard as we work at looking after our cattle.”
Homer’s son Chad – the fifth generation of Buell ranchers – echoes this sentiment.
“Here at Shovel Dot Ranch, our primary goal is raising grass. And we then use the cattle to harvest the grass so that it can be profitable for the business.”
Graze, Rotate, Recover, Repeat
With the help of a grazing management software program, Chad can plan and evaluate the impact of the ranch’s grazing practices on the land. The cattle might only graze in a particular field for a few weeks before being moved on to another, allowing time for the land to rest and recover so that it can be productive year after year.
“I’m the fourth generation, and I want the fifth, the sixth, the seventh, and the eighth to be here,” concludes Homer.
“And the only way they can be here and be profitable is by taking care of the land.”