Established in 1898, Jim O’Haco Cattle Company is owned by Jim and Jeanne O’Haco, and encompasses about 60,000 acres in eastern Arizona.
Much like other ranching families, the precedent for environmental stewardship was set long ago when O’Haco’s grandfather first came to the country from the Basque Pyrenees in Europe. Two generations later, O’Haco has spent his lifetime continuing the legacy and implementing land management programs to restore grazing land and improve water infrastructure on his family’s operation.
A notable property improvement was the installation of the High Point Well. Initiated over a period of 10 years, the well features 42 miles of buried pipeline, supplying water to 60,000 acres of land. The increased water access has not only benefited grazing conditions, it has restored habitat and increased wildlife populations throughout the ranch.
Water improvements were coupled with efforts to manage invasive juniper and other brush. Much of this progress has been supported through partnerships with state and federal agencies, including the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the United States Forest Service, as well as local conservation groups.
“Caring for our natural resources is a shared ambition and point of pride among livestock producers,” said NCBA president Craig Uden. “Jim is a true conservationist and partner of his community. His leadership is an example to us all.”
Commenting on his family’s ongoing stewardship efforts, Jim O’Haco said, “Two things in life that I’ve always wanted to do, and I think I have mostly accomplished them: have quality cattle and help the environment. The job’s not done; we can always improve. We learn from our past and keep on improving.”
Each year, six families are recognized with regional Environmental Stewardship awards, with one being honored as the national winner. Established in 1991, the award identifies outstanding land stewards in the cattle industry.
The program is generously sponsored by companies and federal agencies who share the industry’s commitment to caring for the environment and protecting natural resources. The four sponsors – Dow AgroSciences, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, McDonald’s and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – partner with the National Cattlemen’s Foundation in an effort to promote environmental stewardship throughout the beef supply chain. 
PHOTO: Jim O’Haco, center with award, and his wife Jeanne, to his right, receive the 2017 Environmental Stewardship Award. Photo courtesy of NCBA.
—From NCBA press release
