Multigenerational North Dakota ranch honored for regenerative management that improved water quality and wildlife habitat

ARDMORE, Okla., Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Noble Research Institute, a trusted educational resource for farmers and ranchers since 1945, will present the 2026 Noble Land Stewardship Award to Black Leg Ranch and the Doan family of McKenzie, North Dakota, at the second annual Roots & Revelry event Wednesday, Oct. 21. The award recognizes farmers, ranchers and landowners who demonstrate measurable results in regenerative land management.

Black Leg Ranch was founded in 1882 by George H. Doan. Jewell W. Doan Sr. brought the first Angus cattle to southern North Dakota in 1930. Jerry and Renae Doan returned to the ranch after college and began applying holistic management in the late 1980s, which led to rotational grazing. The fifth generation of the family now fills management and operational roles. The ranch covers 21,000 acres in the Missouri Coteau region of southern North Dakota, and 75% is native grassland.

Today, the ranch runs 700 head of cow-calf cattle, 1,500 yearlings and 400 buffalo, and provides custom grazing for 1,100 head of cow-calf cattle. The family also runs Rolling Plains Adventures, a hunting outfitter; Black Leg Events, an agritourism business that hosts weddings and corporate events; and Black Leg Brewery, which brews craft beer on the ranch with local ingredients.

A pipeline system now supplies water to 100 paddocks. It lets the family fence creeks, dams and ponds separately and control how long cattle graze near them. The family reports improved water infiltration and ground cover on the ranch. It also reports that Audubon bird surveys have shown increases in bird populations, including threatened species, and that North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality testing on Long Lake Creek has shown improved fish populations and aquatic insect quality.

The Doan family has partnered with Ducks Unlimited, Partners for Fish and Wildlife, Pheasants Forever, Audubon, the U.S. Forest Service and North Dakota State University on habitat and research projects. The ranch also hosts tours and workshops for other producers.

"We're losing the grasslands at astronomical levels," said Jerry Doan. "If we don't, as a group of conservation groups, wildlife groups, universities, everybody else and us as producers, start to target in and work together, someday we'll wake up. We won't have any grasslands and we won't have any wildlife, and that will be a sad day."

"Every rancher hopes to hand the land to the next generation in better shape than they received it," said Steve Rhines, president and CEO of Noble Research Institute. "The Doans are doing that. Better ground cover, productive livestock and more nesting birds are the proof, and a fifth generation is ready to carry it on."

The recipient will receive a bronze sculpture titled "Keeper of the Land," created by Oklahoma artist John David Rule, and a cash prize. The sculpture recognizes the power of the grazing animal to restore and build the land. Rule is a sculptor and master saddle maker who ranches in Minco, Oklahoma.

Roots & Revelry takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Noble Research Institute Retreat Center in Ardmore. The event honors the vision of Lloyd Noble, who founded Noble Research Institute in 1945, following the Dust Bowl, to help farmers and ranchers steward their land and stay economically viable.

Applications for the 2027 Noble Land Stewardship Award open on January 18, 2027. For more information about the award, visit www.noble.org/get-involved-with-noble/noble-land-stewardship-award.

About Noble Research Institute
Noble Research Institute is the nation's largest nonprofit dedicated to farm and ranch management and has been a leading, trusted resource in agriculture since 1945. The organization serves agricultural producers with education, research and consultation on regenerating soil health to improve their land, livestock and livelihood. Demonstrating its ongoing commitment to restoring U.S. grazing lands, Noble actively manages 13,500 acres of working ranchlands to provide real-world insights and applications for farmers and ranchers.

For more information about Noble Research Institute, visit www.noble.org.

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SOURCE Noble Research Institute LLC