Wine Glass Ranch in Imperial, Nebraska, was recognized as the 2025 Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) National winner. The award, which annually recognizes the outstanding stewardship practices and conservation achievements of cattle producers, was presented to the Pribbeno family, during CattleCon 2026 on Feb. 3 in Nashville, Tennessee.

“This ranch has been in my family for 140 years, and we are the stewards of the ground,” said Logan Pribbeno with Wine Glass Ranch. “We are grazing the best and leaving the rest for the benefit of our soil health.”

Jeff and Connie Pribbeno and their son and daughter-in-law Logan and Brianna Pribbeno own and operate Wine Glass Ranch, located in western Nebraska near the Colorado border. The Pribbenos believe long-term care for their operation's ecology translates to profitability, which is why they have married together the values of ranching for profit and environmental stewardship to make a living.

The cow-calf, stocker and grain operation thrives despite the arid climate and fragile sandy soil. The family installed more than 200 miles of cross-fence, creating 90 paddocks for their rotational grazing system. At any given point, 95% of the ranch is resting, and this practice has increased plant diversity and the return of native grasses such as sand bluestem and indiangrass, a species difficult to grow in sandy soil. With a focus on soil health, the Pribbenos work closely with several state and federal agencies on conservation projects, and those partnerships have helped them with their stewardship efforts.

“You don’t build something like this without a lot of thinking and dreaming and sharing it together,” reflected Pribbeno. “Achieving these goals together; there’s nothing better.”

The ESAP National winner was selected from the following 2025 Regional honorees:

• Region I: Whispering Hills Farm, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
• Region II: M&D Overstreet Ranch, Kathleen, Florida
• Region III: Smith Family Farms, Bankston, Iowa
• Region IV: McFaddin Ranch, Victoria, Texas
• Region V: G&G Livestock and Cathey Cattle Company, Polson, Montana
• Region VII: Wine Glass Ranch, Imperial, Nebraska

BQA award winners led by East Foundation Ranches

Winners of the 2026 Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Awards were announced recently during CattleCon 2026 in Nashville. The BQA Awards annually recognize outstanding beef and dairy producers, marketers and educators that best demonstrate animal care and handling principles as part of day-to-day activities.

“BQA continues to be the cattle industry’s leading education program for animal care and handling,” said Buck Wehrbein, National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) president. “We are excited to recognize these award winners who exemplify the BQA program and share their commitment with others.”

2026 BQA Cow-Calf Award

East Foundation Ranches LLC, Hebbronville, Texas

East Foundation Ranches, located in south Texas, traces its origins back to the 1900s when Tom T. East began his cattle operation. Today, the ranch spans 217,000 acres across six ranches in separate locations encompassing diverse native rangeland. The ranch is dedicated to advancing land stewardship through ranching, science and education, and their mission is to do what’s right for the land and the life that depends on it.

2026 BQA Dairy FARM Award

Singing Brook Farms, Imler, Pennsylvania

Founded in 1951, Singing Brook Farms is a thriving dairy operation housing 300 cows and 250 replacement heifers, along with 3,000 acres of land. BQA and FARM animal care standards are crucial components within the farm’s operations, shaping their unique production environment and business structure. By adhering to these standards, the farm aims to achieve optimal animal welfare, higher productivity and financial sustainability. These standards emphasize continual employee training and meticulous record keeping, ensuring the well-being of the cattle and the overall success of the dairy operation.

2026 BQA Feedyard Award

Ordway Cattle Feeders, Ordway, Colorado

Ordway Cattle Feeders is invested in the care and comfort of its cattle, having expanded and updated the feedlot to better accommodate different sizes, ages and feeding stages of cattle. The feedyard brings in university BQA experts to provide all employees with foundational training on best management practices and works closely with expert nutritionists, veterinarians and industry professionals to assess their daily production practices, which provides outside perspectives to foster continuous improvement.

2026 BQA Marketer Award

Sysco Corporation, Houston, Texas

Founded in 1969, Sysco Corporation is the world’s largest food service distributor and a major provider of animal protein products for consumers around the globe. The company is dedicated to driving improved animal welfare practices while upholding stringent standards for all Sysco Brand animal products. Part of this commitment is driving awareness of BQA and making it the standard with their sales team for discussing cattle care and sustainability with chefs and restaurant customers.

2026 BQA Educator Award

Jerry Yates, West Virginia University, Wardensville, West Virginia

Born and raised in West Virginia on a small Jersey dairy farm, Jerry Yates was an active member of 4-H and FFA growing up. He graduated with a degree in animal science from West Virginia University (WVU) and worked as an Ohio extension agent before returning home to manage one of WVU’s research units. For nearly three decades, Jerry has been involved with BQA, and his greatest passion is helping producers improve their operations through implementation of BQA practices.

Burt Rutherford honored with Greg Henderson Excellence in Agricultural Journalism Award 

This award recognizes agricultural journalists who exemplify the values Greg Henderson championed throughout his career. Greg was known for his courage in addressing challenging industry issues; his unwavering commitment to fairness, accuracy and honesty; and his advocacy for positive change in agriculture. He built deep personal connections to the agricultural community, earning the respect of farmers, ranchers and fellow media professionals alike. This award celebrates those who embody these principles and carry forward his legacy of impactful journalism in service to agriculture.

The 2026 recipient, Burt Rutherford, is a freelance writer focused on sharing stories important to the beef industry. He is the former senior editor of BEEF magazine and has spent his career helping producers become better and more efficient at what they do through his effective writing.

Rutherford is a Colorado native and graduate of Colorado State University. He has worked as communications director for the North American Limousin Foundation, editor of the Western Livestock Journal and communications director for the Texas Cattle Feeders Association. Rutherford has also served as a board member and past president of the Texas Outdoor Writers Association.

NCBA events break attendance record

CattleCon 2026 has broken the all-time event attendance record, with more than 9,400 cattle producers and industry stakeholders converging in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The largest event of its kind brings the cattle and beef industry together each year for business meetings, education and engagement.

“It is exciting to see thousands of producers gather together with the common goal of moving our business forward,” said NCBA President Buck Wehrbein. “This record attendance demonstrates the dedication our producers have to driving beef demand and creating policy that secures a bright future for the next generation of producers.”

W.D. Farr Scholarships

The W.D. Farr Scholarship, established in 2007, recognizes superior achievement in academics and leadership, and allows graduate students to further their study in fields that benefit the cattle and beef industry. Each $15,000 scholarship recognizes outstanding students who plan to pursue careers in furthering the beef industry. The 2025 recipients are:

• Shelley Curry of Kennard, Texas, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
• Sydney Bowman-Schnug of Fort Lupton, Colorado, Colorado State University

CME Group Beef Industry Scholarships

Ten students pursuing careers in the beef industry were awarded $1,500 scholarships by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation. The CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship program recognizes talented and thoughtful students emerging as industry leaders. The 2026 CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship recipients include:

• Grant Boyd of Leon, Iowa, Iowa State University
• Shay Burian of Manning, North Dakota, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture
• Natalie Dietrich of Lubbock, Texas, Texas Tech University
• John Garcia of Baker City, Oregon, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
• Olivia Hadrick of Faulkton, South Dakota, South Dakota State University
• William Kemp of Bishop, California, school to be determined
• Luke McCrea of Maysville, Missouri, Iowa State University
• Gavin Rhode of Stewartsville, Missouri, University of Missouri – Columbia
• Nathan Rippe of Indianola, Nebraska, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
• Emma Whitlock of Milan, Missouri, Kansas State University

Mollhagen receives inaugural Legacy Award

Jon Mollhagen, founder of Moly Manufacturing LLC, received the inaugural Legacy Award as part of the NCBA CattleCon events. Recognized for his innovation and dedication to the beef cattle industry, Mollhagen accepted the award from NCBA Chief Executive Officer Colin Woodall.

Dr. Temple Grandin, whose lifelong work in animal behavior echoes Mollhagen’s commitment to innovation in low-stress, humane livestock handling, shared congratulatory remarks.

“Jon Mollhagen has been a really great innovator. He really cares about cattle,” said Grandin. “I can remember when he first got started and showed at the Denver Stock Show, and I really encouraged him.”

“Another thing I liked about Jon, and we've discussed that, he's a visual thinker like me,” Grandin explained. “Silencer hydraulic squeeze chutes are the Cadillac of the industry. And he's done all kinds of things. Real innovator. We need more people like him.”

—Compiled from multiple news sources