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COALVILLE — A handshake on the courthouse steps in Summit County during the Great Depression sealed a $12-per-acre land transaction and the start of a ranching tradition that has continued for four generations.
Earlier this month, Ercanbrack Livestock of Coalville was selected as the recipient of the 2018 Utah Leopold Conservation Award, which recognizes outstanding stewardship practices in the ranching and farming industries.
The award, named in honor of conservationist Aldo Leopold, is given in 14 states and, in Utah, comes with a $10,000 check and a crystal depiction of Leopold.
Ercanbrack Livestock is operated by Ed and Dixie Ercanbrack, and their adult children, Dane and Dusty.
According to one of the award sponsors, the Utah Farm Bureau, the Ercanbrack family works at making their land productive by targeting areas in need of water, regeneration and soil support.
The Ercanbrack family has been ranching cattle east of Coalville in Summit County on reclaimed mine land for almost 50 years, in a deal that started on the steps of the Summit County Courthouse in the Great Depression. They bought their land on a handshake at $12 an acre.
Since then, they've practiced prescribed and rotational grazing, to make the land the healthiest it could be to support their cattle, in addition to working on water development projects, firebreaks, reseeding of native grasses and helping regenerate aspen for the benefit of wildlife.
The family retrofitted cattle water facilities so birds and bats can safely drink on a 2,400-acre landscape that boasts healthy vegetation, warm coal soils and cliffs that also serves as a big game hunting area.
The Ercanbracks host youth groups on their ranch, have participated in pro-conservation videos for fellow ranchers and consumers, and advocated for conservation issues to legislators and agricultural organizations.
They are active partners with the Utah Department of Natural Resources in a forest stewardship plan.
The Leopold Conservation award is sponsored by the Sand County Foundation, the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, Western AgCredit and the Utah Cattlemen's Association.
“We are extremely proud of the Ercanbrack family and the pride they take in the land and natural resources in their care,” said Ron Gibson, Utah Farm Bureau Federation president. “They represent the conservation ethic found in Utah’s farmers and ranchers, and we salute them for their efforts.”
