Honored with the 2025 Montana Leopold Conservation Award
We are proud to share that Thomas Herefords has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Montana Leopold Conservation Award®, a prestigious honor celebrating extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation by agricultural landowners.
Presented by the Sand County Foundation in partnership with the American Farmland Trust and Montana conservation organizations, the Leopold Conservation Award recognizes farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in managing soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on working land.
“Leopold Conservation Award recipients inspire others with their dedication to environmental improvement and demonstrate the principles of Aldo Leopold’s enduring land ethic.”
Our Conservation Journey
At Thomas Herefords, land stewardship isn’t a slogan—it’s central to how we run our ranch and raise our cattle. Conservation has been a core commitment for generations, from improving soil and pasture health to protecting water and wildlife habitat across our landscape.
Award judges recognized our long-term efforts in practices such as:
- Rotational grazing to enhance forage quality and soil resilience.
- Enhancing water quality and riparian areas for wildlife and livestock alike.
- Implementing wildlife-friendly fencing and sustainable resource partnerships with public agencies and conservation groups.
These strategies not only contribute to a thriving ranch ecosystem but also help secure a more sustainable future for our land, our cattle, and the community.
Watch: Our Leopold Conservation Award Video
Meet the Thomas Family
In 1957 Thomas Herefords started as a romantic dream of newlyweds Richard & Shirley Thomas. They knew it would take more than hard work to achieve their goals for the ranch so they joined the Missoula Hereford Association and later our state and national associations to begin exhibiting their own cattle and glean knowledge from breeders around them. Giving themselves to long hours and year after year of grit and determination Richard and Shirley’s commitment to the dream continues to grow as an ever present reality, which has truly evolved into a family affair. Thomas children Donna, Bruce & Terri Jo, grandchildren, and great grandchildren have all benefited from Richard and Shirley’s sacrifice and continue to value and invest in the ranch to this day.
Partnering with his father to develop the vision Bruce and his wife Tammy live on the ranch, come home to “work after work” making herd improvement decisions and helping with daily ranch management. Their children Kurt & Jessica, Amber & Travis, and Heather now live off the ranch but continue run cattle with the herd. Though they are not always on sight each member of the family brings a unique perspective and benefit to Thomas Herefords. Great grand kids Cooper, Conner, and Kynlee simply give us more incentive to build the ranch, toward an even more exciting future.
Our little slice of heaven is nestled, in the Western Montana Flint Creek Mountain Range, where history and beauty meet. The ranch is situated at 4,000 feet elevation and centrally located between Missoula, Helena and Butte. Our cattle are summered on leased pastures at elevations ranging from 5,000 – 7,000 feet where a day’s ride includes mountain lakes, historic sites, and incredible scenery. Gold Creek boasts of pioneer mining and the first discovery of gold in Montana. Also the last stake driven, to mark the formal opening of the first transcontinental rails, linking the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest was driven in our very own back yard.