IMPERIAL, NE – Deep roots and modern practices is how the national winner of the Environmental Stewardship Award describes the family ranch located in southwest Nebraska where the Sandhills meet the sand-sage hills of Colorado.

Presented at CattleCon 2026 in Nashville, Tenn., the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced that Wine Glass Ranch in Imperial, Nebraska is the recipient of the award, which annually recognizes the outstanding stewardship practices and conservation achievements of cattle producers.

“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 Indian grass, 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.” 

2025 Regional Winners:

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

Established in 1991, ESAP identifies outstanding land stewards in the cattle industry. Each year, regional award winners are recognized, and one is honored as the national winner.