Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed Ranch Network Earns Audubon’s Bird-Friendly Land Certification

NEW YORK, NY (July 22, 2025) — The Nationwide Audubon Society has licensed all 15 household ranches within the Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed community throughout the Nice Plains and Midwest as Audubon Licensed Hen-Pleasant Land. Grassfed beef merchandise from Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed – accessible at greater than 2,500 retail places nationwide – will start carrying the Audubon Licensed Hen-Pleasant seal, the certification’s bundle branding that acknowledges lands managed for birds and biodiversity.  

This certification is earned by way of Audubon’s Conservation Ranching program. It marks a serious milestone for Audubon’s flagship grassland habitat effort, increasing its complete acreage beneath bird-friendly administration nationwide to over 3 million acres. 

“Grasslands are arguably our most threatened ecosystem, however hope will not be misplaced. This partnership elevates the untold story of grasslands in an important and well timed manner,” mentioned Chris Wilson, Program Director for Audubon Conservation Ranching. “Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed producers see their land as greater than a spot to boost cattle, however as habitat for birds and wildlife. Their animals aren’t simply livestock, however habitat helpers. And birds aren’t simply background noise; they’re the most effective indicators of ecosystem well being. With Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed merchandise reaching shops in each state throughout the Decrease 48, we now have a strong and far-reaching option to join shoppers to conservation—by way of the meals on their plates.” 

Within the Audubon Conservation Ranching program, the Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed ranch community joins a collective of over 120 ranches within the distinctive, market-connected conservation method geared toward supporting grassland hen populations. In accordance with the latest State of the Birds report, grassland birds have suffered the steepest declines of any hen group in North America, with populations plummeting by 43% since 1970 due largely to habitat loss and degradation. Audubon Conservation Ranching enlists ranchers, who combat on the entrance traces of grassland conservation, to assist construct higher habitat that advantages grassland specialists just like the Bobolink, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Jap Meadowlark. 

Matt Maier, the proprietor of Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed, shepherded his ranch community (together with his circle of relatives ranch close to Clearwater, Minnesota, close to the corporate’s headquarters) by way of Audubon’s rigorous certification course of. He notes that every of his model’s ranch suppliers – ranches in Arkansas, Minnesota, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming – now function beneath a habitat administration plan developed in collaboration with Audubon vary ecologists.  

These plans incorporate rotational grazing strategies that mimic the pure disturbance patterns of bison herds, creating patchworks of grasses and flowering vegetation. “Not all of our grassland hen species have the identical habitat wants,” mentioned Wilson. “On this respect, rotational grazing is the final word habitat software, creating completely different areas of various vegetation heights and plant range that advantages as many birds as attainable.” 

Audubon’s Conservation Ranching program requires taking part ranches to satisfy rigorous requirements in three areas: habitat administration, environmental sustainability, and animal well being and welfare, plus third-party verification.  

“This certification means shoppers can know with certainty the practices of all our farmers help numerous pastures stuffed with grasses, flowers, forbs, legumes, buzzing bugs, and nesting birds. It’s habitat made fully attainable by way of bird-friendly grazing,” Maier mentioned. “Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed will proudly bear the Audubon Licensed Hen-Pleasant Land certification on our total grassfed beef product line.” 

Maier mentioned in an ideal world, each client would know their neighbor farmer or rancher. “However certifications play an necessary function in bridging that relationship hole, in linking land administration to shoppers. We encourage shoppers to know their farmer or rancher’s practices by studying how they’re stewarding and regenerating the soil, enhancing biodiversity, and nourishing animals. We expect being Audubon Licensed Hen-Pleasant is the perfect option to relay our on-farm and on-ranch practices on to shoppers.” 

Shoppers and conservationists can discover merchandise from Audubon Licensed Hen-Pleasant Land utilizing this retail locator.  

For extra details about Audubon Conservation Ranching nationally, please contact ConservationRanching@Audubon.org.  

About Audubon Conservation Ranching 

Audubon Conservation Ranching companions with ranchers to maintain wholesome grasslands, plentiful birdlife, and resilient rural communities. By our bird-friendly land certification and science-based method, we empower land stewards to reinforce habitat, enhance soil well being and water high quality, and strengthen the connection between conservation and ranching. By buying merchandise from Audubon Licensed Hen-Pleasant Land, shoppers turn out to be conservationists, serving to defend America’s grasslands and the birds, wildlife, and folks that rely upon them. For extra data, go to www.audubon.org/ranching. 

About Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed

Based in 2003, Thousand Hills works with dozens of household farms throughout the U.S. to boost Lifetime Grazed Grass Fed Beef with regenerative agriculture practices. So far, 600,000 acres have been transitioned to regenerative practices to help organic range, pure assets, native wildlife habitat and soil fertility. Regional, decentralized processing builds a resilient provide chain for patrons whereas invigorating rural economies. A pacesetter within the business, Thousand Hills produces the #1 recent protein product nationally within the pure channel. The corporate’s mission: Nourishing soil, vegetation, cattle and folks by grazing cattle for his or her lifetime. 

Media contact:

Anthony Hauck, Communications Supervisor, Audubon Conservation Ranching, Anthony.Hauck@audubon.org