Noble Land Stewardship Award
A Legacy of Regeneration. A Future Worth Funding.
In 1945, Lloyd Noble founded Noble Research Institute to restore the land, rebuild rural livelihoods and shape a more resilient agricultural future. Today, his vision comes full circle with the launch of the Noble Land Stewardship Award — a new national honor recognizing regenerative land stewards who are healing America’s grazing lands.
About the Award
The Noble Land Stewardship Award celebrates farmers, ranchers and landowners who demonstrate:
Healthier soil and more productive grazing land through regenerative practices
Improved water retention, quality and infiltration
Increased biodiversity and restored habitat
A commitment to sharing knowledge and mentoring others
Inaugural Presentation at Roots & Revelry
Congratulations to the G Bar C Ranch and the Ellis Family. Meredith Ellis represented her family and received the inaugural award on October 22, 2025, in Ardmore, Oklahoma, during Noble Research Institute’s annual Roots & Revelry event.
G Bar C Ranch and the Ellis Family
With the purchase of 450 acres in 1982, GC Ellis began his dream and established the G Bar C Ranch in Rosston, Texas. Since then, he has guided his ranch to success with his daughter, Meredith, representing the next generation and future of the ranch. With a mission to continually improve ranching practices to nurture the environment, they see themselves as caretakers of the land, maintaining biodiversity, natural habitat and clean waterways.
Today, the G Bar C team applies sustainable, regenerative principles to their land, which has grown to 3,000 acres with over 200 mother cows. The cow-calf operation runs black Angus cattle with a strong focus on maternal traits, adaptability to the environment and gentle handling. The G Bar C team are outspoken advocates for the positive influence livestock can have on biodiversity, soil health and water quality through adaptive grazing and other conservation methods. Meredith has cataloged over 660 species of plants, animals, birds, lichens and other ecological communities within the working lands of the G Bar C Ranch.
The ranch has been recognized both within the state of Texas, by Texas and Southwest Cattle Raisers Association, and nationally, receiving the 2023 National Environmental Stewardship Award from National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, for its outstanding conservation practices and environmental stewardship.