Noble Land Stewardship Award
Why your support matters.
In 1945, oilman and conservationist Lloyd Noble founded The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation in response to the devastation of the Dust Bowl. He believed that restoring the health of the land was essential to rebuilding the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers — and to securing the future of our nation. For decades, the Foundation advanced the mission through agricultural research, education, and producer support. That legacy evolved into a new era with the formation of the Noble Research Institute, a dedicated 501(c)(3), public charity focused on regenerative land stewardship. Today, the Noble Foundation and Noble Research Institute work together to further the vision of Lloyd Noble of healthy soil for our nation’s food production, thriving producers, and resilient communities.
Noble Research Institute continues its support of producers with the Noble Land Stewardship Award, an annual honor that recognizes and celebrates farmers, ranchers and landowners who are restoring the ecological health of their land with measurable, integrity-driven results. This award recognizes and uplifts those who are regenerating soil, water and wildlife habitat on grazing lands, showing that ecological responsibility and agricultural profitability go hand-in-hand.
The Noble Land Stewardship Award will be presented on October 21, 2026, in Ardmore, Oklahoma during Roots & Revelry — a signature event celebrating Noble’s anniversary and the enduring legacy of its founder. There, we will gather with producers, partners and supporters to recognize a land steward who exemplifies Noble’s mission in action.
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.