Two Mission Valley ranches protected for future generations

Two Mission Valley families who have farmed and ranched here for more than century have ensured that their legacies will endure. 

In the past two weeks, Paul and Sharon Guenzler and Cody and Elizabeth Sherman collectively protected nearly 700 acres of rich agricultural land with conservation easements through the Flathead Land Trust. These land protection agreements preserve fertile farmland and vital wildlife habitat, and enhance the families’ farming heritage.

The Guenzler’s 290 acres west of Ronan and the Sherman’s 387 acres west of Pablo are both supported by high-quality soils on nearly all the property, with soils classified as “prime farmland, if irrigated” and “farmland of local importance” by the Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Both families run successful self-sustaining cattle operations on their ranches, with pasture and hay grown on the land fully supporting their herds. The Guenzler family continues to ranch on horseback with their high-quality AQHA horses.

Protection of these lands will not only improve the sustainability of the family farms, but will also provide greater opportunity for future generations. The Sherman’s children say they intend to carry on the family's agricultural tradition on the land.

According to a statement from the family, it's important to them "to pass down our traditions of hard work, stewardship, and love for the way of life that gives back to our community.”

These protected properties complement and add to a network of thousands of acres of adjacent farmland preserved under conservation easements. The Sherman property is located next to almost 2,200 acres of protected farmland. The Guenzler property is adjacent to a conserved 160-acre farm that incorporates Sloan Lake, and is near an additional 500 acres of conserved farmland.

Both conservation easements also safeguard critical winter habitat for birds of prey, as the Mission Valley has some of the highest concentrations of wintering raptors in the United States. Bald eagles, rough-legged hawks, red-tailed hawks, northern harriers, American kestrels, and occasionally golden eagles regularly use both properties in winter.

In addition to rich agricultural land, both properties harbor wetlands utilized by plentiful birds and wildlife. The Guenzler conservation easement protects a half mile of West Miller Coulee, which, together with other wetlands on the property, is used by many birds such as snipe and sora.

In addition, it protects a native bunchgrass, Basin wild rye, which is rare in the lowlands of the Mission Valley. It grows to over five feet in height on the property.

The Guenzler and Sherman families are deeply committed to the vitality of agriculture in the Mission Valley.

Paul Guenzler is a past board member, vice president, and president of the Western Montana Stockman’s Association and Cody Sherman is a director of the same organization. Both are board members of the Mission Valley Future Farmers of America Alumni, while Elizabeth Sherman serves as secretary/treasurer for the alumni group.

Recognizing the importance of fostering the next generation, both men also spearheaded the creation of a scholarship program supporting local 4-H and FFA students pursuing careers in agriculture and the cattle industry.

Guenzler has also been chairman of the Flathead Irrigation District for the past 12 years. Sherman is the chair of the Farm Service Agency County Committee and a producer board member of the CHS Mountain West Co-op.

It is fitting that part of the Guenzler and Sherman families’ agricultural legacy in the Mission Valley will come from ensuring that their rich farmland remains available for farming in perpetuity. Agriculture can continue to thrive in a community where their families have been deeply embedded for generations.

These projects received federal funding from the Natural Resource Conservation Service Agricultural Land Easement program, which aims to protect the nation's food supply by preventing the conversion of productive agricultural land to non-agricultural uses, thereby keeping rich farmland in agriculture through conservation easements. Through this program, a landowner can receive cash for placing a conservation easement on their land, keeping it available for agriculture, preventing future subdivision and limiting future residential and commercial development.

“Conservation easements allow the opportunity for agriculture to persist for future generations while retaining our open space in western Montana,” said Guenzler.

Completion of these conservation easements has helped Flathead Land Trust increase the pace of conservation in a rapidly growing region. Flathead Land Trust has placed 83 properties under conservation easement over the course of 40 years, collaboratively protecting nearly 20,000 acres in northwest Montana.

Learn more at flatheadlandtrust.org.

    The Guenzler family continues to ranch on horseback, using quarter horses they raise. (Courtesy photo)