Thurston Green Business Designation

This time of year, our ranch is visibly green. But all year round, we follow sustainable business practices to reduce our carbon footprint while preserving and protecting our natural resources. Because of our environmental stewardship, we're now officially recognized as a Thurston Green Business. 

We talk a lot about our conservation work to restore and enhance the native prairie habitat at the ranch, but we don't often talk about the other steps we take to ensure that we operate our business as a whole in a sustainable way. Some of these business practices include:

• limiting the transportation of our cattle 
• minimizing packaging, reusing materials, and recycling 
• conserving water and protecting streams
• consolidating deliveries to reduce driving miles
• supporting local businesses by buying local

The conservation easement in place at the ranch ensures that the native prairies here will be protected forever. Working with partners like NRCS, WSU Extension, Thurston Conservation District, Ecostudies Institute, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife, we've completed projects including:

• contributing to the recovery of the golden paintbrush and its removal from the federal list of endangered and threatened plants
• improving Mazama Pocket Gopher habitat
• increasing plant diversity
• protecting Scatter Creek stream beds
• maintaining Garry Oak ecosystems 
• planting hundreds of trees

And there's more in the works. We're currently working on a five-year project to eliminate scotch broom and restore native prairie plants on a nearby property, and creating silvopasture on a section of land that had been previously neglected. 

Check out the other local businesses who have been designated as a Thurston Green Business and shop local.