Each year, the Gillespie County SWCD seeks to honor those amongst its cooperators who are striving to make the land and their communities better places to be proud of to call home.  This year, the Gillespie County SWCD is delighted to award our conservation rancher of the year award to Leland and Peggy Geistweidt.

Leland and Peggy are both proud Gillespie County natives, raised on the land and taught the values of maintaining and restoring the natural balance of their resources.  Peggy is a fourth-generation rancher in the areas, with her family settling here in the late 1800s.  Leland and Peggy operate three ranches totaling approximately 2400 acres in Gillespie and Llano Counties.  They raise Angus and Brangus cross cattle, and they are now starting to raise Charolais cross cattle as well.  They are also very proud of the quality whitetail deer raised on their properties, with the recent hunting season boasting an exceptional harvest.

Leland and Peggy understand that good management begins with hard work.  They have recently participated in several projects through the NRCS EQIP program, allowing them to clear brushy areas and restore native grasses.  The Willow City ranch was cleared of heavy brush, predominantly ashe juniper, as well as other problematic species and slash from dead trees and fallen limbs. 

Outside of the EQIP program, they have also done many projects on their own, targeting ashe juniper and mesquite.  Their biggest project this year was grubbing whitebrush at their Prairie Mountain ranch, burning piles and reseeding affected areas.

Areas of heavy brush removal have been reseeded with a mix of WW-B Dahl Bluestem, kleingrass, sideoats grama, Willman lovegrass, green sprangletop, Maximillian sunflower, Illinois bundleflower, and awnless bush sunflower on the Willow City ranch.  Leland and Peggy wanted a mix that would help promote grazing and provide good forage for the cattle as well as forbs and beneficial wildlife species.  The response of the seeding has been phenomenal and allowed for better rotation and prescribed grazing.  The Geistweidts are very proud of removing the “wall of crap” that was on the property in undesirable brush species and really opening up the pastures for better utilization.

With the exception of hiring the heavy equipment work, Leland and Peggy provide all of the day to day labor and maintenance on the three properties.  Now being retired from their “town “jobs, Leland and Peggy have more time to focus on the ranching operation and care of the land.  Their main goal is to leave the land better than they found it to pass onto future generations.  Their daughters and sons-in-law, as well as their grandchildren, help on the ranch when they can and are being taught to enjoy and respect the land as well. 

Leland and Peggy have committed themselves to doing something every year to promote the conservation and improvement of their ranches.  It may not be every ranch every year, but some project will get done.  They are dedicated to maintaining the areas where heavy brush has already been cleared, keeping forage quality and quantity maximized, and overall maintenance of the properties through working on fences, buildings, barns and pens.  They agree that having good supportive neighbors has been excellent for maintaining good fences and relationships.

In addition to healthy and happy livestock and wildlife, Leland and Peggy have been ecstatic to see the natural springs and water courses on their properties revitalized through their management.  Even with recent drought conditions, they have running water where there hadn’t been in many years.  It is another way that the hours of labor and love of the land are paying off.

In addition to ranching and raising cattle, Leland and Peggy also do a bit of farming and raise hay for supplemental winter feed if needed.  They are also active in community projects and events, primarily with Gillespie Farm Bureau and Bethany Lutheran Church.  Of course, they also enjoy spending time with their daughters and their families.

With a zeal for their ranching heritage and a desire to leave a legacy on the land, Leland and Peggy Geistweidt embody the heart and soul of what it takes to be excellent stewards of the land.  The Gillespie County SWCD is proud to name them their Conservation Rancher award winners for 2025.