Our Story
About the Turner Institute of Ecoagriculture
The Turner Institute of Ecoagriculture was created from a simple but ambitious belief: the future of large landscapes depends on proving that conservation and productive land use can strengthen one another.
Too often, land is framed as a choice between what is wild and what is useful. We reject that false choice. We believe the best landscapes can be both.
OUR STORY
With unusual scale, biodiversity, and operational depth, the Turner lands offer a rare opportunity to study how ranching, wildlife, water, habitat, and rural resilience can be advanced together. The Institute exists to turn that opportunity into knowledge, practice, and progress.
The belief
We believe those choices are too small. The future depends on landscapes that can do both.
the opportunity
The Turner lands offer unusual scale, biodiversity, operational depth, and long-term commitment, making them one of the best places in the world to test, refine, and share better models.
The work
Through research, partnerships, and practical land stewardship, we study how ranching, wildlife, water, habitat, and rural resilience can be advanced together.
the goal
Not simply to publish findings, but to help create a better model for the stewardship of large landscapes everywhere
Our goal is not only to conduct meaningful research. It is to help build and share one of the best models in the world for advancing wild and working landscapes.
Ecoagriculture
is the practice of caring for land in a way that supports both production and ecological health over time. We are helping build a better model for advancing wild and working landscapes.
University Collaborators
We are helping build a better model for advancing wild and working landscapes. We are doing serious work on real land, in partnership with serious people, in order to help create a better future for large landscapes.
Turner Ranches has a strong research relationship with South Dakota State University (SDSU) and the Center of Excellence for Bison Studies (Center). The Institute intends to maintain a close relationship with SDSU and the Center in conducting ecological and agricultural research. Additionally, we anticipate regular research collaborations with other land grant institutions. Current university partners include:
- South Dakota State University
- Oklahoma State University
- University of Nebraska Kearney
- University of Nebraska Lincoln
- New Mexico State University
- University of Montana
- Utah State University
- Colorado State University