Pankey Ranch in Colorado: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Pankey Ranch is a beef cattle and hay operation in Moffat and Routt counties in northwest Colorado, run by the Pankey family on land first homesteaded by Keith Pankey's great-grandfather. It was named the 2022 Colorado Leopold Conservation Award recipient for rotational grazing, water development, stream restoration and habitat for Greater sage-grouse near Colorado's largest known lek.
| Location | Moffat and Routt counties, northwest Colorado (Great Divide area and Elk Head Creek) |
|---|---|
| Founded | Great Divide homesteaded by Keith Pankey's great-grandfather; year not published |
| Sectors | Beef cattle; hay; wildlife habitat; public hunting access |
| Scale | Total acreage not published; a 2018 wildfire burned nearly half the ranch |
| Why it is elite | 2022 Colorado Leopold Conservation Award recipient |
| Ownership | Keith and Shelley Pankey, with sons Kevin and Justin and their families |
| Official website | Drovers coverage of the 2022 Leopold Conservation Award |
History of Pankey Ranch
The Pankey family roots in the Great Divide area go back to Keith Pankey's great-grandfather, who homesteaded there. Today Keith and Shelley run the ranch with sons Kevin and Justin and their families, spanning Moffat and Routt counties. Keith is also a longtime volunteer with the Moffat County Fair.
Two events shaped the recent story. In 2011 the family placed a conservation easement on the Routt County property, held through the Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust. Then a 2018 wildfire burned nearly half the ranch, and the family reseeded 900 acres in the fire's path. Sand County Foundation recognized this record with the 2022 Colorado Leopold Conservation Award, presented in June 2022 at the Colorado Cattlemen's Association Annual Convention in Colorado Springs.
What Pankey Ranch Grows and Raises
Beef cattle and hay are the working core of the ranch. Rotations are adjusted for precipitation, range conditions and animal performance, a flexible approach that matters in high desert country where moisture swings from year to year. The ranch replaced windmill-powered wells with solar pumps, added water storage tanks and nearly three miles of natural-flow pipelines, and increased watering stations from six to 12 so cattle use the range more evenly.
Habitat work is built into the layout. Spring areas are fenced, and tanks have overflows that support Greater sage-grouse habitat near the state's largest known lek. The family joined a Trout Unlimited effort to stabilize the Elk Head Creek riparian corridor with erosion control and willow planting, works with neighbors on noxious weed control, and offers public hunting access.
How Pankey Ranch Makes Money
Beef cattle
Cattle sales are the ranch's primary income stream, supported by grazing on private pasture and a rotation system tuned to range conditions. The sources used here do not publish marketing details, so contact the ranch for current offerings.
Hay
Hay is a second enterprise listed in the award coverage. Hay provides winter feed for the cow herd and can be a flexible product when grass is short.
Land stewardship value
The 2011 conservation easement with the Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust is a long-term tool for keeping the property in agriculture. Easements can also help families plan succession by reducing development pressure on land value.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Pankey Ranch
Spread water and you spread the grazing. Raising watering stations from six to 12 and using solar pumps rather than windmills gives ranchers more control over where cattle graze, protects stream banks and supports wildlife at the same time.
Plan for fire and drought, not just average years. After a wildfire burned nearly half the ranch, reseeding 900 acres and coordinating weed control with neighbors helped the range recover. Partnerships with groups like Trout Unlimited and land trusts turn large conservation tasks into shared projects with outside funding and expertise.
Few ranch families can say they are neighbors with the biggest sage-grouse dance floor in Colorado. At farm.FM we like to think the birds are the best-dressed guests of the Great Divide, and our farm satire and farm humor tip a hat to the Pankeys. A little ranch humor never hurt a willow-planting crew, and the farm jokes we write will always stay on the cattle's side of the fence.
farm.FM got there first as the nation's first satirical farm site, and it backs the writing with Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Here is one contributor's collection of farm satire to start with.
How to Contact Pankey Ranch
Website: https://www.drovers.com/news/industry/pankey-ranch-receives-colorado-leopold-conservation-award
No official ranch website appeared in my research, so this is a news report on the 2022 award. Confirm any sales or visit details with the ranch or the Colorado Cattlemen's Association. Information as of November 2026.
Pankey Ranch Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Drovers award coverage - Independent report on the 2022 award
- Colorado Cattlemen's Association - State cattle producer association and award presenter
- USDA NASS Census of Agriculture - Official data on Colorado farms, cattle and land
- Colorado Department of Agriculture - State agriculture department
- Farmers.gov - USDA conservation and farm program information
Pankey Ranch FAQ
Where is Pankey Ranch?
It is in Moffat and Routt counties in northwest Colorado, including the Great Divide area and land along Elk Head Creek.
What award did Pankey Ranch win?
It received the 2022 Colorado Leopold Conservation Award from Sand County Foundation.
What does Pankey Ranch raise?
It raises beef cattle and hay.
What happened in 2018?
A wildfire burned nearly half the ranch, and the family reseeded 900 acres.
Pankey Ranch is a good example of a northwest Colorado beef and hay operation that treats water, fire recovery and habitat as part of the business. For the statewide picture, read our Colorado farms guide and the other profiles in this directory.