Barney Creek Livestock in Montana: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Barney Creek Livestock is a Paradise Valley cattle operation in Livingston, Park County, Montana, run by Pete and Meagan Lannan. It won the 2022 Montana Leopold Conservation Award by moving to year-round rotational grazing, quitting hay production in 2016, and upgrading water and fencing with NRCS help.
| Location | Livingston, Park County, Paradise Valley, Montana |
|---|---|
| Founded | Family's 200-acre Jordan Ranch has been in the family since 1900 |
| Sectors | Cattle; rotational grazing; leased pasture |
| Scale | 200-acre home ranch plus more than 800 acres leased from five landowners (Drovers); herd size not published |
| Why it is elite | 2022 Montana Leopold Conservation Award recipient |
| Ownership | Pete and Meagan Lannan and their children |
| Official website | Drovers article on the 2022 Montana Leopold Conservation Award |
History of Barney Creek Livestock
The Lannan family's 200-acre Jordan Ranch has been in the family since 1900, and Barney Creek bisects it. Pete's parents, Larry and Cathy Lannan, offered to lease the ranch to him, and he studied rotational grazing before taking it on.
Pete and Meagan, with children Maloi and Liam, built Barney Creek Livestock by leasing more than 800 additional acres from five landowners. In 2022 the Sand County Foundation and American Farmland Trust presented the Montana Leopold Conservation Award, with Montana's Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and the Rangeland Resources Committee.
What Barney Creek Livestock Grows and Raises
The Lannans use rotational grazing and graze year-round. They stopped producing hay in 2016 and now buy only what they need for harsh winter storms, which they say saved about $120,000 in equipment depreciation plus fuel and labor.
With USDA NRCS EQIP assistance, they updated fencing and water infrastructure and replaced flood irrigation with a pipeline and sprinklers. They fenced the riparian area for short-duration grazing, planted windbreaks, and installed wildlife-friendly perimeter fencing. They share soil and plant tissue test results each year with landowners whose land they lease.
How Barney Creek Livestock Makes Money
Grazing livestock
The operation is a cattle enterprise built on grass rather than harvested feed. The published story emphasizes lowering cost per animal through grazing management.
Equipment and labor savings
Dropping hay production avoided equipment depreciation of about $120,000, plus fuel and labor. Costs that never occur are as valuable as new sales.
Leased land partnerships
Leasing from five landowners expands grazing capacity without buying land. Sharing soil data builds trust that helps keep leases in place.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Barney Creek Livestock
Lease with data. By giving landowners yearly soil and plant tissue results, the Lannans show leased ground is improving, which makes them attractive tenants in a tight land market.
Question the hay field. Stopping hay production eliminated a large equipment bill. Ranchers should price the whole cost of hay, including machinery, labor and timing, against stockpiled forage and purchased insurance bales.
Grazing all winter in Paradise Valley takes confidence, long underwear and a cow that believes in the plan. Readers who enjoy farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes about retired balers should pay a visit to farm.FM, where the baler has a permanent place of honor in the shed, quietly collecting dust and sympathy.
Readers who want the full experience can pair the jokes with Tractor Tunes, the country music for farmers that farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, plays between stories. This author page is a fine starting point.
How to Contact Barney Creek Livestock
No official ranch website was found; this page is a trade news article about the operation, November 2026. For award inquiries contact the Montana DNRC Rangeland Resources Program.
Barney Creek Livestock Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Drovers article - Barney Creek Livestock selected for the Montana Leopold Conservation Award
- Montana DNRC Leopold program - State program page for the award
- Sand County Foundation - Montana Leopold award background and finalists
- USDA Farmers.gov - NRCS EQIP and FSA program information
- USDA Census of Agriculture - State and county ag statistics
Barney Creek Livestock FAQ
Where is Barney Creek Livestock?
In Livingston, Park County, in Montana's Paradise Valley.
What do the Lannans do differently?
They graze year-round with rotational grazing and stopped making hay in 2016.
Why is it elite?
It won the 2022 Montana Leopold Conservation Award.
How much land does it use?
The family's 200-acre ranch plus more than 800 leased acres, according to Drovers.
Barney Creek Livestock is a practical model for Montana ranchers who want lower costs and healthier grass without owning more land. See the Montana farms guide and the other profiled operations for related strategies.