MOOSOMIN – Ralph and Linda Corcoran of the Moosomin area are the 2026 Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA) nominees for Saskatchewan.
For the Corcorans, ranching has always been about more than raising cattle. It has been about caring for the land, adapting to change, and leaving something better for the next generation.
The Corcorans’ story is especially fitting in 2026, the United Nations’ International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, which recognizes the vital role that healthy rangelands, and people who steward them play in supporting biodiversity, food production and resilient ecosystems.
After starting with a few cows on rented land in 1976 in Southwest Saskatchewan, Ralph and Linda bought land west of Moosomin and gradually built a ranch that would become known for its thoughtful approach to grazing and land stewardship. Over the years, they expanded their land base, and today, run roughly 250 cows across 900 acres of carefully managed pastures.
A pivotal moment for the Corcoran family came in 2001 when they were introduced to holistic management, an approach that encourages producers to work with natural systems rather than against them. Instead of following a fixed routine, they began making decisions based on what the land needed. Grazing was carefully planned to allow grasses time to recover, helping improve plant diversity, strengthen soils and make pastures more resilient to changing weather conditions.
Over time, those decisions transformed the landscape. Healthy grasslands became home to a greater variety of plants and wildlife, while shelterbelts and wetlands provided important habitat for birds, pollinators, and other species. By maintaining these natural features and carefully managing grazing, the Corcorans created a working landscape where agriculture and biodiversity could thrive together.
Click here to see more...