NEW YORK, NY (July 22, 2025) — The National Audubon Society has certified all 15 family ranches in the Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed network across the Great Plains and Midwest as Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land. Grassfed beef products from Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed – available at more than 2,500 retail locations nationwide – will begin carrying the Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly seal, the certification’s package branding that recognizes lands managed for birds and biodiversity.
This certification is earned through Audubon’s Conservation Ranching program. It marks a major milestone for Audubon’s flagship grassland habitat effort, expanding its total acreage under bird-friendly management nationwide to over 3 million acres.
“Grasslands are arguably our most threatened ecosystem, but hope is not lost. This partnership elevates the untold story of grasslands in a very important and timely way,” said Chris Wilson, Program Director for Audubon Conservation Ranching. “Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed producers see their land as more than a place to raise cattle, but as habitat for birds and wildlife. Their animals aren’t just livestock, but habitat helpers. And birds aren’t just background noise; they are the best indicators of ecosystem health. With Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed products reaching stores in every state across the Lower 48, we now have a powerful and far-reaching way to connect consumers to conservation—through the food on their plates.”
In the Audubon Conservation Ranching program, the Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed ranch network joins a collective of over 120 ranches in the unique, market-connected conservation approach aimed at supporting grassland bird populations. According to the most recent State of the Birds report, grassland birds have suffered the steepest declines of any bird group in North America, with populations plummeting by 43% since 1970 due largely to habitat loss and degradation. Audubon Conservation Ranching enlists ranchers, who fight on the front lines of grassland conservation, to help build better habitat that benefits grassland specialists like the Bobolink, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Eastern Meadowlark.
Matt Maier, the owner of Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed, shepherded his ranch network (including his own family ranch near Clearwater, Minnesota, near the company’s headquarters) through Audubon’s rigorous certification process. He notes that each of his brand’s ranch suppliers – ranches in Arkansas, Minnesota, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming – now operate under a habitat management plan developed in collaboration with Audubon range ecologists.
These plans incorporate rotational grazing techniques that mimic the natural disturbance patterns of bison herds, creating patchworks of grasses and flowering plants. “Not all of our grassland bird species have the same habitat needs,” said Wilson. “In this respect, rotational grazing is the ultimate habitat tool, creating different areas of varied vegetation heights and plant diversity that benefits as many birds as possible.”
Audubon’s Conservation Ranching program requires participating ranches to meet rigorous standards in three areas: habitat management, environmental sustainability, and animal health and welfare, plus third-party verification.
“This certification means consumers can know with certainty the practices of all our farmers support diverse pastures full of grasses, flowers, forbs, legumes, buzzing insects, and nesting birds. It is habitat made entirely possible through bird-friendly grazing,” Maier said. “Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed will proudly bear the Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land certification on our entire grassfed beef product line.”
Maier said in a perfect world, every consumer would know their neighbor farmer or rancher. “But certifications play an important role in bridging that relationship gap, in linking land management to consumers. We encourage consumers to know their farmer or rancher’s practices by learning how they are stewarding and regenerating the soil, enhancing biodiversity, and nourishing animals. We think being Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly is the ideal way to relay our on-farm and on-ranch practices directly to consumers.”
Consumers and conservationists can find products from Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land using this retail locator.
For more information about Audubon Conservation Ranching nationally, please contact ConservationRanching@Audubon.org.
About Audubon Conservation Ranching
Audubon Conservation Ranching partners with ranchers to sustain healthy grasslands, abundant birdlife, and resilient rural communities. Through our bird-friendly land certification and science-based approach, we empower land stewards to enhance habitat, improve soil health and water quality, and strengthen the connection between conservation and ranching. By purchasing products from Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land, consumers become conservationists, helping protect America’s grasslands and the birds, wildlife, and people that depend on them. For more information, visit www.audubon.org/ranching.
About Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed
Founded in 2003, Thousand Hills works with dozens of family farms across the U.S. to raise Lifetime Grazed Grass Fed Beef with regenerative agriculture practices. To date, 600,000 acres have been transitioned to regenerative practices to support biological diversity, natural resources, native wildlife habitat and soil fertility. Regional, decentralized processing builds a resilient supply chain for customers while invigorating rural economies. A leader in the industry, Thousand Hills produces the #1 fresh protein product nationally in the natural channel. The company’s mission: Nourishing soil, plants, cattle and people by grazing cattle for their lifetime.
Media contact:
Anthony Hauck, Communications Manager, Audubon Conservation Ranching, Anthony.Hauck@audubon.org
