Bamberger Ranch Preserve, located in Blanco County, Texas, is a powerful story of love and conservation. J. David Bamberger sought to realize a dream of land conservation, and in 1969 went looking for the worst piece of ranch land in the Texas Hill Country. J. David was inspired by author Louis Bromfield, who published a memoir in 1945 about restoring a run-down farm back to health and beauty. J. David has dedicated the past 50+ years to restoring this run-down 5500 acre ranch to a model of health, winning numerous awards along the way. The story of Bamberger Ranch has been the subject of two books – “Water From Stone: The Story of Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve” and “Seasons At Selah: The Legacy of Bamberger Ranch Preserve;” along with numerous videos documenting the extraordinary restoration and lessons learned from this amazing achievement. Soil for Water is privileged to include Bamberger Ranch Preserve in it’s program.
Tag Archive for: Peggy Sechrist
by Peggy Sechrist, Soil for Water Advisor
Hershey Ranch located in Gillespie County in the Central Texas Hill Country has a fascinating history. It is composed of property from seven land grants and patents that date back to when Texas was a Colony of Spain. In 1857, the property known today as the Hershey Ranch was once owned by a Scottish cotton factory owner which is unique because Gillespie County was largely settled by Germans. Jake and Teresa Hershey purchased the property in 1976 for cattle ranching. Good land stewardship was always a priority for them. They donated a conservation easement to the Hill Country Land Trust to protect it from future development. It is now the largest piece of protected land in Gillespie County.