Ben Lehfeldt

Ben Lehfeldt, a fifth generation sheep rancher from Lavina, Montana  represents the American Sheep Industry on the NatGLC board.  Ben attended Montana State University and received bachelor degrees in Biochemistry and Agronomy.  He worked in St. Louis, MO for Monsanto Company as a corn geneticist and helped to conduct corn yield tests throughout the Midwest.  Ben returned to the Montana ranch after seven years and joined by father in their current partnership.  His family runs a range operation with registered/NSIP Rambouillet ewes and commercial cattle.  Their operation includes shed lambing and relies on sheepherders to manage our ewes and lambs. Their sheep are used for control of noxious weeds during the spring and summer months on public and private lands.  They feed their weaned lambs using crops (alfalfa, grain, and corn silage) they produce during the summer months and retain ownership of the lambs which are finished in commercial feedlots.

Ben has been a part of several national organizations related to the sheep industry over the past ten years since returning to the ranch: Board of Directors NatGLC, ASI Wool Council, National Lamb Council, Mountain States Lamb Co-op, National Lamb Feeders member, American Lamb Board, Let’s Grow Initiative, and ASI Emerging Entrepreneurs

Locally, he has been involved in several groups that are important me in helping to maintain their small town way of life. These include the Montana GLCI, Lavina High School Board Member, County land board, County tax appeal board, County weed board, County Farm Bureau, and County Farm Service Agency Committee.

Communication amongst our industries, both locally and nationally, is an important part of the distribution of knowledge not only to individuals entering the industry but also the sharing of successes and failures of current ranch operations.  He looks forward to continuing to be a part of NatGLC and helping to promote the benefits of our industry as an important part of the future.