Holistic Cattle Ranching Icon Dies at 72

It was with great sadness that HMI learned of the passing of Dale Lasater of Matheson, Colorado on October 14 in a tragic horse accident. Dale was a well-known Colorado cattle rancher and conservationist and was a founding board member of the Colorado Branch of Holistic Management. Dale is survived by his wife, Janine; sons, Alex and Tom Lasater; grandchildren, Thomas and Elizabeth; brothers, Laurence and Lane Lasater; and sister, Sally Lasater. Dale influenced many people because of his commitment to ranching, cattle, and land stewardship.  He carried on four generations of breeding Beefmaster cattle and improving the Holistic Management of the ranch when he took over management of the Lasater Ranch in 1986. Dale was raised on The Lasater Ranch in Falfurrias, Texas and Matheson, Colorado. He graduated from Princeton University and spent a year studying as a Fulbright scholar at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also worked on a cattle improvement program with the Peace Corps in Colombia. Dale is a past president of the Pikes Peak Cattlemen's Association, and served on the board of directors of the Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust, the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, and the National Cattlemen's Association. In 2002, Dale was awarded the Slow Food Award for Biodiversity in Turin, Italy. In 2012 Dale was awarded the Stuart P. Dodge award for lifetime achievement by the Palmer Land Trust. HMI offers our condolences to the Lasater family and all those who knew Dale.