Our Land
With over 217,000 acres of native rangeland, East Foundation has one of the largest ranch holdings in Texas. Our six ranches span parts of Jim Hogg, Kenedy, Starr, and Willacy counties. East Foundation maintains its ranch headquarters on the historic San Antonio Viejo, situated across southern Jim Hogg and northern Starr counties.
The ranchlands owned by the East Foundation were acquired by the East family over a period of about one hundred years. They ranched mainly on lands across the Wild Horse Desert, a region known also as the South Texas Sand Sheet and the Coastal Sand Plains.
The East family used their ranchlands for wildlife conservation and cattle raising. Traditionally maintained as native rangeland and working cattle ranches, we continue their legacy by using our lands as a working laboratory where scientists and managers collaborate to address issues important to wildlife management, rangeland health, and ranch productivity.
Check out our Story Map to find out where we are and what we're up to.
Cattle Operations
East Foundation manages a working cattle ranch across our lands to keep us directly engaged with today’s ranch managers. We are constantly striving to face the challenges and issues while maintaining an effective and efficient balance between our land, cattle, and wildlife.
We are primarily a cow-calf and stocker operation that uses its land in a sustainable way to promote not only cattle performance but also wildlife and rangeland enhancement. The focus of our cow herd is to produce high quality maternal and terminal cattle while also improving our native forage (plant material) supply and rangeland health.
Our cow herd is composed of primarily Santa Gertrudis and Red Angus type cattle. These cattle have been developed over time to thrive in the tough arid environment in which most of our ranches are located.
Our ranching operation is an integral component of the land with our efforts aimed at producing high quality protein while practicing sound land stewardship. We work diligently to do what’s right for the land and the life that depends on it.
Our Brand
Today, the East Foundation uses two of the East family brands – the Lazy Diamond and the Diamond Bar. These brands trace their history over a century. Tom T. East, Sr. registered the Diamond Bar brand in Brooks County in 1912 and later in Jim Hogg, Starr, Zapata, Frio, and Webb Counties. From 1913 to 1943, Tom T. East, Sr. used his brand to mark livestock across 400,000 acres of South Texas ranchland.
The East family was proud of their brand. Cow hands riding for these brands marked tens-of-thousands of cattle that travelled to ranches, feed yards, and packing plants throughout the country. These brands still represent a spirit of independence, a perseverance through hardship, and a commitment to the land. We still ride for the brand.
