He grew up listening to stories about his grandfather’s ranch near Belton. In the 1950s, the family was pushed off their land by eminent domain proceedings related to the construction of Stillhouse Hollow Lake by the Army Corps of Engineers. He can still recall the conversations around the kitchen table about that life-altering move.

“It was tough for my family and as I grew older, I realized how many pressures can come to bear upon working lands and how livelihoods and passions can be upended overnight by unforeseen circumstances,” said Ellis. “That’s one of the things that draws me to TALT. TALT’s core principles are about property rights and finding the right tools to help landowners keep working lands working and pass it along to the next generation.”