Teton Regional Land Trust Announces 2025 Michael B Whitfield Scholarship Recipient, Brandon Little

Brandon Little, a student at Sugar-Salem High School, is the recipient of this year’s Michael B. Whitfield Scholarship. The $2,000 award is given annually by Teton Regional Land Trust to a senior who lives in the Land Trust’s service area with a passion for environmental studies, biology, or agriculture. 

Brandon plans to enroll in Brigham Young University-Idaho in the fall of 2026 and study Agribusiness Management after taking a year off to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Raised on a small farm in Newdale, Idaho, he spent his childhood outdoors hunting, fishing, and working with livestock. “Throughout high school I’ve enjoyed participating in the Future Farmers of America organization and growing my beef, lamb, and crop production projects. These projects have taught me important skills I will continue to use throughout my life,” explained Little.  

The Little family farm has adopted several sustainable practices that have significantly improved the health of their land. They use rotational grazing for their cattle, which prevents overgrazing and keeps the animals out of sensitive areas at key times throughout the year. They have seen a resurgence of native plants and grasses on their rangeland. The family also uses cover crops to reduce the need for fertilizers and prevent soil erosion and is exploring using specific cover crops to choke out weeds and reduce the need for applying pesticides. Brandon hopes to be a leader in these methods and inspire other young producers to try similar practices. 

With this scholarship and an Agribusiness Management degree, Brandon’s goal “is to move our family-run operation towards a sustainable and vertically integrated meat production and packing business. I want to prioritize providing quality, locally sourced, and ethically raised beef products to local consumers and restaurants who care about the environment and where their food comes from.” 

Teton Regional Land Trust created this scholarship in honor of Michael B. Whitfield who helped found the organization in 1990 and served as its Executive Director for 18 years. Michael’s passion for and commitment to land conservation in eastern Idaho has been instrumental in the preservation of key landscapes in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The scholarship is available to graduating high school seniors who show an intention to pursue a major course of study in college or vocational school in the environmental sciences, biology, ecology, environmental planning or policy, agriculture, or a related field.