J. Luther King, Jr., is passionate about conserving the wide-open spaces of the Lone Star State and nurturing his family’s tradition of land stewardship in Texas. A native West Texan, he grew up in Odessa, and his ties to the sweeping landscapes of the region are strong.

At a time in Texas when land fragmentation is a critical conservation issue, Luther and his family have gone in the opposite direction, aggregating more than 100,000 acres in six Texas counties which the family actively manages to sustain healthy wildlife populations. In the sky islands atop the Davis Mountains, since 2014 he and his family have managed the 4K Livermore Ranch, one of the highest altitude private properties in Texas. 

Luther’s love of the land and his dedication to conservation are also exemplified by the 4K Ranch in the Northwest Hill Country. Beginning in the 1970s, Luther began assembling property in Central Texas and established 4K Land and Cattle Company near Brady. The farm and ranch operation purchased several tracts of land that were settled by Luther’s great-grandfather, family land that Luther treasured as a child. Luther and his family are now writing the next chapter of the family’s land legacy. The 4K Brady Creek Ranch is named for the four members of the King family who cherish it: Luther, his wife Teresa, and sons Bryan and Mason. The 4K Brady Creek Ranch has been honored with several conservation awards, including the prestigious Lone Star Land Steward Award for the Edwards Plateau in 2003.