Another three Wisconsin farm families have been selected as finalists for the annual Leopold Conservation Award, in which the winner will get $10,000 for demonstrating responsible stewardship and management of natural resources. The program, which is a partnership between the Sand County Foundation and Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, is also made possible through the support of Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, American Farmland Trust, Compeer Financial, Culver's, McDonald's, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, We Energies Foundation, Wisconsin Corn Growers Association, Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board, Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association, and Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association.
"Recipients of this award are real life examples of conservation-minded agriculture," said Sand County Foundation CEO Kevin McAleese. "These hard-working families are essential to our environment, food system and rural economy."
This year's finalists include
** Mike Berg of Blanchardville in Lafayette County: Berg's farm has long featured contour strips and no-till practices. Recently he's planted more than 25,000 trees. Rip-rapping installed along the Pecatonica River has reduced erosion, minimized cropland damage from flooding, and improved fish habitat. Waterways are lined with grass buffer strips of at least 16 feet in width. Berg's beef cattle are rotationally grazed in a manner than encourages grass growth while retaining soil.
** Charlie Hammer and Nancy Kavazanjian of Beaver Dam in Dodge County: These early adopters of reduced-tillage farming methods are also leaders in other ecological ways to protect soil and water. Cover crops are incorporated into their corn, soybean and winter wheat crop rotation. Pollinator habitats and prairie strips of native wildflowers and grasses are installed within their crop fields. Duck scrapes and food plots provide wildlife habitat. Solar and wind energy systems reduce their farm's carbon footprint and electrical bills.
** John and Dorothy Priske of Fall River in Columbia County: The Priskes adopted no-till and rotational grazing practices, and installed grass waterways to improve water infiltration, sequester carbon and build organic matter in their soil. They raised and direct marketed Scottish Highland beef cattle until 2015. Their pastures provided deep-rooted ground cover to reduce soil erosion. The Priskes lease 165 acres of farmland to Madison College for use as an agricultural education facility.
The award, which is named in honor of world-renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, is presented annually in nine states to private landowners who practice responsible land stewardship and management. A winning recipient will be announced this fall during the WFBF convention in Wisconsin Dells.
Last year, John & Melissa Eron of Stevens Point in Portage County were named the winners of the Leopold Conservation Award.
This is the twelfth year the program has been run in Wisconsin.
Categories: Wisconsin, Sustainable Agriculture