2S Land and Cattle Receives 2016 Kansas Leopold Conservation Award®
November 22, 2016
Sand County Foundation, the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts (KACD) and the Ranchland Trust of Kansas (RTK), are proud to announce 2S Land and Cattle as the recipient of the 2016 Kansas Leopold Conservation Award®, which honors Kansas landowner achievement in voluntary stewardship and management of natural resources.
Owned and managed by Randy and Nicole Small, 2S Land and Cattle is a sixth generation cattle ranch and crop farm in the Verdigris River Basin near the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Smalls work alongside their family, including their two young sons who have a budding interest in the family business and have even taken on the responsibility of planting their own crops.
The Smalls have long been considered leaders in relay cropping, which occurs when a second crop is planted into the first crop before harvest. Lespedeza is grown into their wheat crop and sold as seed to other producers, and red clover has been seeded to provide an emergency source of hay during dry years.
Rotational grazing occurs in 2-3 pasture rotations, and their stocking rates are dependent on the quality and type of pasture. The Smalls have purchased and leased several overgrazed pastures over the years, regenerating and building the native grass biodiversity over time with light grazing, patch burning and limited herbicide treatments. These efforts have paid off in productivity, often allowing the pastures to be stocked at heavier rates than neighboring paddocks.
Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the Leopold Conservation Award recognizes extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. It inspires other landowners through these examples and provides a visible forum where farmers, ranchers and other private landowners are recognized as conservation leaders. In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage, which he called “an evolutionary possibility and an ecological necessity.”
The $10,000 award and a crystal depicting Aldo Leopold was presented to the Smalls at the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts Annual Convention in Wichita on November 21.
“The Kansas Association of Conservation Districts is proud to recognize the Smalls for their outstanding land stewardship,” said Jim Krueger, KACD Executive Director. “The Smalls are incredibly deserving of this award. Their commitment to land health demonstrates how you can be successful in agriculture while conserving Kansas’ natural resources.”
“The Smalls are an extraordinary family that represents the best of voluntary conservation of our natural resources,” said Bill Eastman, RTK Chair of the Board. “They do an incredible job balancing their love of the land and respect for wildlife with their farm and ranch needs.”
The Leopold Conservation Award Program in Kansas is made possible thanks to the generous support of Clean Line Energy Partners, USDA NRCS Kansas, Ducks Unlimited, ITC Great Plains, Westar Energy, Kansas State Forestry, and Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.
Visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.
ABOUT THE LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD
The Leopold Conservation Award is a competitive award that recognizes landowner achievement in voluntary conservation. The award consists of $10,000 and a crystal depicting Aldo Leopold. Sand County Foundation presents Leopold Conservation Awards in California, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
ABOUT SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION
Sand County Foundation (www.sandcountyfoundation.org) is a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to working with private landowners across North America to advance ethical and scientifically sound land management practices that benefit the environment.
ABOUT KANSAS ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS
The Kansas Association of Conservation Districts (www.kacdnet.org) is a voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit, incorporated organization composed of members from the conservation districts located throughout Kansas’ 105 counties. Through partnerships with federal, state, and local entities, the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts has brought together groups that share the common goal of wise and efficient conservation practices that protect Kansas’ natural resources. The Kansas Association of Conservation Districts promotes and supports the establishment of programs dedicated to conservation and the organized development of Kansas land, water and related resources.
ABOUT RANCHLAND TRUST OF KANSAS
The Ranchland Trust of Kansas (www.ranchlandtrustofkansas.org) is a private, non-profit organization founded by members of the Kansas Livestock Association in 2003. The organization was created to provide assistance to ranchers and landowners who are conservation easements. Guided by their mission to preserve Kansas’ ranching heritage and open spaces for future generations through the conservation of working landscapes, the Ranchland Trust of Kansas values a commitment to conservation, respect for private landownership, integrity, organizational excellence and collaboration with those who share their values. The Ranchland Trust of Kansas remains an affiliate of the Kansas Livestock Association.