John and Dorothy Priske Receive Wisconsin Leopold Conservation Award

John and Dorothy Priske of Fall River have been selected as the recipients of the 2021 Wisconsin Leopold Conservation Award^®.

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes farmers and forestland owners who inspire others with their dedication to land, water and wildlife habitat management on private, working land.

In Wisconsin the $10,000 award is presented annually by Sand County Foundation, American Farmland Trust, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, and Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.

John and Dorothy Priske were revealed as this year’s award recipient at the November 18 meeting of the Board of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection in Madison. They receive $10,000 and a crystal award for being selected. A video celebrating their conservation success will be premiered during the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s virtual Annual Meeting on December 5.

“John and Dorothy Priske exemplify conservation and economic resilience, and DATCP is proud to partner with the Sand County Foundation to recognize their efforts,” said Randy Romanski, Wisconsin Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. “The collaborative conservation work being done all over the state is an example of how, together, we can invest in soil and water health while strengthening our economy. Thank you to the Priske family on their commitment to lead the way on practicing conservation and supporting the next generation of Wisconsin farmers.”

“Wisconsin Farm Bureau is proud to partner with the Sand County Foundation to recognize farmers for their conservation efforts,” said Wisconsin Farm Bureau President Kevin Krentz. “We extend our congratulations to the Priske family on their outstanding dedication to conservation.”

“As the national sponsor for Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award, American Farmland Trust celebrates the hard work and dedication of the Wisconsin recipient,” said John Piotti, AFT President and CEO. “At AFT we believe that conservation in agriculture requires a focus on the land, the practices and the people and this award recognizes the integral role of all three.”

“Recipients of this award are real life examples of conservation-minded agriculture,” said Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer. “These hard-working families are essential to our environment, food system and rural economy.”

Earlier this year, owners of Wisconsin farmland and forests were encouraged to apply (or be nominated) for the award. Applications were reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders. Among the many outstanding Wisconsin landowners nominated for the award were finalists: Mike Berg of Lafayette County, and Charlie Hammer and Nancy Kavazanjian of Dodge County.

The first Wisconsin Leopold Conservation Award was presented to woodland conservationist Gerry Mich of Appleton in 2006. The 2020 recipient was farmers John and Melissa Eron of Stevens Point.

The Leopold Conservation Award in Wisconsin is made possible thanks to the generous contributions from American Farmland Trust, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Sand County Foundation, 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.

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.”

Sand County Foundation presents the Leopold Conservation Award to private landowners in 23 states with a variety of conservation, agricultural and forestry organizations. For more information on the award, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.

ABOUT JOHN AND DOROTHY PRISKE

John and Dorothy Priske liken their fields and pastures to sons and daughters.

They’ve worked shoulder to shoulder to improve their farm’s environmental and economic resilience with conservation practices and direct marketing.

Both were born on Wisconsin farms, but their path back to farming was hard won. They worked off-farm jobs out West before saving enough for a down payment on 280 acres in Columbia County in 1986. After growing asparagus with John’s brother, their first years of raising livestock and row crops were met with struggle due to low commodity prices.

A visit to a grass-fed beef and sheep station in New Zealand convinced them to change course.

The Priskes began transitioning their crop fields to pastures. Deep- rooted grasses benefit soil health by accumulating soil organic matter, infiltrating water, and sequestrating carbon. A continuous living cover reduces the risk of soil erosion.

They chose a breed of cattle, Scottish Highland, that could eat an oak savanna’s rough forage. They devised a rotational grazing system that would benefit the cattle and the landscape.

By the early 2000s direct marketing their beef became the backbone of the farm. They supplied choice cuts to high-end Madison restaurants, and sold beef at the Dane County Farmers' Market. It was at their market booth where they would show customers a notebook detailing their conservation practices.

“They’re not just buying our beef. They’re buying our farming practices,” Dorothy said.

The Priskes also shared their lessons learned with other farmers by hosting field days and seminars on profitably managing land and direct marketing beef.

They built relationships with their customers and conservationists as well. In 2004 they were selected to attend Terra Madre, a gathering of 5,000 farmers from 130 countries committed to sustainable farming methods. The Priskes helped train district conservationists on working with farmers, and leased land for Madison College’s Institute of Sustainable Agriculture.

In 2017, in collaboration with University of Wisconsin researchers, the Priskes planted 12 acres of Kernza, a perennial grain with an extensive root system. Two years later they hosted an international Kernza conference, attracting researchers from across the globe to view their fields of the deep-rooted wheatgrass species. Their grain was sold to Patagonia Provisions that made the world’s first beer from Kernza, aptly named Long Root Ale.

Over the years the Priskes restored 30 acres of tall grass prairie, and 30 acres of prairie wetland previously drained for cultivation. Such efforts earned them the “Leopold Restoration Award of Excellence in Ecological Restoration Practices” from the Friends of the University of Wisconsin Arboretum.

Now retired, the Priskes remain active in promoting responsible land management and agricultural sustainability. They’ve sold all of their Scottish Highland cattle, and rent their pastures to other graziers. They maintain land enrolled in the federal Conservation Reserve Program with prescribed burnings.

To protect their legacy, the Priskes placed an agricultural conservation easement with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection on the farm that restricts development in perpetuity.

The Priskes tell visitors that viewing their farm is like “seeing a piece of their souls.”

It’s a fitting remark from the newest recipients of the Wisconsin Leopold Conservation Award; It was Aldo Leopold who wrote, “The landscape of any farm is the owner’s portrait of himself.”

LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD PROGRAM

The Leopold Conservation Award is a competitive award that recognizes landowner achievement in voluntary conservation. Sand County Foundation presents the award in California, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont). www.leopoldconservationaward.org

SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION

Sand County Foundation inspires and empowers a growing number of private landowners to ethically manage natural resources in their care, so future generations have clean and abundant water, healthy soil to support agriculture and forestry, plentiful habitat for wildlife and opportunities for outdoor recreation. www.sandcountyfoundation.org

AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST

American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through its No Farms, No Food message. Since its founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 6.5 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally sound farming practices on millions of additional acres, and supported thousands of farm families. www.farmland.org

WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation is Wisconsin's largest general farm organization. It represents nearly 24,000 farms and agriculturists who belong to one of 61 county Farm Bureaus found across the state. Much like Wisconsin's diverse agricultural landscape, Farm Bureau members represent all farm commodities, farm sizes and management styles. Farm Bureau's mission is to lead the farm and rural community through legislative representation, education, public relations and leadership development. www.wfbf.com

DAIRY FARMERS OF WISCONSIN

Funded by Wisconsin dairy farmers, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin is a non-profit organization that focuses on marketing and promoting Wisconsin’s world-class dairy products. www.WisconsinDairy.org