Dawn and Grant Breitkreutz Receive Minnesota Leopold Conservation Award

Dawn and Grant Breitkreutz of Redwood Falls have been selected as the recipients of the inaugural Minnesota Leopold Conservation Award^®.

The award honors farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.

The Breitkreutzes, who own and operate Stoney Creek Farm, were presented with the $10,000 award at the Premier Soil Health Event in Mankato.

Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present Leopold Conservation Awards to private landowners in 28 states. In Minnesota, the $10,000 award is presented with state partners Minnesota Soil Health Coalition and Soil Regen.

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes landowners who inspire others with their dedication to environmental improvement. In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold called for “a land ethic,” an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.

Earlier this year, Minnesota landowners were encouraged to apply, or be nominated, for the award. Applications were reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders from Minnesota.

ABOUT DAWN AND GRANT BREITKREUTZ

Dawn and Grant Breitkreutz know about taking chances.

Converting their conventional cow-calf, row-crop farm into a regenerative agriculture showcase didn’t happen overnight nor without risk. Yet they say their farm’s survival once depended on it.

Shortly after taking over his family’s farm in 1996, crop yields were failing, and cattle health was declining. This prompted the Breitkreutzes to begin exploring a more sustainable approach to raising cattle and crops. They began to see that focusing on growing healthy soil would lead to healthy air, water, livestock, and wildlife.

However, their initial attempts at soil health practices were questioned by some friends and family.

“We were at the edge of quitting,” Dawn recalls.

“And then the ‘teachers’ began appearing in our path,” she said of a new network of peers who were making similar changes. As their circle of friends and mentors expanded around the globe, the acreage and herd size at Stoney Creek Farm grew as well.

Today they manage 1,759 acres across Redwood and Renville counties where diverse crop rotations of corn, soybeans, oats, cereal rye, and alfalfa are grown with a cover crop and no-till system. About 100 head of Red Angus cow-calf pairs are rotationally grazed on 675 acres of pasture and fields of cover crops throughout the year. About half of the pasture was converted from cropland, with the rest being remnant prairie.

The Breitkreutzes are pioneers of a prescribed and adaptive grazing system that reduces the need for cropping inputs while increasing forage production and pounds of beef raised per acre.

After splitting a pasture in half during their first year of grazing, they recorded increased grass growth and a prolonged grazing season. It convinced them to enroll in an Environmental Quality Incentives Program contract that provided financial and technical assistance to slice a 49-acre pasture into nine paddocks served by two summer water tanks.

The next year, grass production doubled again. They now leave more grass to rest for the winter than was previously grown in an entire growing season. With proper management and without reseeding, the number of native grass species found in their pastures has ballooned from three to more than 40.

“Our goal is to be the first farm in the neighborhood to be green across every acre in the spring and stay green throughout the summer and into the fall,” Grant said.

Adding to the green are the cover crops interseeded prior to the corn and soybean harvests to provide soil a layer of protection. Their foliage prevents erosion above the ground, while their deep roots improve water infiltration beneath it. This helps protect water quality as Stoney Creek Farm sits on a bluff along the Minnesota River.

Transitioning to growing non-GMO grains eliminated or slashed their use of synthetic insecticides, fertilizers, and herbicides. A diverse seven-grain feed mix was developed for the hogs and chickens they now market direct to consumers. Populations of deer, pheasants, grouse, and bobolinks have all rebounded at Stoney Creek Farm.

“We don’t feel the need to compete with other farms. We learned that it’s okay to share information and to be an open book,” Grant said. “The new principles we abide by can work all over the world.”

The Breitkreutzes say farming is now more enjoyable and profitable, proving the risks of conservation agriculture were certainly worth the reward.

ACCOLADES

“It is a true honor to work with and learn from Grant and Dawn Breitkreutz. Their willingness to share what they have learned on this journey and the countless hours they put into helping others is humbling and inspiring,” said Mark Gutierrez, Minnesota Soil Health Coalition Executive Director.

“We at Soil Regen are thrilled to welcome the Leopold Conservation Award to Minnesota. The state’s farmers and ranchers have long been innovative leaders in conservation, caring for the land while producing food and fiber for their communities. The Leopold Conservation Award will help shine on spotlight on these dedicated land stewards who are building soil health, protecting water quality, and enhancing wildlife habitat across Minnesota’s diverse landscapes,” said Liz Haney of Soil Regen. “We look forward to celebrating their achievements and sharing their inspiring stories of conservation excellence.”

“The Breitkreutz family have set the bar for conservation and stewardship in the Minnesota agricultural community. They are great examples of making incremental changes to their operation that have helped them move to higher levels of environmental stewardship as well as economic sustainability. Dawn and Grant have not only impacted their own farm but also their community and beyond as leaders in soil health and conservation agriculture,” said Troy Daniell, State Conservationist for Minnesota NRCS.

“Dawn and Grant exemplify a commitment to environmental stewardship we deeply admire,” said Jay Watson, Director of Regenerative Agriculture, General Mills. “Their dedication serves as an inspiration to others in the Minnesota farming community. This award is a well-deserved recognition of their exceptional work, and General Mills is proud to support their efforts in building a more sustainable future for agriculture.”

“These award recipients are examples of how Aldo Leopold’s land ethic is alive and well today,” said Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation President and CEO. “Their dedication to conservation is both an inspiration to their peers as well as a reminder to all how important thoughtful agriculture is to clean water, healthy soil, and wildlife habitat.”

“As the national sponsor for Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award, American Farmland Trust celebrates the hard work and dedication of the award recipients,” said John Piotti, AFT President and CEO. “At AFT we believe that exemplary conservation involves the land itself, the practices employed on the land, and the people who steward it. This award recognizes the integral role of all three.”

Among the outstanding Minnesota landowners nominated for the award were finalists: Hannah Bernhardt of Finlayson in Pine County, Tom Cotter of Austin in Mower County, and Meadowbrook Dairy of Sartell in Stearns County.

The Leopold Conservation Award in Minnesota is made possible thanks to the generous support of American Farmland Trust, Minnesota Soil Health Coalition, Soil Regen, General Mills, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service of Minnesota, Sand County Foundation, Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, Audubon Minnesota, Minnesota Corn, Minnesota Ducks Unlimited, Minnesota Farm Bureau, Minnesota Farm Bureau Foundation, Minnesota Farmers Union, Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association, Minnesota Wheat Research & Promotion Council, Pheasants Forever in Minnesota, Renovo Seed, Saddle Butte Ag Inc., and The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota.

# # #

SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION inspires and empowers private landowners to ethically manage natural resources 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