Four Finalists Vie for Iowa Leopold Conservation Award
August 19, 2024
Four finalists have been selected for the 2024 Iowa Leopold Conservation Award®.
The award honors farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.
Named in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, this 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.
Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present Leopold Conservation Awards to private landowners in 28 states. In Iowa, the $10,000 award is presented with state partners: Conservation Districts of Iowa and Practical Farmers of Iowa.
The finalists are:
James Hepp of Rockwell City in Calhoun County. First-generation farmer, James Hepp, entered into his first crop share agreement on 160 acres in 2020. Today, Hepp Farms consists of nearly 1,400 acres of corn and soybeans. Cover crops of oats and rye are grown to build soil health, suppress weeds, and reduce the need for herbicides. Soil and sap testing throughout the growing season helps fine-tune his management of nutrients. No-till and strip-till practices, relay cropping, and buffer strips help reduce erosion and improve water quality. James serves as an assistant commissioner on the Calhoun County Soil and Water Conservation District.
Bob and Robby Jewell of Decorah in Winneshiek County. Bob and Robby Jewell prioritize conservation at their 1,600-acre Jewell Enterprizes. Beef cattle are rotationally grazed using a mob grazing system that encourages regrowth of native grasses. To build cropland’s organic matter, the herd is grazed on cover crops. The Jewells also raise organic turkeys and pastured pork. Intermixed with fields of corn, soybeans, alfalfa, and cereal grains, the Jewells manage 95 acres of wetlands, and 611 acres of timber. Protecting these highly erodible areas protects water quality while providing large, interconnected corridors of wildlife habitat.
Wendy Mariko Johnson of Charles City in Floyd County. Wendy Johnson farms with her family at two farms. She utilizes prairie strips, cover cropping and no-till practices on corn and soybeans at the 1,000-acre Center View Farms. At the 130-acre Joia Food and Fiber Farm she transitioned corn fields into perennial pastures for rotational grazing of sheep and cattle. She has planted more than 6,000 fruit, nut and hardwood trees, and incorporates silvopasture. Riparian areas have been restored, and stream banks stabilized for cleaner water. Mowing is delayed to encourage nesting by grassland birds. Crops of kernza are grazed and harvested for grain each year.
Landon and Anne Plagge of Latimer in Franklin County. The Plagges grow corn, soybeans, oats, and raise hogs. With no-till practices and growing cover crops of radish, turnips, and cereal rye, they are improving their soil’s organic matter and its ability to infiltrate and retain moisture, which helps sequester carbon, and boost crop yields without increasing inputs. In 2020 they started Green Acres Seed Co. a cover crop and agriculture service specializing in soil health consulting, and cover crop transition planning and seeding. They advocate for increasing diversity in crop rotations and rural community preservation.
Iowa landowners were encouraged to apply, or be nominated, for the award. An independent panel of Iowa agricultural and conservation leaders reviewed the applications. The award recipient will be recognized at The Big Soil Health Event this fall. Last year’s recipient of the award was Loran Steinlage of West Union.
The Leopold Conservation Award in Iowa is made possible thanks to the generous support of American Farmland Trust, Conservation Districts of Iowa, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Sand County Foundation, Soil Regen, Farm Credit Services of America, Nancy and Marc DeLong, Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance, Iowa Corn, Iowa Farmers Union, Leopold Landscape Alliance, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
“The contenders for the Iowa Leopold Conservation Award are an impressive example of farmers who are simultaneously prioritizing conservation and profit on a working farm,” said Sally Worley, Practical Farmers of Iowa Executive Director. “Iowa is a better place as a result of their commitment to conservation.”
“A native Iowan, Aldo Leopold has inspired generations of other Iowans to preserve and care for our precious natural resources through conservation. The work that he did throughout his life has been used as a guide by so many conservationists in Iowa, and now that work carries on into the future,” said Dien Judge, Conservation Districts of Iowa Executive Director.
“These award finalists are examples of how Aldo Leopold’s land ethic is alive and well today. Their dedication to conservation shows how individuals can improve the health of the land while producing food and fiber,” said Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation President and CEO.
“As the national sponsor for Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award, American Farmland Trust, celebrates the hard work and dedication of the Iowa award finalists,” 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.”
For more information, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.
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James Hepp of Rockwell City in Calhoun County.
Bob and Robby Jewell of Decorah in Winneshiek County
Wendy Mariko Johnson of Charles City in Floyd County
Landon and Anne Plagge of Latimer in Franklin County
LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARDS recognize landowner achievement in voluntary conservation. Sand County Foundation presents the award in California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont). www.leopoldconservationaward.org
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 6.8 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and supported thousands of farm families. www.farmland.org
PRACTICAL FARMERS OF IOWA is an inclusive organization representing a diversity of farmers. Farmers in our network raise corn and soybeans, hay, livestock large and small, horticultural crops from fruits and vegetables to cut flowers and herbs, and more. Our members have conventional and organic systems’ employ diverse management practices; run operations of all sizes; and come from a range of backgrounds. These farmers come together, however, because they believe in nature as the model for agriculture and they are committed to moving their operations toward sustainability. www.practicalfarmers.org
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
THE CONSERVATION DISTRICTS OF IOWA informs, educates and leads Iowans through our local soil and water conservation districts to promote conservation of natural resources. www.cdiowa.org