Iowa Leopold Conservation Award Seeks Nominees
February 15, 2024
Nominations and applications are now being accepted for the 2024 Iowa Leopold Conservation Award®.
The $10,000 award honors ranchers, farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.
Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present the Leopold Conservation Award to private landowners in 27 states. In Iowa, the award is presented with state partners: Conservation Districts of Iowa and Practical Farmers of Iowa.
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 what he called “a land ethic,” an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.
Nominations may be submitted on behalf of a landowner, or landowners may nominate themselves. The application can be found at www.sandcountyfoundation.org/ApplyLCA.
The application deadline is July 1, 2024. Applications can be emailed to award@sandcountyfoundation.org. Applications will be reviewed by an independent panel of Iowa agricultural and conservation leaders. The recipient will be announced at The Big Soil Health Event this fall. Last year’s recipient of the award was Loran Steinlage of West Union.
“It’s critical we continue to recognize and life up the Iowa farmers and ranchers who are prioritizing conservation on their working lands,” said Sally Worley, Practical Farmers of Iowa Executive Director. “PFI is proud to support the Iowa Leopold Conservation Award and its commitment to conservation in agriculture.”
“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.
“Recipients of this award 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 farmers, ranchers and forestland owners,” 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.”
The Iowa Leopold Conservation Award is made possible through the generous support of American Farmland Trust, Conservation Districts of Iowa, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Sand County Foundation, Soil Regen, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Credit Services of America, Nancy and Marc DeLong, Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance, Iowa Corn, and Leopold Landscape Alliance.
LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD PROGRAM is a competitive award that recognizes landowner achievement in voluntary conservation. Sand County Foundation presents the award in California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, 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