Whispering Hills Farm Receives Kentucky Leopold Conservation Award

Whispering Hills Farm of Lawrenceburg is the recipient of the 2024 Kentucky Leopold Conservation Award^®.

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

Whispering Hills Farm’s owners, Mike and Tammy Wilson, were presented with the award at the Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts’ Annual Convention on July 16. They receive $10,000 for being selected.

Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust will present Leopold Conservation Awards to landowners in 28 states this year. In Kentucky, the award is presented annually with the Kentucky Agricultural Council, and the Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts.

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes farmers and forestland owners 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.

Kentucky landowners were encouraged to apply, or be nominated, for the award this year. Applications were reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders from Kentucky. Among the many outstanding landowners nominated for the award were finalists: Steve and Melanie Kelley of Bardwell in Carlisle County, and John and Randy Seymour of Upton in Hart County.

ABOUT WHISPERING HILLS FARM

Mike and Tammy Wilson started from the ground up when they purchased 75 acres in 1999.

Overgrown with hedge apples, cedars and thorn trees, Mike used a track hoe and dozer to clean up Whispering Hills Farm acre by acre. After their home was built, the Wilsons used timber harvested from the property to build fence posts and two barns.

Conservation practices that protect soil, water and wildlife habitat were critical in turning an unproductive piece of land into a successful beef cattle business. After re-establishing a mix of forages on 45 acres of pastures, Mike began a rotational grazing system to efficiently prevent overgrazing and provide a month-long rest period to allow for plant regrowth.

Thirty acres of forests were maintained, as were 300-foot wooded buffers between pastures and creeks to prevent soil erosion and protect water quality. In addition to leasing 65 acres for grazing, the Wilsons have purchased adjacent parcels that bring their farm’s size to 197 acres.

Alleyways were installed to facilitate rotational grazing, as were nine frost-free automatic waterers connected by a water distribution system. Forage density is maintained by providing 2.5 acres to every cow-calf pair.

To minimize soil disturbance from hoof traffic during winter months, Mike experimented with portable wagons and bale grazing. He was one of two Kentucky farmers to participate in a six-state, three-year project with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service to evaluate the practical, economic, and ecological benefits of bale grazing.

In addition to labor and machinery costs, a benefit of bale grazing is the improved capture of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). About 80 percent of nutrients fed to cattle pass through their gut into their manure. When managed property, the nutrients and organic matter in manure can be recycled to produce crops and forage, while saving money.

Mike strives to educate himself on new technologies but is not one to adopt the latest fad. Instead, he acts after careful consultation with subject matter experts.

In 2017, he built a heavy use feed pad to accommodate feeding cattle during the winter. His Bo Renfro feeding structure uses a concrete pad, fencing, geotextile fabric, and gravel to serve as the hub of a rotational grazing system. Cattle from multiple pastures can be managed to be temporarily confined or free to enter and exit the structure as they please. Feeders keep hay from being trampled, and cattle do not create muddy conditions around their feed and water sources.

With financial assistance from a state cost share program, Mike has since built two more heavy use feed pads, each serves multiple nearby pastures.

“Mike and I have collaborated closely on many on-farm trials,” said Tommy Yankey, a retired Agriculture Extension Agent from Anderson County. “His farm serves as a mini experiment station having hosted many farm tours throughout the years to share successes and failures.”

Recently, one of his pastures was planted with a mix of collards, crimson clover, and triticale, as part of a University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment study on extending the grazing season in cool weather.

As chairman of the Anderson County Conservation District, Mike’s peers have called him creative, sincere, and persistent when looking for ways to enhance and care for natural resources.

ACCOLADES

“The Kentucky Agricultural Council is proud to once again partner in recognizing exceptional stewardship and conservation work as demonstrated by the Wilson family,” said Dr. Tony Brannon, Kentucky Agricultural Council’s chair. “The winner of the 2024 Leopold Conservation Award represents lifelong work in their community to promote good stewardship and their passion for agriculture in Anderson County.”

“Kentucky’s 121 conservation districts promote the sound management of all our natural resources, and we are excited to join in recognizing the well deserving Wilson family,” said Allan Bryant, Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts President. “This year’s Kentucky Leopold Conservation Award recipient is truly a working family farm with a strong land stewardship ethic.”

“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 Kentucky 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.”

The Kentucky Leopold Conservation Award is made possible thanks to the generous support and partnership of American Farmland Trust, Kentucky Agricultural Council, Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts, Sand County Foundation, Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation, U.S Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, AgriBusiness Association of Kentucky, Farm Credit Mid-America, Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association, Kentucky Corn Growers Association, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Kentucky Pork Producers, Kentucky Soybean Promotion Board, Kentucky Tree Farm Committee, Kentucky Woodland Owner’s Association, and the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

For more information on the award, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.