Kansas Leopold Conservation Award Finalists Selected

Two finalists have been selected for the 2025 Kansas 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.

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 advocated 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 Kansas the $10,000 award is presented with Kansas Association of Conservation Districts and Ranchland Trust of Kansas.

The finalists are:

DL Cattle Company of Fredonia. Daryl and Jody Donohue are Wilson County cattle ranchers working to improve the landscape with removal of eastern red cedar trees and other invasive plant species. He is a strong proponent of prescribed burning during the growing season. Such efforts have led to improved water quantity and biodiversity. The use of cross fencing and rotational grazing improves soil health and wildlife habitat. A shift to grazing cool-season grasses, and cover crops of rye and forage beans, has reduced their need to grow hay.

Wiltse Family Farms of Timken. Kevin and Amanda Wiltse couple no-till practices with growing cover crops to achieve soil health, drought resilience, and improved forage availability. Their cow-calf operation is rotationally grazed on native grasses and cover crops. They converted more than 500 acres of crop ground into perennial grasses to capitalize on more efficient use of rainfall patterns for grazing. Field buffers were installed to support soil conservation, and wildlife and pollinator habitat.

Kansas landowners were encouraged to apply, or be nominated, for the award. An independent panel of Kansas agricultural and conservation leaders reviewed the applications. The award recipient will be recognized at the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts’ 81^st Annual Convention in Wichita in November.

The first Kansas Leopold Conservation Award recipient was selected in 2015. Barby Ranch of Protection received the award in 2024.

The Leopold Conservation Award in Kansas is made possible thanks to the generous support of American Farmland Trust, Kansas Association of Conservation Districts, Ranchland Trust of Kansas, Sand County Foundation, Farm Credit Associations of Kansas, ITC Great Plains, Kansas Department of Agriculture (Division of Conservation), Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Kansas Ducks Unlimited, Kansas Forest Service, Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service of Kansas, and Green Cover Seed.

“Kansas Association of Conservation Districts is excited to recognize these outstanding landowners who are committed to conservation on their land,” said Dan Meyerhoff, KACD Executive Director. “We are proud to partner with Sand County Foundation and the Ranchland Trust of Kansas to give these families the recognition they deserve."

“Ranchland Trust of Kansas is proud to be recognizing Kansas ranchers and farmers for their stewardship of their land,” said Barth Crouch, Ranchland Trust of Kansas Chairman. “The Kansas finalists are deserving of this award which is public recognition of their management efforts and sacrifice to bring their land to its highest potential.”

“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.”

For more information, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.

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