Bob and Robby Jewell Receive Iowa Leopold Conservation Award

Bob and Robby Jewell of Decorah have been selected as the 2026 Iowa Leopold Conservation Award® recipients.

The $10,000 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 Jewells’ 1,600-acre farm, Jewell Enterprizes, in located in Winneshiek County. They grow corn, soybeans, alfalfa, cereal grains, and raise organic turkeys, pastured pork, and beef cattle. They were presented with the award at an on-farm event.

Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present Leopold Conservation Awards to private landowners in 28 states. In Iowa, the award is presented with 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 advocated for “a land ethic,” an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage. 

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

ABOUT THE JEWELLS

Father and son, Bob and Robby Jewell, farm amid the unique Driftless Area, a rugged, unglaciated landscape teeming with biodiversity. 

Their 1,600-acre farm encompasses large forest tracts, coldwater springs, and riparian habitat along the Upper Iowa River and Ten Mile Creek. With its steep slopes and high erosion potential, the Jewells are acutely aware of their land’s vulnerability, both economically and environmentally. 

For the Jewells, farming on this ecologically sensitive landscape has always demanded an adaptive mindset. They utilize no-till practices, diverse crop rotations, and cover cropping to reduce erosion and increase soil health while improving water infiltration and drought resilience.

Their land stewardship is also demonstrated through maintaining buffer zones along waterways and restoring native oak savanna habitat on their forested lands. These practices enhance biodiversity and resilience in one of Iowa’s most threatened ecosystems.

To ensure permanent land protection, the Jewells placed 696 acres under an Agricultural Land Easement with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation in 2017. It was the largest such easement in Iowa at the time. 

They manage an additional 95 acres in Iowa’s Emergency Watershed Program and maintain over 600 acres of forest, creating a powerful mosaic of working lands and permanent habitat. Such efforts not only conserve their own land but also protect public natural resources downstream.

Bob Jewell began transitioning to organic practices in 1996, recognizing that long-term viability meant aligning production with environmental responsibility. Unlike many Iowa farms focused exclusively on corn and soybeans, the Jewells also raise alfalfa and cereal grains -- important for soil health and reducing exposure to market volatility. 

Since the 1950s, the Jewell family has raised thousands of commercial turkeys. This year they created a direct-to-consumer revenue stream by raising 2,000 free-range organic turkeys. Robby also has an emerging pastured pork enterprise. He raises hogs within a silvopasture system -- an uncommon approach in Iowa, where conventional confinement production dominates the pork industry. By marketing pork, turkey, and beef directly to consumers, the Jewells emphasize transparency, animal welfare, environmental stewardship, and premium product quality. 

Another conservation component to Jewell Enterprizes is grazing cattle on their cropland, which closes nutrient loops, improves grazing management, and reduces reliance on costly off-farm inputs.

Bob and Robby’s forested areas support diverse wildlife including turkey, deer, and numerous migratory bird species traveling the Mississippi Flyway. Springs on the property help sustain trout habitat in Ten Mile Creek, a rare coldwater system in Iowa. Thousands of paddlers pass through this section of the Upper Iowa River each year, experiencing firsthand the Jewells’ commitment to preserving natural beauty. 

The Jewells have also developed an innovative partnership with the City of Decorah to compost municipal wood chips for use as livestock bedding. Once enriched with manure, the material is returned to their organic fields, improving soil structure, increasing organic matter, and recycling valuable nutrients.

Bob and Robby are quiet but impactful leaders. They regularly host college students and faculty for soil health field studies, and open their farm to local leadership programs, conservation professionals, and other farmers. Guests see a farm that is not only productive, but inspirational.

With roots deep in the soil and eyes on the future, Bob and Robby Jewell embody the values of the Leopold Conservation Award: ecological awareness, land stewardship and innovation. 

ACCOLADES

“The Jewells show us that a working farm can thrive in an ecologically sensitive landscape while taking care of our precious natural resources and feeding our community,” said Sally Worley, Practical Farmers of Iowa Executive Director. “That kind of thoughtful stewardship is something we can all learn from.”

“Bob and Robby Jewell have demonstrated that implementing conservation practices and a successful and profitable farm can go hand in hand. Their commitment to conservation, coupled with their leadership and willingness to share ideas with their neighbors, makes them very deserving of this award,” said Dien Judge, Conservation Districts of Iowa Executive Director.

“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 Iowa landowners nominated for the award were finalists: James Hepp of Rockwell City. Last year’s recipients were Landon and Anne Plagge of Latimer.

Sand County Foundation’s Iowa Leopold Conservation Award is made possible through the generous support of American Farmland Trust, Conservation Districts of Iowa, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Farm Credit Services of America, Soil Regen, Nancy and Marc DeLong, Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance, Iowa Farmers Union, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Leopold Landscape Alliance, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service of Iowa.