Corse Farm Dairy Receives New England Leopold Conservation Award

The Corse Farm Dairy of Whitingham, Vermont has been selected as the 2026 New England Leopold Conservation Award® recipient.

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

Leon, Linda, and Abbie Corse, owners and operators of The Corse Farm Dairy, were presented with the award during an on-farm presentation. 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 New England the award is presented with New England Forestry Foundation and American Farmland Trust-New England. 

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 advocated for “a land ethic,” an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage. 

Earlier this year, owners of forestland and farmland in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont were encouraged to apply, or be nominated, for the award. Applications were evaluated by an independent panel of agricultural and forestry conservation leaders from New England. 

ABOUT THE CORSE FARM DAIRY

The Corse family’s conservation success can be credited to their deep roots, both literally and figuratively. 

Over 150 years and six generations, the family has grazed cattle at their Corse Dairy Farm. Long before it was commonly practiced, Leon remembers his father frequently moving cattle between pastures. 

Since the 1980s, Leon and his wife Linda have continued grazing to raise their cattle while improving their soil. Their herd of about 55 Holsteins and Jersey cows is moved to a fresh paddock twice per day from May through October. 

Certified organic since 2008, their dairy herd is fed a diet of grass-based forage and purchased pelleted grain. Thanks to rotational grazing, soil tests indicate the cattle are applying enough nutrients to maintain soil fertility on permanent pastures. 

Leon and Linda farm with their daughter Abbie. They mentored MacKenzie Wallace through the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Program. He is now their herdsperson, primary mechanic, and partner in the farm. 

The Corses utilized the federal Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to provide the infrastructure needed for rotational grazing. Cattle lanes were installed to allow access to pastures, even in wet weather, without hoof traffic causing erosion. 

One of the lanes includes a stream crossing that keeps cattle out of flowing water, while another crosses a wetland that has rebounded with biodiversity and wildlife habitat since being retired as a pasture. Other investments included a water pump and storage tank that utilize solar power and gravity to supply drinking water to paddocks.

The Corse Farm Dairy was ahead of the regulatory curve in 1991 when the family built manure storage in 1991. The concrete structure is large enough to hold up to seven months’ worth of manure and milking facility wastewater, allowing the Corses to spread manure in April and October, when the risk of runoff is low. 

Grazing is not the only way their farm has benefitted from keeping soil under cover. Leon had an epiphany while picking rocks more than 40 years ago. 

“Maybe I need to be working with Mother Nature instead of fighting her all the time,” said Leon, who holds a degree in plant soil sciences from the University of Vermont. He gave up plowing and has kept his farmland in a native perennial system of grasses, legumes, and forbs ever since. 

Recently, the Corses purchased a new mower that allows them to adjust the cutting height, to leave higher stubble, resulting in faster regrowth. 

Forested acres at Corse Farm Dairy, primarily maple and pine, are managed by a professional forester. For the most part, cattle are fenced out of the forests. 

The Corse family’s commitment to conservation and innovation extends beyond their farm gate.

Linda serves as the president of the Vermont Association of Conservation Districts Board and was a founding member of the Connecticut River Watershed Farmers Alliance. Leon was selected as an organic representative on the Vermont Agricultural Innovation Board in 2025 and was also a governor appointee to the Commission on the Future of Agriculture. 

Perhaps most telling about the Corses collaborative approach to land stewardship are their long-term relationships with the 24 individuals they rent land from. Several of these agreements date back to the 1940s. Just four of their landlords charge rent, the rest are pleased to have this farm family caring for their landscape. 

ACCOLADES

“Leon, Linda, Abbie, and MacKenzie believe passionately that a functional, productive farm depends upon a healthy, thriving ecosystem,” said Ryan Owens, Executive Director of the New England Forestry Foundation. “From rotational grazing to maintaining pollinator habitat, their exemplary stewardship is amplified by their service in their community, state, and nationally. Their dedication to land stewardship and inspirational leadership make them truly deserving of this year’s award.”

“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 many outstanding land stewards nominated for the award were finalists: Appalachian Mountain Club’s Maine Woods Initiative of Piscataquis County, Maine; and Champlain Valley Honey of New Haven, Vermont.

Sand County Foundation’s New England Leopold Conservation Award is made possible through the generous support of American Farmland Trust, New England Forestry Foundation, Farm Credit East, Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative, David and Ann Ingram, LandVest, University of Vermont’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board. 

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