SETH WATKINS

Established by his great grandfather Shambaugh in 1848, Seth is the fourth generation of his family to care for Pinhook Farm, located near Clarinda, Iowa. It's home to a herd of Angus cattle, several hives of honey bees, a small flock of Katahdin sheep, and five laying hens. Seth attributes the farm's generational success to prioritizing stewardship over production by striving to build systems that work with nature. The farm received the first Iowa Leopold Conservation Award in 2022. Ted is a TedX speaker and serves as a United Nations Food Systems Champion, and on the Iowa USDA Farm Service Agency State Committee. 

ADDIE YODER

Addie and her husband Joshlin left their careers in Alabama to return to his family's farm in 2008. With each growing season since they evaluate how to improve soil health and water quality with science, data, and conservation practices. These efforts earned them the Missouri Leopold Conservation Award in 2020. Addie shares her passion for agriculture with consumers and legislators through public speaking events, podcasts, radio and social media. As a certified life coach, Addie excels at bridging the communications gap on food issues and modern farming practices. 

ALICE CROTHERS

Alice and her husband Caleb were in their thirties when they left behind law enforcement and healthcare careers in Knoxville to return to his family's farm in 2015. Long Green Farms, which has been in Caleb's family since 1759, is located amid intense residential grown near the environmentally sensitive Chesapeake Bay. Their efforts to make the farm economically and environmentally sustainable earned them the Maryland Leopold Conservation Award in 2022. Alice connects with consumers by promoting ag literacy via her 'Heels and Holsteins' Facebook page. She hosts the Adopt a Cow program for the State of Maryland with the American Dairy Association North East. She serves as an Associate on the Cecil County Soil Conservation District Board and as a Regional Council Representative for Land O’ Lakes. 

LORENZO DOMINGUEZ

Lorenzo is co-owner of Chelenzo Farms in Cherrillos New Mexico. The farm has been recognized for its work via a number of grants, awards and scholarships including USDA SARE grants. He is a mentee in the Land Ethic Mentorship program. Prior to farming, he worked in the private and not-for-profit sectors for over 30 years, leading many marketing, media relations, social media, communications, data analytics, community building and engagement initiatives. He is also an award-winning street photographer and the author of an artist memoir 25 Lessons I've Learned about Photography. He and his wife Dr. Chelsea Hollander have five children. 

CASEY LANGAN

Casey is Sand County Foundation's Communications Director. He joined Sand County Foundation with more than 20 years of experience in agricultural communications. He previously served as the Wisconsin Farm Bureau's spokesperson. Prior to that, he was a legislative assistant researching policy matters, and a newspaper reporter covering agricultural issues. He first came to appreciate agriculture on his grandparents' dairy and tobacco farm.

JEFF ENDRES

Jeff is Chairman of Yahara Pride Farms and co-owner of Endres Berryridge Farms, a dairy farm northwest of Waunakee, Wisconsin in the Six Mile Creek-Yahara River watershed. The Endres family farms 1,500 acres of cropland and raises a herd of registered Holsteins. They incorporate a variety of conservation practices. Jeff is a fifth generation farmer, and has been involved with farmer-led conservation efforts for many years, leading the Yahara Pride Farms farmer-led watershed group since its inception in 2011. He has also served on the Farmers for Sustainable Food Board of Directors.

JOHN KOEPKE

John is a fifth-generation dairyman. His family's Koepke Farms received the Wisconsin Leopold Conservation Award in 2013, and were once named "Dairymen of the Year" at the World Dairy Expo. He is a founding member of Farmers For Lake Country, a farmer-led organization that advocates economically viable best management practices to improve soil health and help preserve and protect area lakes and streams in southeast Wisconsin. 

NANCY KAVAZANJIAN

Nancy manages day-to-day business matters for a 1700-acre family row crop farm and country elevator where the emphasis is on preserving soil and managing resources in a sustainable manner. Together with her husband Charles Hammer they have been leading innovators in no-till, strip tillage, cover cropping and other resource management efforts for over 40 years. In 2020, the couple were honored with the American Soybean Association’s National Conservation Legacy Award and were past finalists for the Wisconsin Leopold Conservation Award. They are active in the Dodge County Healthy Soils Healthy Waters group, participate in the Delong Climate Smart Commodity program and recently completed an on-farm sustainability audit for a major food company. Nancy serves on the United Soybean Board and was the groups’ first sustainability lead and served as Chairwoman of the US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance.

ROGER BINDL

Roger Bindl is a passionate advocate of no-till farming. He was one of four graziers who participated in Sand County Foundation's three-year demonstration of the environmental and economic benefits of rotationally grazing livestock on cover crops. Roger is a member of the Sauk Soil and Water Improvement Group. Bindl Farms is located in Sauk County, within Wisconsin's environmentally-sensitive Driftless Area. 

CRAIG FICENEC

Craig is Sand County Foundation's Senior Director of Agricultural Conservation. He joined Sand County Foundation in 2013 as a soil and water program director. He worked for seven years with the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, first in California as an agricultural engineer, then in Wisconsin as coordinator of a multi-county resource conservation and development council and as statewide manager of easement and financial assistance programs. Craig also managed conservation initiatives for a non-profit organic farming business incubator program in California, evaluated watershed planning projects as a M.S. thesis in Peru, and developed domestic water projects as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras. His experience includes agricultural conservation partnerships in watersheds of the Great Lakes, Monterey Bay, and the Andes.

GREG OLSON

Greg is Sand County Foundation's Field Projects Director. He joined Sand County Foundation in 2010 as coordinator of a watershed nutrient management project in the West Branch of the Milwaukee River. In 2013, he began overseeing all field activities for water quality and nutrient management work. A native of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Greg previously worked for Ducks Unlimited, the Nature Conservancy, USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service and the US Geological Survey in wetland, prairie and forest restoration and research.

KIM MEYER 

Dane County Land & Water Agronomist

ERIC KRUEGER

Eric has served as a Conservation Specialist with the Dane County (Wisconsin) Land & Water Resources Department for 9 years in its Land Conservation Division (LCD). In the LCD, he works with farmers and landowners to assist them with best management practices as well as finding cost-share opportunities to assist them financially with those projects. Prior to working for Dane County, he worked for Pheasants Forever, Inc. as a Farm Bill Biologist working with landowners primarily on various Farm Bill programs available through the USDA.

CHRIS SCHELLPFEFFER 

Chris is Sand County Foundation's VP of External Relations. She leads Sand County Foundation’s communications and development programs. She joined the Foundation in 2013, bringing more than 20 years of experience in marketing, strategic communication and stakeholder relations to the organization. A former journalist, she covered government, public policy and politics for nearly 10 years at the Wisconsin State Capitol as Managing Editor for the Wisconsin Radio Network. As a partner in an advertising agency with a special emphasis on brand development, she consulted with organizations across the U.S. on marketing and communications issues, and led successful public relations programs securing prominent national media coverage. Her work spans industries and issues ranging from food production and medical research to environmental science and economic development.