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 Dairy Farm 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 Dairy Farm, 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.