A prestigious award program celebrating voluntary conservation on farmland and forestland is coming to Illinois.
The Leopold Conservation Award recognizes agricultural landowners who inspire others with their dedication to ethical land, water and wildlife habitat management. The award is named in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold. In his influential 1949 book, "A Sand County Almanac", Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.
Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust annually present the Leopold Conservation Award to farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners in 25 states for extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. In Illinois, the award is presented with state partners: Illinois Corn and Illinois Soybean Association.
Owners of farm and forest land in Iowa may apply for the award themselves or be nominated by another party. The Illinois application can be found at www.sandcountyfoundation.org/ApplyLCA.
Applications will be reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders. The application deadline is April 1.
The recipient receives $10,000, and their conservation success story will be featured in a video and in other outreach. The recipient will be announced this summer.
"Illinois Corn is excited to bring the Leopold Conservation Award to Illinois, as one more way to recognize the farmers that are doing important conservation work within our state," said Jim Reed, IL Corn chairman and farmer from DeLand. "Together with the Illinois Soybean Association, our organizations are committed to helping farmers meet the goals of the Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy. Our commitment pushes us to notice farmers that are putting their best conservation foot forward, farmers that are sharing their conservation implementation trials and errors with their peers, and farmers that are pushing us all to be better stewards of our land."
"Leopold Conservation Award recipients are examples of how Aldo Leopold's land ethic is alive and well today. Their dedication to conservation shows how individuals can improve the health of the land while producing food and fiber," said Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation president and CEO.
"Together with IL Corn, the Illinois Soybean Association is a proud new steward of the Leopold Conservation Award, to acknowledge and show appreciation for Illinois farmers who invest in the preservation of agriculture for future generations," said Brady Holst, ISA at-large director and Utilization Committee chair. "By recognizing those outstanding farmers, we hope to encourage more to follow their lead and take the step toward implementing conservation practices on their acres."
"As the national sponsor for Sand County Foundation's Leopold Conservation Award, American Farmland Trust celebrates the hard work and dedication of farmers, ranchers and forestland owners," said John Piotti, AFT president and CEO. "At AFT we believe that conservation in agriculture requires a focus on the land, the practices and the people and this award recognizes the integral role of all three."
The Illinois Leopold Conservation Award is made possible through the generous support of American Farmland Trust, Illinois Corn, Illinois Soybean Association, Sand County Foundation, Haglund Ecology Fund, Farm Credit Illinois, American Farmland Trust of Illinois, Association of Illinois Water & Soil Conservation Districts, Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership, The Nature Conservancy, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service of Illinois.
Categories: Illinois, General