Sand County Foundation

Meet the finalists for the New Mexico Leopold Conservation Award: https://sandcountyfoundation.org/news/2026/new-mexico-leopold-conservation-award-finalists-selected

Each farm and ranch family is doing its part to improve soil health, water & wildlife resources on their working lands.

for an Agricultural Program Specialist.

Learn more at https://sandcountyfoundation.org/about/careers

Meet the three finalists for the Kansas Leopold Conservation Award: https://sandcountyfoundation.org/news/2026/kansas-leopold-conservation-award-finalists-selected

Leopold Conservation Awards honor farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners in 28 states for improving soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on their working land.

Three diverse finalists will vie for the New England Leopold Conservation Award.

Find out who at https://sandcountyfoundation.org/news/2026/new-england-leopold-conservation-award-finalists-selected

Our conservation assistance to the Green County Clean Waters group and Farmers of the Sugar River helped seed 23 new acres of pasture, added almost 15 acres of field borders across 4 farms, and incentivized 1800+ acres of cover crops late last year!

Well-placed field borders are a great way to retain soil sediment and phosphorus in farm fields. They also provide benefits to wildlife! For more on our farmer-led conservation efforts funded by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Regional Conservation Partnership Program, visit our website https://sandcountyfoundation.org/our-work/conservation/supporting-farmer-led-groups

Special thanks to Green County WI Land and Water Conservation!

Our work to enhance farmer-led watershed groups has helped Yahara Pride Farms support five farms implementing 775 acres of no-till and strip-till practices. Changing up tillage will keep more nutrients and soil in the field and out of area waterways. Farmers who planted into a cover crop were pleasantly surprised by how well their corn crop emerged!

For more on our farmer-led conservation projects funded by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Regional Conservation Partnership Program, visit our website https://sandcountyfoundation.org/our-work/conservation/supporting-farmer-led-groups

Conservation adoption is taking root across the Midwest thanks to farmers like Greg Thoren.

His involvement with the Jo Davies County Soil & Water Health Coalition, Fields of Sinsinawa, and the Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition, demonstrates his leadership within the growing farmer-led conservation movement.

Sand County Foundation is scaling up the impact of farmer-led groups thanks to funding from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service's Regional Conservation Partnership Program. Our partner American Farmland Trust - Midwest is establishing new farmer-led groups across Illinois to improve water quality and soil health.

Read more about Greg Thoren, the 2026 recipient of the Illinois Leopold Conservation Award, at https://sandcountyfoundation.org/our-work/leopold-conservation-award-program/greg-and-janis-thoren

We’re proud to have funded farmers of the SSWIG Sauk Soil & Water Improvement Group who planted 1,900 acres of cover crops that produced a bumper crop of benefits! Cover crops improve water quality and soil health by infiltrating water, cycling nutrients, suppressing weeds, and keeping soil where it belongs.

This cover crop project attracted even more farmer members to the farmer-led group, and provided important cover crop seeding preferences to Sauk County leaders.

For more on our farmer-led conservation efforts funded by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Regional Conservation Partnership Program, visit our website https://sandcountyfoundation.org/our-work/conservation/supporting-farmer-led-groups