Winner will receive $10,000 prize for Conservation Leadership

FRANKFORT (Jan. 26, 2023) – Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Ryan Quarles invites Kentuckians to nominate a farmer or forester for the 2023 Kentucky Leopold Conservation Award.

“Farmers are, by nature, conservationists, but this is an opportunity to nominate someone who goes above and beyond to be a good steward of the land,” Commissioner Quarles said. “Every year, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture is honored to work with the Sand County Foundation to present the Leopold Conservation Award to a Kentucky farm family who shows true devotion in the care and management of natural resources. The nominees support our proud tradition of conserving important resources, while keeping farmland productive and sustainable. Nominate someone today who embodies the definition of what this award stands for.”

Leopold Conservation Awards recognize extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation, inspire other landowners through their example, and help the general public understand the vital role private landowners play in conservation success.

Sand County Foundation, the nation’s leading voice for conservation of private land, presents the Leopold Conservation Award to agricultural landowners in 26 states actively committed to land ethic. In Kentucky, the $10,000 award is presented with the American Farmland Trust, the Kentucky Agricultural Council and the Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts.

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes landowners who inspire others with their dedication to land, water, and wildlife habitat management on private working land. In his influential 1949 book, “A Sand County Almanac,” Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.

Nominations may be submitted on behalf of a landowner, or landowners may nominate themselves. The application can be found at sandcountyfoundation.org/uploads/2023-CFN-Kentucky.pdf.

The application deadline date is April 1, 2023. The committee prefers application materials to be sent electronically to colemansteve51@gmail.com.

Materials may be also be mailed with a postmark of April 1, 2023. Mail applications to:

The first Kentucky Leopold Conservation Award was presented to Sherwood Acres Farm of LaGrange in 2013. The 2022 recipient of the award was Reddick Farms of Bardwell.

The Kentucky Leopold Conservation Award is made possible through the support and partnership of American Farmland Trust, Kentucky Agricultural Council, Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts, Sand County Foundation, U.S Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation, AgriBusiness Association of Kentucky, Farm Credit Mid-America, Kentucky Corn Growers Association, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Kentucky Pork Producers, Kentucky Soybean Promotion Board, Kentucky Tree Farm Committee, Kentucky Woodland Owner’s Association, and University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

For more information on the award, visit leopoldconservationaward.org