Leopold Award recognizes farmers' stewardship work

Land stewardship and conservation are nothing new to California farmers and ranchers. With ever-changing demands on natural resources, they must constantly anticipate and adapt in order to keep their lands productive—all while maintaining nature's delicate balance.

In short, they work to leave the land better than they found it.

"Long-term sustainability is a big part of what we're trying to do here—better fertility, better overall soil, better plants and to actually be good stewards of the water that we're entrusted with for society," said John Diener, in describing how he farms.

Diener, a Fresno County farmer, is the winner of the 2009 Leopold Conservation Award, which recognizes landowner achievements in voluntary conservation and public education. Diener received the award this week during the California Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting in Anaheim.

He and three other California finalists are considered innovators for steps they've taken to conserve resources and improve the environment around them for future generations. These steps allow farmers to do more with less, an especially important pursuit as Californians struggle through an ongoing drought. Other efforts by these landowners include work to rehabilitate wildlife habitat: improving biodiversity, reducing the risk of fire and aiding the recovery of at-risk species.

Here are their stories.

John Diener of Red Rock Ranch in Five Points earned this year's Leopold Conservation Award for his innovative work in water, land and wildlife management.

John Diener

Red Rock Ranch
Leopold Conservation Award Winner
Five Points, Fresno County

"Good stewardship is nothing more than green technology from days gone by, but there are good things to be learned," said John Diener. He uses innovative approaches to land, water and wildlife management on his 5,000-acre Red Rock Ranch, where he grows row crops such as processing tomatoes, peas, alfalfa, canola, corn and wheat.

Because most plants are highly sensitive to salty conditions, farmers have long been challenged by the buildup of salts in the soil. Diener's solution—a natural filtration system that uses salt-hungry plants to clean the soil and purify drainage water—is one example of how he has applied existing technology in new and innovative ways.

Diener has also pioneered work on conservation tillage, in which farmers reduce the number of times they plow or disk their fields with a tractor. This practice helps limit dust emissions and fuel use, while improving soil health. Diener couples conservation tillage with water-efficient irrigation systems.

As a leader and innovator in agriculture, Diener doesn't work alone. He travels extensively and cooperates on research and other projects with University of California researchers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, the California Department of Water Resources and others at the state and national levels.

"We're engaged in all of these different programs to help farmers be better stewards of the soil," Diener explained. "And that's what it's all about—stewardship."

Bill and Kay Burrows

Burrows Ranch
Leopold Conservation Award Finalist
Red Bluff, Tehama County

Bill and Kay Burrows were in dire straits. Their 100-year-old cattle ranch had experienced seven years of negative cash flow and they had watched neighbor after neighbor go bankrupt. Then, in 1985, they discovered a decision-making process called holistic management.

"It completely changed my paradigm of how I thought," Bill Burrows said.

Holistic management begins with the recognition that all ecological systems are part of an even larger system, which encourages farming and ranching practices that more accurately mirror the natural environment. Today, thanks to their commitment to improving the ecological diversity of their land, Bill and Kay Burrows have a thriving agritourism base, a successful carbon sequestration program, a wetlands project for migrating birds and a management plan that uses cattle as well as meat goats and sheep for brush control.

The couple—who work in partnership with 65 other area landowners and multiple government agencies—share their passion for the land through an annual stewardship day. Attendees learn about fire suppression, livestock management and other techniques that reduce the human impact on natural resources.

Al Montna

Montna Farms
Leopold Conservation Award Finalist
Yuba City, Sutter County

Al Montna says he feels strongly about efforts he and other rice growers have taken to enhance the environment. Farmers like Montna have led the way with increasing efforts to improve water use efficiency, provide wildlife habitat and improve air and water quality.

"If you talk to any biologist, without the rice industry in the Sacramento Valley you have no Pacific Flyway. It's the major food source for millions of waterfowl," Montna said, in describing how rice farmers in California provide up to 300,000 acres of temporary wetlands each year for migrating ducks, geese and shorebirds.

The Sutter County farmer was one of the first to stop burning rice fields after harvest, decreasing air pollution in the region. He has also taken steps to conserve resources by cutting his water use by half. In addition, his installation of a solar power system provides 65 percent of the energy needs for his 2,500-acre farm.

"All of us here at Montna Farms are always surprised that he never stops thinking about what we're going to do," said Nicole Van Vleck, Montna's daughter. "The only thing constant is that we're going to change."

Steve and Jill Hackett

Howe Creek Ranch
Leopold Conservation Award Finalist
Ferndale, Humboldt County

The 4,000-acre Howe Creek Ranch has been in Steve and Jill Hackett's family for nearly a century, providing beef and forest products to a growing population. But the couple points out that there are always things to be learned. By serving as land managers rather than land users, the Hacketts work to maintain a healthy ecological balance for future generations.

The Hacketts have been able to make valuable improvements to their ranch by encouraging increased public access to their lands and partnering with environmental groups, industry groups and government agencies.

For example, students from Humboldt State University have conducted graduate work leading to improved mapping of the property. And tree-planting projects have been completed in conjunction with the California Conservation Corps, AmeriCorps and youngsters from local elementary schools.

In addition, the Hacketts have improved salmon and steelhead habitat by clearing stream obstructions and replanting along steambanks to control erosion—important work that has increased habitat for at-risk species.About the award

The Leopold Conservation Award recognizes landowner achievements in voluntary conservation and public education. The award is named after Aldo Leopold, considered one of the most influential conservation thinkers of the 20th century.

In California, the Leopold Conservation Award is presented by the Sand County Foundation, California Farm Bureau Federation and Sustainable Conservation. The S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation and The Nature Conservancy are major sponsors.

This marks the fourth year the Leopold Conservation Award has been given in California.