Leopold Conservation Awards honor farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water resources and wildlife habitat on working land.
Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes landowners who inspire others with their dedication to environmental improvement. In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold advocated for "a land ethic," an ethical relationship between people and the land they manage.
Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present Leopold Conservation Awards in 28 states. An independent panel of agriculture and conservation leaders evaluates applications for the award, which comes with $10,000.
The Leopold Conservation Award program widely shares the stories of conservation-minded farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners to inspire other landowners to embrace opportunities to improve soil health, water resources and wildlife habitat on their working land. The award builds bridges between agriculture, government, environmental organizations, industry and academia to advance the cause of environmental improvement on private land.
Meet the 2025 California
Leopold Conservation Award Winner!
Stemple Creek Ranch of Marin County is the 2025 California Leopold Conservation Award recipient.
The $10,000 award honors farmers, ranchers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.
Strong Roots Bright FutureLoren and Lisa Poncia, owners of Stemple Creek Ranch in Tomales, were presented with the award during the California Farm Bureau Annual Meeting Dec. 8.
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