Overlooking Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin, Sand County Foundation recently hosted a special gathering of conservation-minded farmers and ranchers from across the country for the “Innovations on the Land” conservation symposium. The event brings together recipients of Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award who are recognized for their voluntary efforts to improve soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on agricultural land. They were joined by other conservation leaders to share their stories with one another and learn from some of the most curious, determined, and inventive farmers and ranchers in the country.

Sand County Foundation and the Leopold Conservation Award are named for America’s transformational conservation thinker, Aldo Leopold, author of “A Sand County Almanac.” Leopold’s idea of “a land ethic”, a personal responsibility to care for natural resources, is advanced today by Sand County Foundation’s work.

Thanks to the generous support of Farm Credit, ten beginning farmers attended the symposium to contribute to the shared learning and build connections to last a lifetime. These farmers are “mentees” in Sand County Foundation’s Land Ethic Mentorship program, which supports historically underserved (socially disadvantaged, beginning, limited resource, and veteran) farmers and ranchers. The program provides educational webinars, peer-to-peer support, field days, conference scholarships, and access to the Leopold Conservation Award recipients, who serve as coaches and mentors.

Symposium participants visited Aldo Leopold’s famed “shack.”

At the three-day symposium, participants visited Aldo Leopold’s famed “shack” property, learned about farmer-led watershed improvement efforts, heard first-hand about how farmers are addressing resource concerns in other part of the country, and witnessed a family’s intergenerational commitment to continue stewarding their ranch. USDA-NRCS Chief Terry Cosby delivered the keynote speech, reaffirming NRCS’s commitment to serving all farmers, and finding innovative ways to expand conservation on both small and large farms.

Chief Terry Cosby, SCF Staff, and Land Ethic Mentorship Participants

Long after the event, the mentee group continued their interaction. One mentee visited another state for a conference she learned about from a fellow mentee. Several set up trips to visit one another, and participants exchanged reading materials, email addresses, and phone numbers. The stories and learning will continue to inspire and sustain this community until they gather again.

If you or someone you know would benefit from a conservation mentor, please enroll in the free Land Ethic Mentorship program at sandcountyfoundation.org/mentorship or email nikki@sandcountyfoundation.org.

SCF received an NRCS Conservation Collaborative Grant in 2020 to support the development of the Land Ethic Mentorship. In 2022, SCF was awarded a Conservation Outreach: Equity Conservation Cooperative Agreement to expand the existing pilot. Farm Credit provides additional funding to support learning opportunities for mentees.