Meet Your Leopold Conservation Finalists

Four finalists have been selected for the 2024 Wisconsin Leopold Conservation Award.

The award honors farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on working land.

Meet The Finalists

Bartling’s Manitowish Cranberry Co. of Manitowish Waters in Vilas County

Brothers David and Steven have improved cranberry yields with nutrient management for better plant and soil health. They planted five acres of native pollinator gardens for the honeybees needed to increase crop pollination. Efficient water management has reduced input costs and improved water quality. The cranberry leaves that come off the plant when cranberries are harvested is later sold to local gardeners and landscapers.

Full Circle Farm of Seymour in Shawano County

Full Circle Farm builds soil organic matter while sequestering carbon on its pastures. Rick Adamski, Valerie Dantoin, and their son Andrew rotationally graze beef cattle, raise pastured hogs and laying hens, and grow 10 acres of vegetables. Their farm’s woodlands, wetlands, natural ponds, riparian buffers, and fence lines provide habitat and migration corridors for wildlife, birds, and beneficial pollinators.

Joe Hovel of Conover in Vilas County

Joe Hovel protects unique and fragile habitats in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. A woodland owner since the 1970s, he began prioritizing the protection of ecologically important land in the 80s. He now manages 3,300 acres in several counties, including Porcupine Tree Farm and the Upper Wisconsin River Legacy Forest. Hovel owns County Line Wood Products and is the president and founder of the Partners in Forestry Landowners Cooperative.

Glacial Lake Cranberries of Wisconsin Rapids in Wood County

In addition to cranberry bogs, the forests and wetlands on Mary Brazeau Brown’s 6,100-acre property provide habitat for diverse wildlife, flora, and fauna. It hosts an ideal breeding habitat for birds and provides a stopover for migrating species. A certified forester has managed its 2,600 acres of woods for decades. Woody vegetation is kept in check with periodically controlled burns to maintain its wetlands.

About The Award

The first Wisconsin Leopold Conservation Award was presented to woodland conservationist Gerry Mich of Appleton in 2006. The 2023 recipient was Noll’s Dairy Farm of Alma in Buffalo County. This year’s recipient will be revealed at the Wisconsin Board of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection meeting in November.

Named in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, this award recognizes landowners who inspire others with their dedication to environmental improvement. In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold called for “a land ethic,” an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.

Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present Leopold Conservation Awards to private landowners in 28 states. In Wisconsin, the $10,000 award is presented with state partners Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation and Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.