Michael E. Berg of Blanchardville has been selected as the 2025 Wisconsin 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.
Berg is a Lafayette County farmer. He was revealed as the award recipient at the November 13 meeting of DATCP in Madison. He will be formally presented with the award at the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Meeting on December 7.
Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present Leopold Conservation Awards to private landowners in 28 states. In Wisconsin the award is presented with Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation and Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.
The award is given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold. It recognizes landowners who inspire others to consider conservation opportunities on their land. In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold advocated for “a land ethic,” an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.
Wisconsin landowners were encouraged to apply, or to be nominated, for the award. Nominations were reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders from Wisconsin.
ABOUT MICHAEL BERG
Michael Berg views conservation through a long lens.
His life’s work has taken place at Berg Family Farm. The farm’s scenic and dramatic topography is typical in the hilly, ecologically unique Driftless Area of southwest Wisconsin.
The Berg family has long sought to prevent their limited topsoil from reaching the flood-prone Pecatonica River, a meandering snake of a waterway that weaves through their 540 acres of cropland, pastures, and forests.
Connection To Father’s Legacy
Michael’s father, Byron Berg, installed contour strips to prevent erosion in 1952, a practice followed to this day. He often told his children, “We don’t really own the land. We’re just taking care of it for the next generation.”
Those words stuck with Michael, who wears a commitment to conservation like a badge of honor.
He recalls his father supporting local conservation efforts as chairman of the Lafayette County Board and hosting the state soil judging contest in 1962. To maintain topsoil atop rocky limestone hills, the Bergs began no-till farming in the 1970s. By the 1980s, they were hosting field days to show other farmers that crop yields weren’t dependent on plowed fields.
The Bergs worked closely with Natural Resource Conservation Service staff on a detailed assessment of how their land drains. With that information they developed two miles of terraces to divert water from rapidly flowing downhill. These areas host native grasses and wildflowers that provide a food source for bees and other pollinators.
Over time, Michael and his wife Diane planted more than 25,000 pine and walnut trees on about 75 acres of marginal farmland. While others scoffed at taking land out of crop production, these woodlands provide income from timber sales, and habitat for deer, bobcat, and bear.
Before retiring from dairy farming in 2002, the Bergs built two manure storage areas to prevent the loss of nutrients and protect water quality. After dairying, Michael and his son Taylor transitioned to rotationally grazing Red Angus beef cattle. They seeded pastures with Birdsfoot trefoil, a clover-like plant that produces quality forage while preventing erosion.
Riverbank Restoration
The centerpiece of Michael’s conservation efforts has been restoring almost a mile of riverbank with riprap in 2020. More than 200 loads of specialized breaker rock were laid. Then, they were covered with dirt and re-seeded. The riprap slows the infiltration of silt into the river during heavy rains, keeping the river cleaner.
Grassland buffers are maintained at least 16 feet in width along each side of the river. Thus, providing a natural transition from the river to its floodplain The height of the banks was reduced in some areas to minimize streambank erosion. Large tree root balls were buried in the river to deflect currents and prevent erosion while creating fish habitat.
Michael says that conservation measures like the riprap project are possible because his farm is profitable. In turn, conservation activities enhance profitability. His was the first farm in Lafayette County to participate in a phosphorus-water quality trading experiment with the nearby village of Argyle.
Michael is a founder of the Pecatonica Pride Watershed Association. They bring together outdoors enthusiasts, farmers, landowners, business owners, and others to improve the river and inspire others to embrace conservation practices.
