DARLINGTON - Mark Riechers, Darlington, was recently named as one of four finalists for the Leopold Conservation Award by the Sand County Foundation and the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation.
The Leopold Conservation Award, named in honor of conservationist Aldo Leopold, is comprised of $10,000 and a Leopold crystal. The award is now presented annually in eight states to private landowners who practice responsible land stewardship and management.
The Riechers' farm, which produces beef, corn and soybeans, is located at the southern end of the driftless region in Lafayette County. The family's approach to land and resource management is based on the recognition that soil does not need to be tilled to be productive, award officials said of the farm. Their no-till planting system significantly reduces investments in energy and labor. Corn and soybean crops are grown on less than a gallon of fuel per acre each year. Grassed waterways and terraces are combined with careful residue management and cross-slope planting, which help keep the farm's soils in place and run-off very low and clean.
"The diversity of these agricultural operations is remarkable, yet they all share a commitment to enhancement of Wisconsin's natural resources," Brent Haglund, Sand County Foundation President, said in a release. "These finalists are examples of the determination, innovation and dedication that characterize agricultural families across Wisconsin."
The other three finalists are Jim and Valerie Hebbe, Green Lake County, Justin Isherwood, Portage County, and the Koepke Family, Waukesha County.
The winner of the award will be formally announced at the Oct. 26 meeting of the Board of Natural Resources. A special presentation will also take place at the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation's Annual Meeting in Wisconsin Dells on Dec. 4.
For more information about the award, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.
The Leopold Conservation Award, named in honor of conservationist Aldo Leopold, is comprised of $10,000 and a Leopold crystal. The award is now presented annually in eight states to private landowners who practice responsible land stewardship and management.
The Riechers' farm, which produces beef, corn and soybeans, is located at the southern end of the driftless region in Lafayette County. The family's approach to land and resource management is based on the recognition that soil does not need to be tilled to be productive, award officials said of the farm. Their no-till planting system significantly reduces investments in energy and labor. Corn and soybean crops are grown on less than a gallon of fuel per acre each year. Grassed waterways and terraces are combined with careful residue management and cross-slope planting, which help keep the farm's soils in place and run-off very low and clean.
"The diversity of these agricultural operations is remarkable, yet they all share a commitment to enhancement of Wisconsin's natural resources," Brent Haglund, Sand County Foundation President, said in a release. "These finalists are examples of the determination, innovation and dedication that characterize agricultural families across Wisconsin."
The other three finalists are Jim and Valerie Hebbe, Green Lake County, Justin Isherwood, Portage County, and the Koepke Family, Waukesha County.
The winner of the award will be formally announced at the Oct. 26 meeting of the Board of Natural Resources. A special presentation will also take place at the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation's Annual Meeting in Wisconsin Dells on Dec. 4.
For more information about the award, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.