Nominations are now being accepted for the 2025 California Leopold Conservation Award®.
The 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.
Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present Leopold Conservation Awards to private landowners in 28 states. In California the $10,000 award is presented with Sustainable Conservation and California Farm Bureau Federation.
Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award 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.
Award nominations may be submitted on behalf of a landowner, or landowners may apply themselves. The application can be found at www.sandcountyfoundation.org/ApplyLCA.
The application deadline date is July 18, 2025. Nominations must be emailed to [email protected].
Nominations are reviewed by an independent panel of California agricultural and conservation leaders. Last year’s recipient was Bowles Farming Company of Los Banos. To view profiles of all past recipients, click here.
The 2025 California Leopold Conservation Award will be presented at the California Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Meeting in December.
“Healthy working land benefits the water that flows through it, the food that grows out of it, and the people that depend on it,” said Ashley Boren, CEO of Sustainable Conservation, award co-sponsor since its California launch more than a decade ago. “California’s farmers, ranchers, and foresters are at the heart of our efforts to build climate resilience while nourishing communities across the nation. The Leopold Conservation Award recognizes the stewardship of these land managers who are helping pursue a future where thriving ecosystems and sustainable agriculture go hand in hand.”
“The Leopold Conservation Award provides outstanding recognition of farmers and ranchers who take steps every day to realize significant gains in managing their farms in a sustainable and profitable manner,” said Shannon Douglass, California Farm Bureau Federation President. “The awarded families are great examples of the generational appreciation farmers and ranchers have for their land. The stewardship they employ at their farms and ranches is reflective of California farmers’ and ranchers’ commitment to the environment.”
“Leopold Conservation Award recipients are examples of how Aldo Leopold’s land ethic is alive and well today,” said Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation President and CEO. “Their dedication to conservation is both an inspiration to their peers as well as a reminder to all how important thoughtful agriculture is to clean water, healthy soil, and wildlife habitat.”
“As the national sponsor for Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award, American Farmland Trust celebrates the hard work and dedication of the award recipients,” said John Piotti, AFT President and CEO. “At AFT we believe that exemplary conservation involves the land itself, the practices employed on the land, and the people who steward it. This award recognizes the integral role of all three.”
The Leopold Conservation Award in California is made possible thanks to the generous support of American Farmland Trust, Sustainable Conservation, California Farm Bureau Federation, Sand County Foundation, The Harvey L. & Maud C. Sorensen Foundation, Farm Credit, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and California Leopold Conservation Award recipient alumni.
For more information on the award, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.
