Sand County Foundation

We’re excited to share our 2025 Sand County Foundation Annual Report with you!

Thanks to donors and partners like you, 2025 saw more research and demonstration of conservation in agriculture, an expanded Leopold Conservation Award program, enhanced environmental education for young people, and mentorship for beginning farmers across the U.S.

Take a look at it here! https://sandcountyfoundation.org/about/annual-report

Annual Report | Sand County Foundation Thanks to donors and partners like you, 2023 saw the advancement of conservation on farms, ranches, and other private land.

We got a good look at Giant miscanthus in Maryland last week.

Maryland farmer, Dave Tribbett, began growing the sterile, non-invasive perennial grass in search of a better bedding for his chicken flocks. Not only does the harvested grass provide a clean, soft, dry, absorbent, and dust-free bedding, but Giant miscanthus fields stabilize soils, filter runoff, and improve water retention.

Learn more about the innovative recipient of the 2025 Maryland Leopold Conservation Award at https://sandcountyfoundation.org/our-work/leopold-conservation-award-program/dave-tribbett

Kudos to award sponsors at the Tribbetts' tour: The Campbell Foundation, Maryland Department of Agriculture, & The Nature Conservancy MD/DC.

Learn more about conservation in agriculture! Are you a farmer or rancher between 18 and 35 years old in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, or Wisconsin?

Join one of Sand County Foundation's conservation learning groups based on your needs. Attend one of four Zoom meetings (June 29 or 30, July 7 or 8) to learn more.

Register at https://sandcountyfoundation.org/our-work/outreach---education/land-ethic-mentorship/midwest-farmer-cohort

This opportunity is no cost to you thanks to Cargill, Farm Credit, Nutrien, and The Ida and Robert Gordon Family Foundation.

Midwest Farmer Cohort | Sand County Foundation Midwest Farmer Cohort

Apply/nominate for the 2026 Iowa Leopold Conservation Award before July 1.

A farmer or forestland owner improving soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on their working land will receive $10,000.

Learn more at https://sandcountyfoundation.org/news/2026/iowa-leopold-conservation-award-seeks-applicants

Award made possible with support from Conservation Districts of Iowa, Practical Farmers of Iowa, American Farmland Trust, Farm Credit Services of America, Soil Regen, Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance, Iowa Farmers Union, Brenda & Loran Steinlage of FLOLO Farms, Natural Resources Conservation Service of Iowa, Nancy & Marc DeLong, & Leopold Landscape Alliance.

Mississippi farmers & forestland owners have until July 1 to apply for the Leopold Conservation Award.

For more about this $10,000 award for those improving soil health, water quality & wildlife habitat, visit: https://sandcountyfoundation.org/news/2026/mississippi-leopold-conservation-award-seeks-applicants

Hey Minnesota! You have until July 1 to apply/nominate for the Leopold Conservation Award. A farmer, rancher, or forestland owner improving soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat will receive $10,000.

Learn more at https://sandcountyfoundation.org/news/2026/minnesota-leopold-conservation-award-seeks-applicants

By helping farmers from Minnesota to Mississippi make sense of real-time temperature and moisture data collected from in-field soil sensors, our work deepens their understanding of what's happening beneath the surface.

As farmers grow more confident in interpreting this data, their curiosity deepens, and they begin to understand how their soil management decisions influence crop productivity and resilience. To learn more about these projects taking place in the Upper Midwest, Deep South and, most recently, in Kansas and Nebraska, visit https://sandcountyfoundation.org/our-work/conservation/soil-management-and-technology

This work is made possible with support from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CropX, Daybreak Fund, Cargill, Fund for Lake Michigan, National Association of RC&D Councils, EarthOptics, Kansas State University, & OneEnergy Renewables.

📸 Manitowoc County Soil and Water Conservation Department & National Association of RC&D Councils

Our staff and board members at Field to Market's Annual Meeting stopped discussing agricultural conservation just long enough to pose for this photo. 😃

Congrats to Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture on 20 years of bringing together leaders across agriculture to drive continuous improvement in sustainable outcomes through collaboration, innovation, and partnership.

We recently got a firsthand look at how Landon and Anne Plagge of Green Acres Milling are improving their farmland and the regional ag economy.

Learn more about 2025's Iowa Leopold Conservation Award recipients at https://sandcountyfoundation.org/our-work/leopold-conservation-award-program/landon-and-anne-plagge