Minnesota
Leopold Conservation Award comes to Minnesota
The Leopold Conservation Award is coming to Minnesota to celebrate voluntary conservation efforts on farms, ranches and forestland.
The Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present Leopold Conservation Awards to private landowners in 27 states. In Minnesota, the award is presented with state partners Minnesota Soil Health Coalition and Soil Regen to honor farmers, ranchers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.
“The Minnesota Soil Health Coalition is leading conservation through farmers helping other farmers. We are excited to see farmers honored for their good stewardship of the land,” says Mark Gutierrez, Minnesota Soil Health Coalition executive director.
Land ethic
Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the 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.
“Leopold Conservation Award recipients are examples of how Aldo Leopold’s land ethic is alive and well today. Their dedication to conservation shows how individuals can improve the health of the land while producing food and fiber,” says Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation president and CEO.
Nominations may be submitted on behalf of a landowner, or landowners may apply themselves. The application can be found at SandCountyFoundation.org/ApplyLCA.
Applications are reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders from Minnesota.
Applications must be emailed to [email protected] by July 1.
The award recipient receives $10,000, and their conservation success story will be featured in a video and other outreach.
“NRCS Minnesota supports the Leopold Conservation Award because it recognizes farmers, ranchers and forest owners who show a strong conservation commitment through action as stewards of working lands,” says Troy Daniell, state conservationist.
The Minnesota Leopold Conservation Award is made possible through the generous support of American Farmland Trust, Minnesota Soil Health Coalition, Soil Regen, Sand County Foundation, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, General Mills, Audubon Minnesota, Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association, Minnesota Corn, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Minnesota Ducks Unlimited, Minnesota Farm Bureau, Minnesota Farmers Union, Minnesota Wheat Research & Promotion Council, Pheasants Forever, Renovo Seed, Saddle Butte Ag Inc. and The Nature Conservancy.
“Soil Regen believes that the foundation of ag starts from the ground up,” says Liz Haney of Soil Regen. “We are honored to support the many and varied conservationists celebrated with the Leopold Conservation Award. They are the true stewards of the land.”
John Piotti, American Farmland Trust president and CEO, says “As the national sponsor for Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award, American Farmland Trust celebrates the hard work and dedication of farmers, ranchers and forestland owners. At AFT, we believe that conservation in agriculture requires a focus on the land, the practices and the people and this award recognizes the integral role of all three.”
Source: Minnesota Soil Health Coalition
See how the bald eagle’s story shows its enduring symbolism
As the U.S. celebrates 250 years, the bald eagle endures as North America’s native sea eagle and national bird.
The common loon, Minnesota’s state bird, is more closely related to a penguin than a duck.
Despite loons predominantly living in the northern hemisphere and penguins mostly living in the southern hemisphere, researchers consider them to be genetic cousins. Taxonomic analyses placed them in an evolutionary cluster tracing back 40 million to 50 million years ago, along with herons and pelicans.
While loons and ducks share habitat on Minnesota lakes, they aren’t close relatives. Ducks are closer cousins to geese and swans.
After sharing a common ancestor, penguins and loons developed distinct characteristics. Loons can fly, but struggle to move on land; penguins can’t fly, but waddle on land. Penguins use flipper-like wings to swim; loons use webbed feet for underwater propulsion.
They have some similar features, however, including dense bones to help dive underwater and their tuxedo coloring.
MinnPost partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.
Fires in the past burned more frequently in western Canada, but recent years have seen that trend migrate eastward, with large fires now burning in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic provinces, Prof Chasmer said, leading to more noticeable smoke in densely populated cities like Toronto and New York.
Minnesota United, the Liberia Lone Star National Football Team and SARX today announced that the international friendly against the Liberia National Team, scheduled for July 26, 2026, has been canceled.
While we were looking forward to welcoming the Liberia National Team and celebrating the strong ties between Minnesota’s Liberian community and our club, circumstances outside of our control have made it necessary to cancel the match. We appreciate the understanding of our supporters and wish the Liberia National Team all the best.
Fans who purchased tickets to the match will be refunded within approximately 3-10 business days.
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