Bien Ranch receives South Dakota Leopold Conservation Award

The Bien Ranch of Veblen has been chosen because the recipient of the 2022 South Dakota Leopold Conservation Award^®.

Given in honor of famend conservationist, Aldo Leopold, the award acknowledges farmers, ranchers and forestland homeowners who encourage others with their dedication to the land, water and wildlife habitat administration on personal, working land.

In South Dakota, the award is offered yearly by Sand County Basis, American Farmland Belief, South Dakota Cattlemen’s Affiliation, and the South Dakota Grassland Coalition.

Bien Ranch is operated by Neil and Muriel Bien, together with Neil’s brothers Boyd and Lyle and their households. The ranch was homesteaded in 1888 by Ole Bien.

The South Dakota Leopold Conservation Award recipient announcement is made along side Earth Day. The Biens might be formally offered with the $10,000 award on the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Affiliation’s Annual Conference in December 2022.

“Trying on the Bien household’s operation, it’s clear they see the ecological huge image and perceive that if we establish and feed the wants of the setting, the setting will then assist us feed the wants of our operations. Many people have thought that behind our thoughts, however few of us take the steps to implement conservation practices to the extent the Biens have,” stated Eric Jennings, South Dakota Cattlemen’s Affiliation President. “The Biens are an amazing instance of what long-term ecological objectives and goals can accomplish. SDCA applauds their accomplishments and congratulates them on being awarded the 2022 Leopold Conservation Award.”

“The Bien’s give attention to conservation, whereas conserving the grasslands and wetlands on their household ranch, is commendable and we congratulate them on receiving the 2022 South Dakota Conservation Award,” stated Brett Nix, South Dakota Grassland Coalition Chairman. “We sit up for persevering with to spotlight their conservation story all year long.”

“The recipients of this award are examples of how Aldo Leopold’s land ethic is alive and effectively at this time. Their dedication to conservation exhibits how people can enhance the well being of the land whereas producing meals and fiber,” stated Kevin McAleese, Sand County Basis President and CEO.

“Because the nationwide sponsor for Sand County Basis’s Leopold Conservation Award, American Farmland Belief celebrates the arduous work and dedication of the South Dakota recipient,” stated John Piotti, AFT President and CEO. “At AFT we consider that conservation in agriculture requires a give attention to the land, the practices and the individuals and this award acknowledges the integral function of all three.”

Final yr, South Dakota landowners have been inspired to use (or be nominated) for the award. Purposes have been reviewed by an unbiased panel of agricultural and conservation leaders.

The primary South Dakota Leopold Conservation Award was offered to Doud Ranch of Midland in 2010. The 2021 recipient was Prairie Paradise Farms of Fort Pierre.

The Leopold Conservation Award Program in South Dakota made potential due to the beneficiant assist of American Farmland Belief, South Dakota Cattlemen’s Affiliation, South Dakota Grassland Coalition, Sand County Basis, First Dakota Nationwide Financial institution, South Dakota Division of Agriculture and Pure Sources, South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation, South Dakota Recreation, Fish & Parks, South Dakota State College School of Agriculture, Meals and Environmental Sciences, SD DENR Discovery Heart, USDA Pure Sources Conservation Service, Audubon Dakota, Dangerous River Ranches, Belle Fourche River Watershed Partnership, Blair Brothers Angus Ranch, Cammack Ranch, Dawn Ranch, Geese Limitless, Jim and Karen Kopriva, McDonald’s, Millborn Seeds, North Central SARE-Sustainable Agriculture Analysis and Training, South Dakota Pheasants Endlessly, Skilled Alliance, South Dakota Affiliation of Conservation Districts, South Dakota Soil Well being Coalition, The Nature Conservancy, Todd Mortenson Household, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Companions for Fish and Wildlife, and Wagner Land & Livestock.

Sand County Basis and American Farmland Belief current the Leopold Conservation Award to non-public landowners in 24 states for extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. For extra info on the award, go to www.leopoldconservationaward.org

ABOUT BIEN RANCH

“Grass has been the very root of our household’s survival,” says Neil Bien. “To have that in our historical past spurs us to avoid wasting the grassland and maintain it so long as we will.”

The Bien household’s dedication to conservation has allowed them to maintain the panorama whereas incomes their livelihood from it for greater than a century. Neil and Muriel Bien, together with Neil’s brothers Boyd and Lyle and their households, function the ranch homesteaded in 1888 by their grandfather Ole Bien.

“We attempt to give attention to being environmentally sound and economically viable,” Neil stated. “In the event you don’t do issues which can be worthwhile, you received’t have anybody right here. And, in the event you don’t have anybody right here (on the land), you possibly can’t handle the setting.”

A lot of Bien Ranch’s 8,200 acres is grassland and unique native prairie. About 2,000 acres of no-till farmland produces hay and different feed for a herd of about 1,000 beef cattle.  Neil’s brothers personal adjoining land that’s managed with the identical conservation ethic. The Biens try to preserve water as they ranch in a manner that mimics nature by retaining fields inexperienced with cowl crops.

Situated in northeast South Dakota’s Prairie Coteau, the Bien Ranch is an intact illustration of the prairies, wetlands, and woodlands this glacial panorama is understood for. Neil’s ardour has lengthy been preserving and restoring wetlands. He has preserved 100 pure wetlands, and restored 15 wetland basins throughout Bien Ranch.

Neil says wetlands are important to the water cycle and supply important habitat for waterfowl and wildlife. This method is in distinction with those that transformed to row crop agriculture by draining wetlands in latest many years.

“We consider you possibly can’t pump one thing out of the bottom with out placing it again for the longer term,” Neil stated. “Sustainability is just not potential in the event you exploit, exhaust, or use it up.”

Water improvement and miles of well-designed inside cross fences have been established at Bien Ranch in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Geese Limitless, and the Pure Sources Conservation Service. These enhancements helped the Biens transition from season-long grazing to rotational grazing for the advantage of the land, livestock, and wildlife.

Interspersed all through the ranch are wildlife meals plots, 100 acres of tree plantings, and different wooded areas that give protection to wildlife and livestock. Their cautious placement doesn’t impression species that depend on open native prairies. Consequently, waterfowl and native upland birds just like the Sharp-tailed grouse are present in abundance.

“A part of being on the land is having fun with it; we’re not simply right here to work,” Neil stated. “Fishing, searching, and organising fowl homes and feeders, is essential.”

Like Aldo Leopold earlier than him, Neil is a superb observer of nature and pure processes.

Neil served on the State Wildlife Fee for eight years. He and Muriel taught at the highschool degree in Sioux Falls, the place he was acknowledged because the South Dakota Biology Trainer of the Yr. As a real instructor and conservationist, Neil discovered it unimaginable to take away himself from both of his core vocations.

He required his college students to learn Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac as a result of it taught endurance with the setting and land.

“It’s important to be affected person with wetlands and native grass” he stated of his personal ranch, which he considers a piece in progress.