The Sand County Foundation took advantage of a gathering of Soil & Water Conservation Districts and leaders of the conservation agriculture community to announce three finalists of their 2024 Illinois Leopold Conservation Award.
Lance Irving, director of the Leopold Conservation Award Program, took the stage Sunday night, July 14, during the Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts’ 2024 Summer Training Conference & 76th Annual Meeting at the Springfield Crowne Plaza.
Three finalists were announced:
- Lyons Farm of Harvel in Montgomery County.
- Lieb Farms of Monticello in Piatt County.
- Martin Family Farms of Mount Pulaski in Logan County.
The award honors farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on working land. Read details of the conservation practices which garnered these farm families the award on the Sand County Foundation website.
Richard Lyons was an attendee of the MAGIC of Conservation conference and accepted a sign for being named a finalist. See a profile of Lyons on the AIMillinois website, and their video on YouTube, for more on getting top yields on his fields as he implements conservation practices. (Neither Lieb Farms nor Martin Family Farms attended the conference – their finalist signs will be delivered.)
Lance Irving of the Sand County Foundation announces finalists for the 2024 Illinois Leopold Conservation Award Sunday night July 14, at the AISWCD’s annual conference in Springfield.
Lance Irving, of the Sand County Foundation, gives a 2024 Illinois Leopold Conservation Award Finalist award to Richard Lyons, of Montgomery County, Sunday night July 14. The top three finalists for the award were honored during the AISWCD annual conference.
2024 Illinois Leopold Conservation Award Finalist Richard Lyons speaks to the crowd. Lyons was one of three farmers named as finalist in the Sand County Foundation recognition.
The Illinois Leopold Conservation Award is made possible through the generous support of American Farmland Trust, Illinois Corn Growers Association (IL Corn), Illinois Soybean Association (IL Soy), Sand County Foundation, Coleman Family Fund, Farm Credit Illinois, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service of Illinois, Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts, Compeer Financial, Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership, and McDonald’s.
Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present the Leopold Conservation Award to private landowners in 28 states. In Illinois the award is presented with IL Corn and IL Soy.
The ultimate award recipient will be revealed this summer at the Illinois State Fair, with a $10,000 prize. Their conservation success story will be featured in a video and other outreach by the Foundation.
See more about the AISWCD’s MAGIC of Conservation conference and our lineup of speakers on the AISWCD website.
Richard Lyons dances with his wife, Sharon, during the AISWCD annual conference.
