Applicants are invited to apply for the Leopold Conservation Award.
Donor Name: Sand County Foundation
State: Kentucky
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Awards and Prizes
Deadline: 03/31/2026
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Kentucky award is presented in partnership with American Farmland Trust, Kentucky Agricultural Council and the Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts. Sand County Foundation and national sponsor, American Farmland Trust, along with state partners, present the Leopold Conservation Awards to private landowners in 28 states.
The $10,000 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.
Criteria
Award applications may be submitted on behalf of a landowner, or landowners may nominate themselves. Applications are reviewed by an independent panel of local agricultural and conservation leaders.
In a separate document, please address these five criteria, and limit each response to 1,000 words.
- Conservation Ethic – Describe how the nominee has voluntarily exceeded the minimum obligations of regulation to enhance and conserve natural resources.
- Resilience – Describe the business and conservation methods used by the nominee to make the operation productive into the future.
- Leadership and Communication – Describe significant efforts the nominee has made to share his/her conservation ethics and techniques with others inside and outside of agriculture. Describe community service, positions held, leadership roles and media outreach.
- Innovation and Adaptability – Describe how the nominee has taken risks by utilizing or experimenting with new techniques to adapt to change (consumers, markets, weather, regulations, etc.).
- Ecological Community – Describe how the nominee’s agricultural operation works with natural systems (soil, water, plants and wildlife, etc.). Describe how this benefits others. Describe any other relevant accomplishments and/or challenges.
For more information, visit Sand County Foundation.
