Jim Hershey of Elizabethtown has been selected as the Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award® recipient.
The $10,000 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.
Hershey, a farmer from Lancaster County, was revealed as the award recipient at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg on January 12.
Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present Leopold Conservation Awards to private landowners in 28 states. In Pennsylvania, the award is presented with The Heinz Endowments, Horizon Farm Credit, and Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.
Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes landowners who inspire others to consider conservation opportunities on their land. In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold advocated for “a land ethic,” an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.
Pennsylvania landowners were encouraged to apply, or be nominated, for the award. Applications were reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders from Pennsylvania.