Three Finalists Selected for the 2026 New York AEM-Leopold Conser...

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today announced that three farm families have been selected as finalists for New York’s Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM)-Leopold Conservation Award: Ben Wever Farm (Essex County), Bottomland Farm of Berkshire (Tioga County), and El-Vi Farms LLC (Ontario and Wayne counties). 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, along with their nominating Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). 

Commissioner Ball said, “Every year, we look forward to honoring New York farmers who go above and beyond to leave the land better than they found it through the distinguished New York AEM-Leopold Conservation award. The three finalists in contention for the 2026 award have long been dedicated to best practices that protect our natural resources and conserve our environment, both on their farms and in their communities. I congratulate all of them for inspiring their neighbors to follow in their footsteps, and look forward to shining a spotlight on their efforts when we join with the Sand County Foundation to award the AEM-Leopold Conservation Award later this year.”

Sand County Foundation President and CEO Kevin McAleese said, “These award finalists are examples of how Aldo Leopold’s land ethic is alive and well today. Their dedication to conservation is both an inspiration to their peers as well as a reminder to all how important thoughtful agriculture is to clean water, healthy soil, and wildlife habitat.”

New York’s longstanding AEM Award partnered with the Sand County Foundation’s nationally recognized Leopold Conservation Award^® program in 2020 to honor a farm and its nominating SWCD. Named in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, this award recognizes landowners who inspire others with their dedication to environmental improvement. 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. Sand County Foundation and national sponsor, American Farmland Trust, present Leopold Conservation Awards in 28 states. 

The finalists for the 2026 New York AEM-Leopold Conservation Award are:

• Ben Wever Farm of Willsboro in Essex County:  Ben Wever Farm, owned by Shaun and Linda Gilliland, is a diverse livestock, equestrian, and agroforestry operation on 495 acres along the Boquet River. In addition to raising rotationally grazed beef cattle and sheep, they produce honey and forest products. Since purchasing the farm in 2005, the Gillilands have engaged with the AEM program through their work with the Essex County SWCD. The farm’s riparian buffers and 220 acres of woodlands provide wildlife habitat. The Gillilands have allowed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to monitor salmon along their stretch of the Boquet River. The farm also allows public fishing rights along the river and has taken measures to improve and protect its water quality.
• Bottomland Farm of Berkshire in Tioga County: Becca Rimmel and Bill Morse’s Bottomland Farm stands out for its combination of ecological integrity, whole-systems thinking, and community engagement on a small but intensely productive acreage next to East Owego Creek. While most of the acreage is steep wooded hillside, the 18 acres that are suitable for farming are used to grow pasture-raised pork, chicken, eggs, goats, and produce. In addition to the land stewardship practices that Tioga County SWCD has helped them implement, the farm has been working towards no/minimal tillage for their market garden vegetables, and forest farming that includes: log-grown shiitake mushrooms and native spring ephemerals. 
• El-Vi Farms LLC of Newark in Ontario and Wayne counties: Named after its founders Elmer and Viola Peck, El-Vi Farms is a 2,800-cow dairy farm that utilizes new technologies and focuses on sustainable farming practices like conservation tillage and growing cover crops. The farm is owned by Joshua Peck, Kim Skellie, George Andrew, and two retiring partners, Ted Peck and Allan Ruffalo. A Certified Nutrient Management Plan has matched the fertilizer needs of each the farm’s alfalfa, small grain, and corn fields for the past 25 years. Crop fields are assessed for nutrient runoff and leaching loss risk, and cow manure is injected into corn fields to avoid surface runoff and protect water quality. The farm regularly collaborates with the Ontario County SWCD on outreach and education workshops. 

The award recipient, who receives $10,000, will be revealed later this summer. 

Earlier this year, County SWCDs in New York State were encouraged to identify and nominate the best examples of conservation success in their district. Applications were reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders from New York State. 

Sand County Foundation’s New York AEM-Leopold Conservation Award is made possible through the generous support of New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, American Farmland Trust, Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The Ida and Robert Gordon Family Foundation, Farm Credit East, New York State Agribusiness Association, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service of New York. 

New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee Chair Matthew Brower said, “All three of these farms certainly deserve recognition for their efforts in protecting our natural resources while managing diverse farm operations. Every year I am so impressed by the efforts of the farms nominated for this award. Thanks also to the Soil and Water Conservation Districts for assisting the farms with the planning and implementation of various conservation practices on the farms.”

American Farmland Trust President and CEO John Piotti said, “As the national sponsor for Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award, American Farmland Trust celebrates the hard work and dedication of the award recipients. At AFT we believe that exemplary conservation involves the land itself, the practices employed on the land, and the people who steward it. This award recognizes the integral role of all three.”

Last year’s recipient was Oechsner Farm of Newfield in Tompkins County.

For more information, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org and agriculture.ny.gov/soil-and-water/agricultural-environmental-management. 

SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION inspires and empowers farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners to ethically care for the land to sustain water resources, build healthy soil, and enhance wildlife habitat. www.sandcountyfoundation.org

Ben Wever Farm:

Bottomland Farm of Berkshire:

El-Vi Farms LLC: