The 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.
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.
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.
Applications were reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders from Pennsylvania.
Click Here for a video about award winner Jim Hershey.
About Jim Hershey
The farm crisis of the 1980s led to something positive for Jim and Shirl Hershey.
After purchasing her parents’ dairy farm in the late 1970s, they soon faced high debt and soaring interest rates.
Unable to afford hired help, they tried to do it all. Something had to give.
That’s when their conservation journey began.
Jim tried no-till farming practices to reduce fuel costs and time spent plowing, without giving much thought to the potential environmental benefits. He jokes that farmers didn’t widely discuss soil biology back then.
A decade later, when he began growing rye as a cover crop, he noticed that water no longer pooled in his fields. The combination of no-till with a cover crop was improving the soil’s ability to infiltrate moisture.
With a roller crimper mounted to his planter, he became an early adopter of planting corn and soybeans into fields of living cover crops. This practice is better known today as “planting green.”
He noticed early on that any soil compaction issues were alleviated and soil structure improved. Leaving crop residue on his fields has increased organic material and biodiversity in the soil while reducing erosion and weeds.
With each growing season, Jim has adopted conservation practices to increase productivity and profitability while preventing soil erosion and water runoff, and reducing the need to apply costly nutrients and herbicides.
Jim and Shirl farm with their son Marc and daughter-in-law, Crystal, who have operated an event venue, Harvest View Barn, since 2014.
Together, they grow 500 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, and barley, and raise about 6,000 pigs and 1.7 million chickens annually.
Their manure is incorporated into soil to maximize the efficiency of the nutrients, control odor, and prevent runoff.
Penn State University researchers have long had an open door to the Hershey farm to conduct research trials on the impact of planting green and cover crops on nitrogen efficiency, weed control, and soil temperature.
Jim has also partnered with 4R Alliance and Pasa Sustainable Agriculture to analyze soil health and water infiltration.
To share his experience with other farmers, Jim co-founded the Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance in 2005. He has served as president of the farmer-led organization that promotes no-till practices for 15 years.
He also leads the Pennsylvania Regenerative Ag Research Foundation, and serves on the State Conservation Commission Board.
In 2019, Jim and Shirl traveled to Zambia to establish an agriculture sustainability program for farmers who grow maize and other vegetable crops. They continue to mentor a farm family they met there.
On their own farm, the Hersheys established 13-acres of buffer strip along a stream with 3,200 trees. An NRCS Forestry Management Plan on another 27 forested acres controls invasive species.
Jim’s drive to keep his farm’s landscape green through as many days of the year as he can has led him to innovate. He designed and built a cover crop interseeder that has been sold to other farmers.
His expanded cover crop production now includes crimson clover, tillage radish, Hairy vetch, and winter peas.
The multi-species mix is attracting more butterflies and bees to his farm, which serves as inspiration for a conservation leader who is still excited to learn.
Statements About The Award & Jim Hershey
“The Leopold Conservation Award honors landowners whose exceptional stewardship demonstrates how responsible land management can benefit both the environment and future generations,” said Tom Truitt, CEO of Horizon Farm Credit. “We are pleased to continue partnering with the Sand County Foundation on this award, which aligns with Farm Credit’s mission of ensuring the long-term success of rural communities and agriculture.”
“Jim Hershey is a living, breathing textbook on how conservation practices can make a farm sustainable for the long-run,” Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “Jim has been incredibly generous in sharing his knowledge and expertise with others to help them get started, grow their bottom lines, and make their own operations successful. Jim and Shirl’s care of their land and generosity in education others on managing farmland ethically embody the spirit of Aldo Leopold.”
“Jim Hershey’s remarkable conservation journey and legacy of service – now on two continents – make him an outstanding recipient of the 20254 Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award,” said Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Chris Hoffman. “Jim personifies the principles of stewardship and conservation championed by Aldo Leopold, and like past recipients of this award, has shown himself to be an innovator who is eager to share what he has discovered with his neighbors and other farmers seeking to replicate his success. Farm Bureau congratulates Jim on his achievements and is proud to join in celebrating them.”
“These award recipients are examples of how Aldo Leopold’s land ethic is alive and well today,” said Kevin McAleese, Sand County Foundation President and CEO. “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.”
“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,” said John Piotti, AFT President and CEO. “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.”
PA Award Finalists
Among the many outstanding Pennsylvania landowners nominated for the award were finalists: Burk-Lea Farms of Chambersburg in Franklin County, Maple Valley Cattle Company of Meyersdale in Somerset County, and McElhaney Family Farm of Hookstown in Beaver County.
The 2024 Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award was presented to forester Troy Firth of Spartansburg, Crawford County.
Supporting Organizations
The Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award is made possible thanks to the generous support of American Farmland Trust, The Heinz Endowments, Horizon Farm Credit, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Sand County Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission, Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and The Nature Conservancy.
Click Here for a video about award winner Jim Hershey.
For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Leopold Farm Conservation Award webpage.
Click Here for the PA Leopold Award announcement.
[Posted: January 14, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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