With great excitement and pride I would like to announce that Sweetland has been chosen as the 2025 recipient of the Sand County Foundation’s Leopold Conservation Award! In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold called for “a land ethic;” an ethical relationship between people and the land they manage. The Leopold award “honors farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water resources, and wildlife habitat on working land.” We have been selected from among many other conservation-oriented farmers across New England.
It is a real honor to receive this award – which you might equate to the Nobel Prize of Conservation – as we pass the midpoint of our 14th year of farming this land, and the 7th year of our 90in10 Climate Pledge. It’s easy to get “lost in the weeds” of the day-to-day work of Conservation and Sustainability – hacking away at tangled honeysuckle, lugging another 50 pound bag of cover crop seed to the field, pounding in the 8000th stake to protect seedling nut trees, puzzling over German installation schematics of our new biomass burner… But when I can zoom out and see the big picture of what we are working towards and accomplishing, all those hours of work are worth it.
When we receive the award this week we will be surrounded (literally and in spirit) by people from the array of organizations and agencies who have helped us turn our philosophy of conservation into reality. From the creation of the farm’s original Land Trust conservation easement, to the research and education of Agricultural Extension, to the many grants and technical assistance of state and federal agencies, we could not have gotten to where we are without the support of so many others. This award recognizes the value of their work, by association. And similarly, without the support of our CSA members we would not have a farm on which to focus our conservation efforts! While your membership at Sweetland certainly buys you a season of delicious veggies and fruits to take home, it also purchases some of the less tangible ecosystem services like clean water and air, wildlife habitat, and plant diversity that we are committed to providing. The recognition of this award from the Leopold Foundation is a wonderful accolade, but in truth it is the appreciation from and collaboration with our community that is the best reward.
Cheers
Norah and the Sweetland Crew
Week 18 Harvest Tomatoes Peppers Cherry Tomatoes Pac Choi Tatsoi Carrots Spaghetti Squash Shallots Arugula Mesclun Spicy Greens Mix
What’s Cooking This Week
You can find ingredients for all of these recipes in our farm store! We source meats, dairy, grains, beans, sweets, and more from local and sustainable producers. Don’t forget to use your CSA member discount by entering your account phone number in our POS (member discounts are automatically applied to LocalLine purchases for off-farm delivery).