Johnson honored with conservation award

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

Wendy Johnson was recognized last month as a recipient of the 2024 Leopold Conservation Award.

Established by the Sand County Foundation in 2003 to celebrate voluntary conservation efforts in agriculture, 28 states now participate in the program to recognize landowners that go the extra mile to be good stewards of natural resources.

“It really honors and highlights outstanding conservation work on working lands,” said Johnson.

In Iowa, which has had the award for three years, Johnson was nominated by her fellow farmers and conservation advocates in the state and chosen among four finalists.

Along with recognition for her efforts, the Leopold Conservation Award includes a $10,000 prize, which Johnson said she will reinvest into her farms.

A strong advocate for holistic land management, Johnson’s family farm employs crop rotation, no-till planting, cover crops and prairie strips to protect the soil on their land.

Johnson’s Jóia Food and Fiber Farm has transformed 130 acres of conventional farmland into an area dedicated to demonstrating how conservation practices can be used to protect the environment without compromising productivity.

“We’ve transitioned out of corn and soybeans and into a perennial-based farm using livestock,” said Johnson.

Instead of traditional crops, the land now grows Kernza, a perennial grain used in flours that is well suited for taking on water and protecting soil from erosion. Thousands of fruit, nut and hardwood trees have also been planted to create grazing areas and grasslands.

“One of the reasons we took it out of corn and soybean production was that we were at the base of a large watershed and we were seeing a lot of soil movement,” said Johnson. “We feel where we are located is quite vulnerable to erosion.”

From creating a perennial pasture for direct-to-market livestock to graze, to starting a second business, Jóia Sleep, to produce grass-fed wool bedding, Johnson has taken a multifaceted approach to using conservation practices with the hope of inspiring and encouraging other farmers to do the same.