The first Leaders of the Land® profile for 2024 celebrates environmental success.
Noll’s Dairy Farm in Alma, Wisconsin, has been named the winner of the 2023 Leopold Conservation Award. The award is given by Sand County Foundation in association with Wisconsin Farmers Bureau Federation AND Wisconsin dairy farmers.
This prestigious award is named after renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold and recognizes farmers who go above and beyond in managing soil health, water quality and wildlife on farmland.
Learn more about why the Noll family was selected to receive the award in the Sand County Foundation story below:
Aldo Leopold must have had Noll’s Dairy Farm in mind when he wrote that “the landscape of every farm is a portrait of the owner himself.” Perched high above the Mississippi River on Wisconsin’s western shore, it is a masterpiece for everyone to admire.
Mark, Curtis and Scott Noll and their families have long appreciated and enjoyed the natural resources in their care. Their farm consists of 400 acres of graded corn, soybean and hay fields, managed in conjunction with 450 acres of adjacent forests, oak savannas and prairies that provide timber production and wildlife habitat.
Nothing reflects their commitment to conservation like restoring a remnant prairie on a desiccated bluff. These ecologically sporadic landforms, called goat prairies, are rarely seen along the bluffs of the Mississippi River in western Wisconsin. The Nolls were inspired to take action when they learned about their importance in the 1990s.
With the involvement of family and friends and a little monetary assistance from state and federal programs, they removed unwanted trees and brush and performed prescribed burns. Today, they actively manage one of the largest remnants of the Dry Bluff prairie in Buffalo County.
This process also restored oak savannas, which is noteworthy because prairies and oak savannas are among the most endangered natural communities in Wisconsin and currently occupy less than one percent of their historic range. Noll’s Dairy Farm is located on a winding road leading to a popular overlook of the Mississippi River. A roadside sign informs drivers about a sporadic ecosystem that has been brought back from the brink.
Also evident from the road is the strip cultivation system that divides the farm into 119 fields. This picturesque yet practical configuration, combined with a no-till system, helps prevent soil erosion. The Nolls also plant winter rye, turnips and radishes as cover crops that improve soil health and prevent erosion.
Given their location hundreds of feet above the Mississippi River, the Nolls understand the importance of keeping the soil in place, away from surface and groundwater. Since 1969, more than 20 earthen dams and erosion control structures have been installed to prevent gullies from forming. Manure from Noll dairy cows is stored in storage before its nutrients can be spread as fertilizer on the fields.
The construction of the manure yard was largely funded by proceeds from selective harvesting of mature timber on the farm. Since developing the first timber harvest management plan in 1997, the Noll family has continually improved the forest stands for future generations and improved habitat for wildlife and pollinators.
In 2014, the Nolls planted 735 acres in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, which manages deer populations at levels that support hunting and forest regeneration. Since then, the Nolls attribute the reduction in crop damage to providing deer with habitat choices thanks to the dozens of different forestry projects they have underway.
The family organizes an annual hunter education course to instill nature conservation principles in youthful people. By organizing field trips for schools and conservation organizations, the Nolls show others what desiccated bluff prairies, oak savannas and a sturdy land ethic look like.
Follow the links to learn more about it Leopold Award AND Sand County Foundation.
