To keep the land in the family … To operate the land profitably … To leave the land better than they found it … Each year, Sand County Foundation’s prestigious Leopold Conservation Award recognizes families for leadership in voluntary conservation and ethical land management. In Generations on the Land: A Conservation Legacy, veteran author and journalist Joe Nick Patoski visits eight of the award-winning families, presenting warm, heartfelt conversations about the families, their beloved land, and a vision for a healthier world.
Generations on the Land celebrates these families’ roles as conservation leaders for the nation - far beyond the agricultural communities where they live - and reinforces the value of trans-generational family commitment to good land stewardship. The eight landowners profiled by Patoski include six ranchers, a forester, and a vintner. They reside across the country: in California, Nebraska, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Their conservation accomplishments range from providing a habitat corridor for pronghorn antelope to hammering out an endangered species ‘safe harbor’ agreement for grape growers.

A short introduction by afellow conservation or ranching professional precedes each of the personal portraits by Patoski, which are written in an informal, conversational style. Brent Haglund, president of the Sand County Foundation, provides an introduction to the purpose and work of the foundation, and a conclusion summarizes the substantive conservation contributions of the Leopold award winners.
With more and more attention being focused on the tensions between the agricultural and economic potential of land and the preservation of the natural environment, a better understanding of sustainable agriculture is becoming increasingly vital. By showcasing the leadership of these Leopold Conservation Award winners, Generations on the Land will inspire a whole new cadre of landowners to build a lasting heritage of conservation and sustainable land use - benefitting the earth and its inhabitants for decades to come.
Paper used in printing this book was provided by Mixed Sources: materials manufactured under certification by the Forest Stewardship Council. In 1939, Aldo Leopold wrote ‘When land does well for its owner, and the owner doeswell for his land, when both end up better by reason of this partnership, we have conservation.’ Generations on the Land demonstrates this simple yet powerful concept through a series of inspirational and instructional essays drawn from hardworking landowners from across the nation. Whether you manage a working landscape yourself, or are one of the urban many seeking insights into how humanity can achieve a sustainable future, you need to study this book. –Richard C. Bartlett, Thinking Like a Mountain Foundation