A LEGISLATIVE COMMEMORATION, Honoring Johnson Farms as the 2019 Leopold Conservation Award recipient.

WHEREAS, the Leopold Conservation Award, named for renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, recognizes farm and ranch families who demonstrate outstanding conservation leadership on their land and in their communities and a commitment to the health of South Dakota's natural resources, exemplified by Johnson Farms as the recipient of the 2019 Leopold Conservation Award; and

WHEREAS, Alan and Mickie Johnson, with their son Brian and his wife Jamie, use a mix of old school practices and modern technology to leave their Spink County land in better shape for the next generation; and

WHEREAS, the Johnsons couple no-till practices with cover crops and diverse rotations, improve water infiltration and soil health, minimize agricultural runoff, naturally ease pest management, and provide wildlife habitat, making the land more productive than when first broken by homesteaders; and

WHEREAS, realizing that different areas of each field have varying productivity, the Johnsons apply the precise amount of nutrients on the soil, saving time and natural resources and delivering a better return on investment; and

WHEREAS, their herd of Angus beef cattle is allowed to graze on mature cover crops and corn stubble, creating a cooperative relationship between the cattle and the land; and

WHEREAS, when they met as interns during the 2004 Legislature, Brian and Jamie's relationship budded, blossoming into a family with four sprouts:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT COMMEMORATED, by the Ninety-Fifth Legislature of the State of South Dakota, that the Legislature honors Johnson Farms as the 2019 Leopold Conservation Award recipient.