Dawn and Grant Breitkreutz Receive Leopold Award
Dawn and Grant Breitkreutz of Redwood Falls have been selected as the recipients of the inaugural Minnesota Leopold Conservation Award. The award honors farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.
The Breitkreutzes, who own and operate Stoney Creek Farm, were presented with the $10,000 award at the Premier Soil Health event in Mankato. Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes landowners who inspire others with their dedication to environmental improvement.
Dawn and Grant Breitkreutz know about taking chances. Shortly after taking over his family's farm in 1996, crop yields were failing, and cattle health was declining. This prompted the Breitkreutzes to begin exploring a more sustainable approach to raising cattle and crops. They began to see that focusing on growing healthy soil would lead to healthy air, water, livestock, and wildlife.
However, their initial attempts at soil health practices were questioned by some friends and family.
"We were at the edge of quitting," Dawn recalls. "And then the 'teachers' began appearing in our path," she said of a new network of peers who were making similar changes. As their circle of friends and mentors expanded around the globe, the acreage and herd size at Stoney Creek Farm grew as well.
Today they manage 1,759 acres across Redwood and Renville Counties where diverse crop rotations of soybeans, oats, cereal rye, and alfalfa are grown with a cover crop and no-till system. About 100 head of Red Angus cow-calf pairs are rotationally grazed on 675 acres of pasture and fields of cover crops throughout the year. About half of the pasture was converted from cropland, with the rest being remnant prairie.
After splitting a pasture in half during their first growing season, they recorded increased grass growth and a prolonged grazing season. It convinced them to enroll in an Environmental Quality Incentives Project that provided financial and technical assistance to slice a 49-acre pasture into nine paddocks served by two summer water tanks.
The next year, grass production doubled again. They now have more grass to rest for the winter than was previously grown in an entire growing season. With proper management and without reseeding, the number of native grass species found in their pastures has ballooned from three to more than 40.
"Our goal is to be the first farm in the neighborhood to be green across every acre in the spring and stay green throughout the summer and into the fall," Grant said.
Adding to the green are the cover crops inter-seeded prior to the corn and soybean harvests to provide soil a layer of protection. Their foliage prevents erosion above the ground, while their deep roots improve water infiltration beneath it. This helps protect water quality as Stoney Creek Farm sits on a bluff along the Minnesota River.
Transitioning to growing non-GMO grains eliminated or slashed their use of synthetic insecticides, fertilizers, and herbicides. A diverse seven-grain feed mix was developed for the hogs and chickens they now market direct to consumers. Populations of deer, pheasants, grouse, and bobolinks have all rebounded at Stoney Creek Farm.
"We don't feel the need to compete with other farms. We learned that it's okay to share information and to be an open book," Grant said. "The new principles we abide by can work all over the world."
The Breitkreutzes say farming is now more enjoyable and profitable, proving the risks of conservation agriculture were certainly worth the reward.
Mark Gutierrez, Minnesota Soil Health Coalition Executive Director, had this to say: "It is a true honor to work with and learn from Grant and Dawn Breitkreutz. Their willingness to share what they have learned on this journey and the countless hours they put into helping others is humbling and inspiring."
"We at Soil Regen are thrilled to welcome the Leopold Conservation Award to Minnesota," said Liz Haney of Soil Regen. "The award will help shine a spotlight on these dedicated land stewards who are building soil health, protecting water quality, and enhancing wildlife habitats across Minnesota's diverse landscapes."
"The Breitkreutz family has set the bar for conservation and stewardship in the Minnesota agricultural community," said Troy Daniell, State Conservationist for Minnesota NCRS. They are great examples of making incremental changes to their operation that have helped them move to higher levels of environmental stewardship as well as economic sustainability. Dawn and Grant have not only impacted their own farm, but also their community and beyond as leaders in soil health conservation agriculture."
*Article originally submitted by the Sand County Foundation to The Land (www.TheLandOnline.com). Reprinted here by permission. The Breitkreutz Farm was featured in the article "The Joy of Over-Liming as Viewed from Space" which appeared in the Early Fall 2017 Volume 30 Issue 4 of The Growers Solution. In that article, they discussed their use of GMS and high calcium (Ca) limestone on their farm.
This is an excerpt from the Early Spring Growers Solution (2025).
Signup for our newsletter to stay in the loop
