Jesse and Kylie Sebero turned 500 contiguous acres of Marinette County woodland into a proving ground where heavy logging equipment and thriving wildlife co-exist.
On September 10, 2026, the Sand County Foundation named the Porterfield landowners among five finalists competing for the 2026 Wisconsin Leopold Conservation Award. The $10,000 annual prize singles out private landowners who preserve soil systems, waterways, and wildlife without sacrificing commercial output. The foundation coordinates the program alongside the American Farmland Trust, the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, and Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. An independent panel of agricultural and forestry authorities evaluated the submissions to determine the shortlist.
The math on the ground is demanding. Instead of clear-cutting stands for short-term profit, the Sebero Family Tree Farm assesses the ecological and financial return of every acre. The couple harvests timber selectively while preserving dense cover for regional wildlife. They also open the gates to outside researchers, conservation groups, and neighboring landowners looking to replicate the system. Jesse Sebero reinforces the property's field trials through public service as a technical service provider for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. In that role, Sebero drafted 272 individual forestry blueprints guiding management over thousands of private woodland acres across the state.
The Seberos represent the only dedicated timber operation on the 2026 shortlist. Four other family-run agricultural outfits advanced through the selection process, each tackling heavy erosion, livestock runoff, and soil depletion across distinct Wisconsin watersheds.
| Finalist | County | Core Conservation Practice | Field Operations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jesse & Kylie Sebero | Marinette | Forest canopy management & wildlife corridors | 500-acre contiguous tree farm; 272 USDA NRCS plans drafted |
| Andy Bensend | Barron | Soil health & nutrient management | Cover crops and reduced tillage on corn, wheat, and soybeans |
| Weenonah Brattset & Kirsten Jurcek | Jefferson | Rotational grazing & grassland bird conservation | Perennial cattle grazing and Audubon-backed bird habitats |
| Jeff Endres | Dane | Watershed phosphorus reduction | On-site manure composting and Yahara Pride watershed leadership |
| The Schoepp Family |
Named after ecologist Aldo Leopold—whose 1949 landmark work A Sand County Almanac defined modern land stewardship—the award program now operates across 28 states. Wisconsin's inaugural honor went to Appleton woodland conservationist Gerry Mich in 2006, followed most recently by Lafayette County producer Michael Berg in 2025.
The Sand County Foundation will reveal the 2026 award recipient on November 12.
| Columbia & Sauk |
| Infiltration improvement & erosion control |
| No-till multi-crop rotations with integrated cover-crop grazing |