Celebrating South Dakota’s Conservationists
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:
In South Dakota, we are fortunate to live on a landscape managed by dedicated farming and ranching families. For generations, they’ve known that their livelihoods depend on being good stewards of soil, water, livestock and wildlife.
As we celebrate the natural resources that we cherish on Earth Day, we should applaud those who care for working lands protecting our land and water.
Each year the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, South Dakota Grassland Coalition and Sand County Foundation bestow the Leopold Conservation Award® on a farming or ranching family who demonstrates outstanding conservation leadership, and is dedicated to land and wildlife conservation. The award is named for renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold.
This year’s Leopold Conservation Award recipient is Cammack Ranch of Union Center.
Cammack Ranch is owned and operated by State Senator Gary Cammack, and his wife, Amy. They raise beef cattle on 11,000 acres of grazing land in Meade County, where they have implemented rotational grazing practices, constructed windbreaks and planted more than 30,000 trees. Their improvements have resulted in abundant wildlife, and healthy soil, grasslands and cattle.
The Cammacks purchased their first land in 1978 and opened Cammack Ranch Supply in Union Center shortly thereafter. Truly a family operation, their four grown sons all contribute to the operation of the ranch in some way.
This Earth Day we congratulate the Cammacks and all South Dakota landowners who care for the natural resources on which we all depend. Their strong land ethic ensures that our natural resources will be here for future generations.
For information on Cammack Ranch and the many conservation practices used by farmers and ranchers, visit LeopoldConservationAward.org.
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Congratulations Senator Cammack and Amy Cammack!