Stemple Creek Ranch Receives 2025 California Leopold Conservation Award®

We are deeply honored to receive the Leopold Conservation Award from the Sand County Foundation, an organization whose tireless work embodies the conservation ethic that has guided our stewardship at Stemple Creek Ranch for the past two decades. We have been privileged to work this land and connect directly with our community, always striving to leave it healthier than we found it.

The Sand County Foundation’s commitment to recognizing and supporting landowners who balance productivity with environmental stewardship inspires us daily. Their work amplifies Aldo Leopold’s vision that conservation is not just about preserving nature, but about fostering a respectful, reciprocal relationship between people and the land. We are grateful to stand among the ranchers and farmers they celebrate, many of them our friends and neighbors, who prove that agriculture and conservation can thrive together.

This award reminds us that our work is part of a larger movement, and we are proud to contribute to the legacy the Sand County Foundation continues to build across the country. 

- Lisa and Loren Poncia

Stemple Creek Ranch Receives California Leopold Conservation Award

"Stemple Creek Ranch of Tomales is the 2025 California Leopold Conservation Award® recipient.

The $10,000 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. 

Loren and Lisa Poncia, owners of Stemple Creek Ranch, were presented with the award during the California Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Meeting on December 8. 

Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present Leopold Conservation Awards to private landowners in 28 states. In California, the award is presented with Sustainable Conservation and the California Farm Bureau Federation. 

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes landowners who inspire others to consider conservation opportunities on their land. In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold advocated for “a land ethic,” an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage. 

Earlier this year, California landowners were encouraged to apply, or be nominated, for the award. Applications were reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders from California."

Sand County Foundation – “Stemple Creek Ranch Receives California Leopold Conservation Award”