2023 National HHB Award Winners
Conservation Producer Recipient
Ryan and Michael Hough have been named the national winners of the Conservation Producer 2023 Hugh Hammond Bennett Awards for Conservation Excellence for outstanding conservation efforts on their farm, Hough Brothers, Barnesville, Minnesota.
Troy Daniel, NRCS MN State Conservationist, says, “Ryan and Michael Hough are innovative producers who have been willing to step outside their comfort zone to improve resources and enhance their farming operation. Minnesota NRCS has been honored to work with them as they continue to be leaders in conservation.”
The Hough Brothers farm 1800 acres of row crops and run a 600 head cattle operation in the triangle of Clay, Otter Tail and Wilkin counties. This location graces them with the flat valley clay loam soil, gumbo clay soil and the rolling hills with clay tops. In 2008 they started renting some land of their own. In 2014 they took over the operation from their parents. They soon realized they wanted to make some changes. After hearing success stories from fellow no-till operators, Ryan and Michael Hough wanted to give it a try on their farm. They started with a 90ac. field in 2015. However, in 2016 they switched to a full farm no-till operation. Not only did they see labor savings from not having to incorporate fall tillage, but they also saw the benefit of saving soil moisture and controlling erosion. The brother said, “Switching the farm over to a no-till operation really suited us. Getting rid of the fall tillage wasn’t easy. We didn’t have a lot of support from neighbors because it wasn’t something that you see done in our area.”
Fast forward five years, the Hough Brothers look back and wouldn’t have changed a thing. They started integrating cover crops into the no-till operation to get the benefit of grazing the cover crop after the cash crop was harvested. The brothers said, “Utilizing cover crops as a feed source helps save on our winter feed bill.” This allows the brothers to extend the grazing period beyond the fall frost. They have also switched from conventional grazing to rotational grazing their pastures. The brothers said, “In 2017 we decided to try full season cover crops and added rotational grazing. We started with weekly moves for the herd to get the most use out of our pastures. The next year we switched it up to 3 day moves, and currently move every 3-7 days, depending on our workload.” They will tell you that it is a little more labor intense to have to set up the wires and get them moved daily but worth your time in the long run. They no longer split the herds up according to pasture size. They run the herd as one group through the intense grazing management plan.
Bob Guetter, Conservation Team Lead for Becker, Clay, Ottertail, Wilkin Counties, says, “The brothers are innovative producers willing to try things on their ground and share the ups and downs of their trials and experiences form over the years to help others grow and learn. You know which fields are theirs as you drive by, they are alive. There is wildlife, livestock, abundant microbes, and organisms on and in the soil, all working in a symbiotic relationship.”
The Hough Brothers have utilized the EQIP and CSP programs, along with grazing RIM, and are Ag Water Certified through the MN Dept. of Ag. Ryan has taken his turn serving as Chair on the MN Barley Council, National Barley Growers board member, and has been the speaker at numerous agricultural conferences. In 2019, with the help of NRCS, MN Soil Health Coalition and Anheuser-Busch, they teamed up with a neighbor and hosted a grazing cover crops workshop.
When asked “What was the biggest challenge?”, Ryan laughed and said, “My brother, but all joking set a side, it would be getting past the mindset of not caring what everyone else thinks. It’s not easy but you need to drown out their opinions” He would go on to tell you that they didn’t have a lot of support from neighbors who were not familiar with no-till practices, but they see the response from the soil and yields and didn’t let it detour them. Ryan said he would encourage anyone interested to find a network of people that are practicing no-till and talk to the people willing to share advice.
Jonathan Quast, NRCS District Conservationist, Wahpeton, ND Field Office, says, “Ryan & Michael are producers every conservation planner would thoroughly enjoy working with because of their commitment to conservation and reflect NRCS’s mission and vision. Their goals and conservation are not mutually exclusive but intertwined and are having positive and compounding benefits for themselves and the land. Friendly, hardworking, inquisitive, and forward looking are apt descriptions of Ryan and Michael. Planning with them is always fun, unique, and interesting because I’m never sure what the next idea would be thrown my way. Hugh Hammond Bennett would be proud of what they have done in being leaders and being a voice for conservation and that each one of us have the ability to shape our world for us and those to come.”
Regional Producer Winners:
| Pacific | HI | Jenny Webster |
| Northern Plains | ND | Keith, Sandy, Karl, and Becca Bartholomay |
| Southwest | UT | Terry Spackman |
| South Central | TX | Carroll Collier |
| North Central | MN | Ryan and Michael Hough - National Winners |
| Northeast | NJ | Lindsay Napolitano and Johann Rinkens |
| Southeast | GA | Caroline Lewallen |
Conservation Planner Recipient
Mark Lefebvre, a Conservation Planning Team Manager at Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District in Waite Park, Minnesota has been named the national winner of the Conservation Planner 2023 Hugh Hammond Bennett Award for Conservation Excellence for his outstanding conservation efforts.
Troy Daniell, NRCS MN State Conservationist says, “Mark Lefebvre is a leader in his community and in conservation. He is highly respected by his coworkers, partners, and the producers. Minnesota NRCS is honored to call Mark a partner in conservation.”
Mark attended the University of Wisconsin – River Falls and then the University of Minnesota where he received a bachelor’s degree in agronomy. After college, Mark was a partner in a 1300-acre, 100-cow dairy and crop farm. As crop manager, he was responsible for the production and harvest of all crops, which included corn, alfalfa, small grains, and soybeans, some of which was under irrigation. The farm hosted numerous demonstrations and field days for various ag-related organizations. Mark also served as an elected Wright Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor for 14 years.
After selling the farm, Mark worked in the ag retail industry selling seed, fertilizer, and agronomy services before moving to the Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District as a nutrient management specialist. Mark has engaged with and worked alongside diverse groups of farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, state and local government officials, non-profit organizations, and businesses. His farm experience and professional training has led him to be recognized as a go-to leader locally as well as across the state. He has provided outstanding conservation planning and technical assistance services to hundreds of agricultural producers in Minnesota over his 18-year career. Now overseeing a team of four conservation planners, he is a sought-after mentor to his peers and partners in addition to being a trustworthy advisor in the agricultural community.
Michael Hemmann, Civil Engineer Technician, NRCS Mcleod County says, “I have had the privilege to work with Mark for approximately 15 years. He exemplifies what a soil conservationist is and should be. He is a great role model and teacher for younger employees with the SWCD and NRCS. He is also a great communicator with farmers. I believe his best quality is that he is a good listener. The farmer will talk about his operation and Mark will provide realistic alternatives to them. He knows those conservation practices because when he was farming, he implemented those conservation practices on his land. He has been a true asset to the SWCD, NRCS, and the agricultural community.”
Mark works with agricultural producers and private landowners to develop comprehensive plans to address natural resource concerns affecting soil and water quality and quantity. He provides direct technical assistance for nonstructural land management practices as well as nutrient management, irrigation water management, and other practices. He also works with landowners and producers to become certified through the Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program.
Dennis Fuchs, Administrator, Stearns Soil and Water Conservation District, says, “Mark has been a great addition to the Stearns County conservation team, benefiting landowners across the county. His farming experience, education and willingness to learn has made him a fantastic conservation planner. And most recently has taken on the role of the Conservation Planning Team Manager. Mark leads by example and is highly respected by his team, farmers and partners.”
Mark’s background on the farm and extensive professional training have allowed him to be an effective communicator and develop relationships with producers and peer conservationists alike through his advocacy of one-on-one, whole-farm conservation planning. As a result of his efforts, conservation practices have been implemented on thousands of acres of farmland across Stearns County as he works to protect water resources and improve soil health.
Tessa Greve, Conservation Planner, Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District, says, “Mark is a terrific leader and conservation planner. He has a great relationship with producers and encourages his colleagues to do the same! Mark has worn a lot of hats throughout his career and adapts to new challenges and programs with ease. He is a joy to work with every day!”
As a Certified Crop Adviser, Mark has an excellent reputation throughout the agricultural industry in Minnesota with crop consultants, retailers, local co-operatives, and University of Minnesota and Extension staff. In addition, he takes time to attend partner events to explain and promote conservation technical assistance and is an expert member of some Farmer-Led Council groups.
Kelly Molitor, Conservation Planner, Stearns County SWCD, says, “Mark is an outstanding employee at the Stearns SWCD. With his background in having been a full-time dairy farmer, schooling in agronomy, and 20+ years of conservation planning, he is a valuable resource to not only his Team, but also the countless producers he assists on a daily basis. Mark understands that not everything is black and white when working with landowners on conservation practices. He uses common sense, logic, conservation ethic, and proved science to help successfully implement conservation on the ground in Stearns County. He is someone I look up to as a trusted mentor and go to for guidance, but also consider a friend. I can’t think of anyone more knowledgeable, hard-working, or down to earth in this field than Mark Lefebvre.”
One of Mark’s proudest accomplishments, he said, was while farming with his dad and brother in the mid-1990s when he converted their cropping system to no-till and strip till. This allowed Mark to provide firsthand advise to farmers implementing similar soil health practices when he started working at the SWCD. A more recent accomplishment Mark noted involved a soil health field day equipment demonstration that he helped organize and run. He later discovered that three farmers purchased strip till equipment because of the field day.
Logan Berg, Soil Conservationist, NRCS Sherburne County says, “If you were to think of the best qualities of a Conservationist, you would think that the qualities they would need are as follows: knowledgeable, friendly, connected, easy going, good listener, strong worth ethic, and most importantly willingness to stand up and be a leader to those that need it most. This is what Mark is to so many across this state if not the country. Mark has always been there for our farmers and ranchers who may be struggling, and to those who have not seen him in action he has this amazing ability to connect with our producers so easily. He can immediately recognize their concerns and guide them in a way to just take one step in the right direction even though the final answer may be a mystery at that moment. I have always been amazed at how well Mark can connect not only with our farmers and ranchers but to our partnering agencies in this huge machine we call conservation. What I have found to the why Mark is able to connect so well is because he has this unique perspective of growing up in the same world that so many of these farmers and ranchers did. A world that is a small rural town, that nobody has ever heard of. Seeing the same resource concerns that he himself had to deal with growing up on farm. With that knowledge and unique perspective Mark can excel with giving our Producers the tools they need to continue growing food for people around the world. With all these traits Mark has proven time and time again that he embodies the best qualities of conservationist, and I am very fortunate to learn from him and more importantly I am fortunate to call him a friend.”
Regional Planner Winners:
| Pacific | AK | Phil Kaspari |
| Northern Plains | KS | Doug Spencer |
| Southwest | CO | Jerry Archuleta |
| South Central | AR | Sherri DeGraphenreed |
| North Central | MN | Mark Lefebvre - National Winner |
| Northeast | PA | Melissa Erdman |
| Southeast | GA | Jeff Kastle |
