Sustainability Leadership Awards
Presented as the capstone of the Alliance’s fall meeting, these awards are given to farmers, organizations and individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership through their efforts to advance continuous improvement in the sustainability of U.S. commodity crop production. The winners of the Farmer of the Year, Collaboration of the Year and Trusted Adviser of the Year are selected by Field to Market’s Education and Outreach Committee. Each recipient demonstrates leadership in the pursuit of continuous improvement, resulting in measurable results and significant impact on both agriculture and the environment.
The 2023 awards program was made possible thanks to the support of Nestlé Purina Petcare and Cotton Incorporated.
Meet the 2023 Sustainability Leadership Award Winners:
Farmer of the Year
Jim Winn
Cottonwood Dairy
South Wayne, Wisconsin
Recognized for outstanding conservation efforts on his farm and leadership in advancing sustainable agriculture, Winn was honored as Field to Market’s 2023 Farmer of the Year. Co-owning and operating Cottonwood Dairy in South Wayne, Wisconsin, with his partners Brian and Randy Larson, Winn farms approximately 2,500 acres of corn and alfalfa, and raises approximately 2,900 dairy cattle, all with a whole-farm approach to sustainability.
Having utilized a suite of conservation practices including no-till, contour strips, cover crops, and a comprehensive nutrient management plan for years, Winn and his partners work diligently to ensure the farm remains productive now and into the future.
Learn more about Field to Market's 2023 Farmer of the Year
Trusted Adviser of the Year
Mark Lefebvre
Conservation Planning Team Manager
Stearns County SWCD
Recognized for his outstanding leadership in supporting farmers’ journeys of continuous improvement, Mark Lefebvre was honored as Field to Market’s 2023 Trusted Adviser of the Year. Providing support to Minnesota farmers, Lefebvre champions sustainable solutions to improve environmental outcomes on-farm and enhance long-term productivity, while helping them try sustainable practices and track their progress.
As the Conservation Planning Team Manager for the Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), Lefebvre provides technical and financial assistance to landowners across the county. For over 17 years, he has been assisting farmers with identifying risks on their farming operations and finding solutions that will fit in with each individual’s farm goals and operating constraints.
Learn more about Field to Market's 2023 Trusted Adviser of the Year
Collaboration of the Year
U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol: Collaborating for a Smarter Cotton Future
Recognizing outstanding collaboration and cross-sector partnership in advancing continuous improvement of cotton sustainability at the field and landscape level, the 2023 Collaboration of the Year Award honors the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol (Trust Protocol) and Cotton Incorporated for their work on the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol: Collaborating for a Smarter Cotton Future project.
Enrolled in Field to Market’s Project Directory, this project represents the enrolled acres of producers involved in the Trust Protocol and the collaborators’ work to assist producers in improving their environmental outcomes and marketing sustainable cotton across the industry.
Learn more about Field to Market's 2023 Collaboration of the Year
Previous Winners
Learn more about the farmers and organizations who have been recognized for outstanding sustainability leadership through their efforts to advance continuous improvement in the sustainability of U.S. agriculture in past years: