The American Soybean Association (ASA) congratulates this year’s regional winners of the 2026 Conservation Legacy Awards:
- Lewis Unruh, Peabody, Kansas (Midwest)
- Jon & Cathy Nelson, Lake Preston, South Dakota (Upper Midwest)
- James Baxter, Georgetown, Delaware (Northeast)
- Alex Forsbach, Savannah, Tennessee (South)
The award winners will be recognized at the annual ASA Awards Celebration during Commodity Classic in San Antonio on Feb. 24. At the event, one of the regional winners will be announced as the national winner.
The Conservation Legacy Award is a national program designed to recognize the outstanding environmental achievements of soybean farmers, which help produce more sustainable U.S. soybeans.
A national selection committee, composed of soybean farmers, conservationists, agronomists and natural resource professionals, evaluated nominees based on their on-farm legacy of conservation practices and outreach efforts in their local community. The program is sponsored by ASA, BASF, Bayer, Nutrien, the United Soybean Board/Soy Checkoff and Valent USA.
Lewis Unruh, Peabody, Kansas (Midwest Region)
Kansas soybean farmer Lewis Unruh is no stranger to land stewardship. His operation’s conservation story began with contour farming as his grandfather worked to slow the flow of water down the hills.
Today, Unruh has implemented sustainability practices across 100% of his acreage and says his goal is simple: to leave the land better than when he purchased it. The veteran farmer continually works to lower input costs while decreasing soil erosion through no-till, cover crops, and water management strategies.
“It gives me great satisfaction to see the changes and improvements to our farmland over the years,” Unruh said. “The conservation efforts have allowed our farm the chance to be profitable.”
Jon & Cathy Nelson, Lake Preston, South Dakota (Upper Midwest Region)
South Dakota soybean grower Jon Nelson knows that soil conservation and improving water quality must be top of mind for farmers like him.
While it wasn’t easy to rethink the methods used on his farm for decades, Nelson accepted the challenge. In partnership with his wife, Cathy, son, Tyler, and daughter-in-law, Kaleigh, Nelson farms some 2,800 acres and works to incorporate new methods to conserve farmland and help create a sustainable, resilient operation for future generations.
“By embracing diversity and regenerative practices, we are building a farm that can adapt to change, remain productive and continue to serve both people and the environment well into the future,” he said.
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James Baxter, Georgetown, Delaware (Northeast Region)
James “Jay” Baxter and his sister, Kristy Malin, run Baxter Farms, Inc., a family partnership that is rooted in a history of conservation and land stewardship.
Their parents and grandparents modeled what it meant to leave the land better for the next generation—and now it’s their turn to carry on that legacy.
“We’re not just leaving assets behind,” Baxter said. “We were given soil, something to grow. We were given something to love and to steward, and that’s what my legacy means.”
With a rich conservation heritage, Baxter Farms and its entire team shares the philosophy that the land itself is the farm’s legacy. Soil health is at the forefront of the operation’s management decisions, driven largely from the use of no-till, cover crops and water management.
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Alex Forsbach, Savannah, Tennessee (South Region)
Tennessee soybean grower Alex Forsbach says that land stewardship and conservation practices are making a positive difference in his operation. He’s witnessed first-hand a significant increase in organic matter alone over the last 10 years and attributes that directly to his use of no-till and cover crops.
“Conservation has a significant role in creating and carrying out my farming legacy,” Forsbach says. “My children and farm visitors see conservation in action setting a foundation for the future. I love talking to people who are not directly involved in agriculture because you get the best questions on why we do things a certain way. It is a way for me to challenge conventional thinking.”
While the future is filled with unknowns, Forsbach knows conservation helps him think long-term.
To learn more about these award-winning operations, visit AgWeb.com to read the longer feature story on each and watch a video highlighting each farm’s conservation practices. ASA will begin accepting applications for the 2027 Conservation Legacy Awards this summer.
