This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Three rural Utah farmers have been selected as finalists for the prestigious Utah Leopold Conservation Award.
Worth $10,000, the award honors one Utah landowner for their stewardship and management of natural resources.
Utah finalists include:
• William "Junior" Goring and his son Blake, who run W.F. Goring & Son, Inc., a sheep ranch in Deweyville, Box Elder County.
• H.A. Farms, Inc. is a sheep and cattle ranch in Parowan, Iron County. The ranch was operated by State Sen. Dennis Stowell until his death in 2011, with his family continuing the business today.
• Stuart Johnson and his son Jared, along with their wives Carma and Ginger, who own Johnson Mountain ranch, a cow calf ranching operation in Aurora, Sevier County.
The award is given by the non-profit Sand County Foundation and named in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold. In addition to Utah, the foundation also will present Leopold Conservation Awards in California, Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming.
"These agricultural operations are remarkable because they all share a commitment to wise use of Utah's natural resources," said Leland Hogan, President of the Utah Farm Bureau, which helps sponsor the Utah award along with Western AgCredit and the Utah Cattlemen's Association.
The winner will be announced at the Bureau's annual convention banquet, Nov. 22.