Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company Named California Leopold Conservation Award Recipient
Bob Giacomini and his four daughters are recognized for their commitment to conservation at their Northern California dairy and cheese-making operation.
Source: Sand County Foundation, California Farm Bureau Federation and Sustainable Conservation news release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sand County Foundation, the California Farm Bureau Federation and Sustainable Conservation are proud to announce Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company as the recipient of the prestigious 2013 California Leopold Conservation Award.
Dairy Today featured the Giacomini dairy and cheese operation in our November 2013 issue. Click here to read "Savoring Sustainability."See more photos of the dairy here. |
The award honors private landowner achievement in the voluntary stewardship and management of natural resources.
Bob Giacomini and his four daughters own and operate Robert Giacomini Dairy and Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company in coastal Marin County, where the family began milking cows in 1959.
Bob and daughters Karen, Diana, Lynn and Jill produce Point Reyes Farmstead cheeses and operate The Fork, a culinary center focused on education and entertainment for visitors to the farm. As exemplary stewards of the land, they are dedicated to sustainable farming practices and humane animal care.
"The Giacomini family is a shining example of how landowners in California can have a huge impact on healthy landscapes, clean waterways and a clean-energy future," said Ashley Boren, Executive Director of Sustainable Conservation. "Rotational grazing of their cows keeps soils healthy and helps prevent harmful erosion into Tomales Bay, and their methane digester converts cow manure into clean, renewable energy that powers their dairy and cheese facility."
"Responsible care for our land and other natural resources has allowed California farmers and ranchers to sustainably produce the food and farm products we all depend upon," California Farm Bureau President Paul Wenger said. "The Leopold Conservation Award recognizes outstanding examples of the stewardship that family farmers and ranchers perform every day."
Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the Leopold Conservation Award recognizes extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage, which he called "an evolutionary possibility and an ecological necessity."
The Leopold Conservation Award program inspires other landowners through these examples and provides a visible forum where farmers, ranchers and other private landowners are recognized as conservation leaders.
The 2013 California Leopold Conservation Award will be presented December 9 at the California Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Meeting in Monterey. Each finalist will be recognized at the event, and the award recipient will be presented with a crystal depicting Aldo Leopold and a check for $10,000.
The California Leopold Conservation Award is made possible thanks to generous contributions from many organizations, including The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and American Ag Credit. Visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.
ABOUT THE LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD
The Leopold Conservation Award is a competitive award that recognizes landowner achievement in voluntary conservation. The award consists of a crystal award depicting Aldo Leopold and a check for $10,000. Sand County Foundation presents Leopold Conservation Awards in California, Colorado, Kentucky, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
ABOUT SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION
Sand County Foundation is a private, non-profit conservation group dedicated to working with private landowners to improve habitat on their land. Sand County Foundation’s mission is to advance the use of ethical and scientifically sound land management practices and partnerships for the benefit of people and their rural landscapes. Sand County Foundation works with private landowners because the majority of the nation’s fish, wildlife and natural resources are found on private lands.
ABOUT SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION
Sustainable Conservation believes promoting a healthy environment can be good for business. Its award-winning climate, air, water and wildlife initiatives promote practical solutions and tangible results for California and its people. Founded in 1993, Sustainable Conservation’s effectiveness lies in building strong alliances with business, agriculture and government – and establishing models for environmental and economic sustainability that can be replicated across California and beyond.
ABOUT CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
The California Farm Bureau Federation works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of nearly 78,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of more than 6.2 million Farm Bureau members.
