Scotty Herriman of South Coffeyville is the recipient of the Oklahoma Leopold Conservation Award.
The award honors farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.
Scotty, a farmer from Nowata County, was revealed as the award recipient at the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts’ Annual Meeting on February 25. He and his wife Jo received $10,000 for being selected.
Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes farmers and forestland owners who inspire others with their dedication to environmental improvement. In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold called for “a land ethic,” an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.
Oklahoma landowners were encouraged to apply (or be nominated) for the award early last year. Applications were reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and conservation leaders. The first Oklahoma Leopold Conservation Award was presented to Jimmy and Ginger Emmons of Leedey in 2017. Last year’s award was presented to the Williams Family of Red Rock.
About Scotty and Jo Herriman
Nowata County Farm Bureau members Scotty and Jo Herriman of South Coffeyville were named the recipients of the Oklahoma Leopold Conservation Award at the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts Annual Meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 25.
The Herrimans’ 2,000-acre farm in northeast Oklahoma sits along the Verdigris River, a fertile river bottom cleared and terraced for growing corn, soybeans, wheat and milo.
The road to conservation began in 2007 with a torrential downpour that caused the nearby Verdigris River to crest over 30 feet, breaking a levee that flooded the Herriman’s home along with a local refinery, resulting in 42,000 gallons of oil spilling into the river.
The Herriman’s lost three decades’ worth of topsoil and were left with 13 acres of crops to harvest.
Scotty said poor crop yields in 2008 followed the flood, and he was pushed to consider changing how he farmed.
Following the flood, he adopted no-till practices by incorporating soybeans and strip-till corn. Scotty added cover crops into his rotation starting with cereal rye, which he now sells as seed to farmers for cover crops. The Herrimans have also hosted many farm tours to showcase the soil health benefits of cover crops.
The Herriman Farm was also one site for the Oklahoma Conservation Commission and American Farmland Trust’s “Soil Health Case Studies” in 2022. The study analyzed the financial impacts of conservation practices on 350 acres of the farm. It found the farm’s net income increased by $4 per acre, per year, achieving a 7% return on investment.
The Herrimans have been repeat winners in the National Corn Growers Association’s yield contest for dryland corn in Oklahoma. Other sources of pride for Scotty and Jo are their three grown sons, each with agricultural careers.
The Herrimans have always been willing to try innovative techniques, such as terracing, prescribed burning, and brush management. In 1978, they purchased land that included 26-acre Chouteau Lake, the largest lake in Nowata County. The land was full of scattered timber and had poor drainage. Three acres of large trees along the lake act as a riparian area and natural buffer. Several fishing clinics have been hosted at the lake that serves as a popular community resource.
Scotty’s passion for working with other conservation-minded people led the governor to appoint him to the Oklahoma Conservation Commission where he served for a decade, two years as chairman. He also served as president of the Oklahoma Soybean Association.
Accolades
“The Herriman family has long been at the forefront of implementing sustainable conservation efforts on their farm while sharing the importance of conservation efforts with their fellow Oklahoma agriculturalists,” said Kerry Givens, Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture President. “Their love of the land along with their passion to share their knowledge with fellow agriculturalists has made Scott and Jo pillars in Oklahoma’s agricultural community.”
Award sponsors
The Leopold Conservation Award in Oklahoma is made possible thanks to the generous contributions from American Farmland Trust, ITC Great Plains, Noble Research Institute, Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Sand County Foundation, the Emmons Family, Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts, and McDonald’s.
For more information on the award, visit leopoldconservationaward.org.
