Bartholomay Kattle Kompany of Sheldon is the recipient of the 2023 North Dakota Leopold Conservation Award.
Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the prestigious award recognizes private landowners who inspire others with their dedication to land, water and wildlife resources in their care.
Bartholomay Kattle Kompany is a partnership between Keith and Sandi Bartholomay, and their son Karl and his wife Becca. They manage more than 4,000 acres of cropland, native range, and pastures in Ransom County. The Bartholomays will be presented with $10,000 and a crystal award for being selected during the North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts’ Annual Convention in November.
For more than a century, farming and ranching atop an aquifer has provided unique benefits and challenges for the Bartholomay family.
They raise cattle and grow crops in the wet and sandy Sheyenne Delta of the Red River Valley; where a high water table provides favorable soil conditions even when the rest of North Dakota is suffering from drought. However, the water table’s proximity to the Bartholomay’s fields and pastures means they take extra precaution to prevent runoff that could pollute the aquifer below.
Bartholomay Kattle Kompany is a partnership formed in 2019 between Keith and Sandi Bartholomay, their son Karl and his wife Becca. Prior to that, Keith and his brother Kent owned K&K Bartholomay Farms, a continuation of the farm their parents Joe and Marian started.
The Bartholomays manage more than 4,000 acres of cropland, native range, river bottoms, and pastures at multiple locations. They grow corn, soybeans, oats, wheat, and sunflowers, and raise a herd of 280 cow-calf pairs.
In North Dakota, Sand County Foundation presents the award with national sponsor American Farmland Trust, and state partners: North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition, North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts and the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association.
Sand County Foundation news release
Comments