News

Nebraska family honored for conservation efforts

A south-central Nebraska farming and ranching operation has been honored for its work to preserve grasslands and wetlands.

Shaw Family Farms, which operates in the Fairfield-Deweese area south of Hastings, received the 2015 Leopold Conservation Award Friday in a ceremony at the Nebraska State Capitol.

Brian Shaw, who farms with his father Steve, played football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the late 90’s.  Brian left Nebraska after college and worked with financial giant Lehman Brothers in New York and Chicago before returning to the family farm.

“I can honestly stand in front of you today saying there is no place I would rather be than back here in the state of Nebraska, in the heart of Nebraska, on a farm, making an honest living in a community where the Golden Rule still applies, in an occupation that is very intrinsically rewarding,” Shaw said.

“We’re not only working to put food on the table for ourselves, but also to feed the world—and it doesn’t get much better than that.”

The Shaws were recognized for their efforts to restore a wetland and grassland tract for grazing. The land also serves as a habitat along the annual migration corridor for an estimated 8.6 million waterfowl and 300-thousand shorebirds.

Link to news release on Nebraska NRCS web site