Levi and Crystal Neuharth make farming decisions based on the five principles of soil health:
Keep the soil covered.
Keep living roots growing as much as possible.
Include diversity in plant communities.
Integrate livestock.
Levi is a founding member and current chairman of the South Dakota Soil Health Coalition, and the couple took over management of Prairie Paradise Farms, near Fort Pierre, S.D., in 2016.
This commitment to soil health has earned Prairie Paradise Farms the South Dakota Leopold Conservation Award. This was announced on Earth Day by Gov. Kristi Noem and the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.