SCIPIO CENTER — Greg and Neil Rejman learned from their father, Jack, to do the right thing. That approach was recognized Thursday when the brothers, who own Sunnyside Farms, received the New York Agricultural Environmental Management-Leopold Conservation Award.Â
The award, which is named for conservationist Aldo Leopold, recognizes environmental practices in farming. The Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District nominated Sunnyside Farms for the honor. The farm was announced as one of three finalists in July.Â
Sunnyside Farms, which has 5,000 cows and 4,000 heifers and calves, is the largest dairy farm in the country to receive a Leopold conservation award.Â
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"The Rejmans' family connection to sustainability and conservation goes back almost 100 years to the 1930s, so this is not a new idea here," state Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball said at a ceremony at the farm Thursday. "This is an existing idea. This is a farm that's taken it to an incredible level."Â
The Rejmans' environmental practices are important because the 7,500-acre farm is located between Cayuga and Owasco lakes. Their efforts include using buffer strips and grass waterways to protect streams and prevent runoff. They also planted cover crops, completed stream stabilization projects and installed a manure digester that generates electricity and natural gas.Â
Greg Rejman credited the farm's 70 employees for implementing the environmental conservation strategy.Â
"It starts with those guys," he said. "They're the ones out there doing the work, keeping an eye on things. They truly care for the land, the other people, the cows and the community."Â
Neil Rejman told the crowd at Sunnyside Farms that whenever his father faced challenges, he would say to do the right thing and "everything else will take care of itself."Â
"I think a lot of what we do on the environmental side and conservation side is just kind of that approach," Rejman said. "Not overthinking it and just trying to do the best we can and improve things."Â
It's the second time in three years that a Cayuga County-area farm has won the statewide award. In 2022, Greenfield Farms in Skaneateles received the honor.Â
The award, Ball said, represents "the best New York agriculture has to offer when it comes to conservation and progressive thinking in farming." Sunnyside Farms is not just an example for large farms, he continued, but for farms of all sizes.Â
"That doing the right thing is the right thing to do," he said.Â
Government reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.