Sklarczyk Seed Farm wins soil health award

Sklarczyk Seed Farm is one of three winners of the Nature Conservancy’s Soil Health Heroes awards. 

Announced at the 2026 Great Lakes Crop Summit, the awards honor Michigan farms for conservation practices. Sklarczyk Seed Farm won the Conservation Innovation Award, given to a farm applying new or experimental conservation practices. 

Zach Cook of Big Rapids, Michigan, received the Conservation Newcomer Award, given to a farm applying conservation practices for the first time (within three years), while Tom Hess of Vassar, Michigan, won the Conservation Legacy Award, given to a farm applying practices for five or more years.

“These winners represent the future of regenerative agriculture and a healthier Michigan,” Benjamin Wickerham, agricultural program director for The Nature Conservancy, said in a news release. “We are proud to share their stories not only to honor them but also to inspire other farmers toward healthy soil practices that support successful crops, build resiliency, maintain economic success and protect our lands and waters.”

Farmer awardees were peer-nominated and selected by an independent review committee of agricultural partners. The winners have implemented soil health practices including reducing tillage, vegetative cover cropping and managing nutrient inputs, according to the release.

“These efforts help reduce input costs, rebuild soil structure and buffer farm fields against weather extremes, all while protecting water quality,” Wickerham said. “As people learn about how well soil health practices are working on farms like these, we’re hopeful they continue conversations and action toward conservation on more Michigan farms.”

Johannesburg, Michigan-based Sklarczyk Seed Farm is owned by Alison and Ben Sklarczyk and specializes in hydroponic seed potatoes. The farm includes a tissue culture lab and greenhouse. 

“We were, prior to hydroponics, producing between two and five potatoes per plant,” Ben Sklarczyk said. “Today we’re producing between 25 and 35 potatoes per plant, so hydroponics has made us very efficient with our square footage. It’s made us very efficient with the fertility that we use. It’s made us very efficient with our water use through the process.” 

Alison Sklarczyk, 2019 Spudwoman of the Year and a 2025 Spudman Impact Award winner,  said sustainability plays a key role in the farm’s operations. 

“We live here. We recreate here. We eat and drink everything right here,” she said. “We always want to be taking care of and improving everything that we’re doing and doing it the most cost- and environmentally friendly way possible.”