Awards - ACAP Ag Conservation Con

Call for Nominations!
2026 ACAP Ag Conservation Con Awards

Deadline: Monday, July 13, 2026

Nominations are now open! A panel will review all submissions, except for the Best ACAP Photo, which will be selected by attendee votes at the conference. Consideration for all other categories will be based on the details provided in the nomination. You may also include an optional letter of support from a farmer, colleague, or agricultural conservation partner.

Nominate yourself or someone else by end of day Monday, July 13, 2026. Awards will be presented at the banquet on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, during the 2026 ACAP Ag Con Conference.

The Rookie of the Year has demonstrated exceptional work implementing and promoting ACAP in 2025-2026. This individual has distinguished themselves through initiative, learning, adaptability, and relationship building to address agricultural resource concerns using ACAP in their first year. This individual is effective at communicating with partners and building trust in their local community.

Criteria:

Must have worked part-time or full-time on ACAP projects.
Must have started employment at a conservation district (or another ACAP-delegated entity) on or after January 1, 2025.

Submission Requirements:

Nominee’s name, email address, place of employment, and employment start month and year.
Prompt: Describe how the nominee has taken the initiative in learning their role, engaged with partners, and built trust in their community. Include specific examples. Additionally, share any other reasons this person should be considered for the award (700 words or less).

The ACAP MVP Award will be awarded to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional promotion and implementation of ACAP throughout 2025-2026. This person has distinguished themselves through hard work and dedication towards addressing agricultural resource concerns, utilizing ACAP funding. The nominee is effective at communicating with partners and building trust within their local communities. An ACAP MVP has demonstrated leadership, mentorship, or program influence beyond a single project or farm.

Criteria:

Must have worked part-time or full-time with the ACAP program and on ACAP-funded projects.

Submission Requirements:

Nominee’s name, email address, and place of employment.
Prompt: Describe how the nominee has worked to address agricultural resource concerns using ACAP and how they have engaged with partners and built trust in their local community. Include specific examples. Additionally, share any other reasons why this person should be considered for the award (700 words or less).

The ACAP County Team Award honors the conservation district (or other ACAP delegated entity) that has demonstrated outstanding teamwork within the ACAP process. This squad promotes the spirit of teamwork through collaboration and cooperation, leading to ACAP project success. This group of staff has consistently offered support and assistance to their coworkers and ACAP applicants.

Criteria:

All team members must be employed by the same conservation district or ACAP-delegated entity.

Submission Requirements:

Names, email addresses, and place of employment of all nominees.
Prompt: Describe how the nominated team has demonstrated outstanding collaboration and teamwork as they have worked together towards addressing agricultural resource concerns using ACAP. Please include specific examples. Describe any additional reasons why this team should be considered for this award (700 words or less).

The ACAP Partnership Award will be presented to a qualified partnership, between two or more separate organizations, including at least one conservation district (or delegated ACAP entity), that has demonstrated successful teamwork and collaboration on ACAP projects. This cadre is a force to be reckoned with and will have excelled at implementing ACAP projects together in a way that could not have been achieved independently.

Criteria:

The primary nominee must be a conservation district (or ACAP-delegated entity).
The secondary awardees will be the partnering organization(s) or entity(ies).
Nominees must include at least two entities that have partnered at the local level to implement ACAP.
Eligible partners may include, but are not limited to, public or private sector entities, such as local offices of county, state, or national agencies, organizations, funders, contractors, and nonprofit organizations.

Note: the State Conservation Commission (SCC) and The Center for Ag Conservation Assistance Training (CACAT) are not eligible to be considered partners for this nomination.

Submission Requirements:

Names and email addresses for designated contacts at the county conservation district or ACAP entity and each partner organization, including partner organization names.
Prompt: Describe how the nominated partnership has worked together to address agricultural resource concerns using ACAP. Include specific examples. Additionally, share any other reasons why this partnership should be considered for the award (700 words or less).

The Innovative ACAP Project Award will be bestowed upon a project that showcases inspired and innovative thinking to address resource concerns while utilizing ACAP funds for the installation of Best Management Practices. Innovative thinking can include, but is not limited to, funding strategies, BMP selection and implementation, and creative design/engineering.

Criteria:

Project must have been paid for in whole or in part using ACAP funding.
Project must have been completed after Jan. 1, 2025, or anticipated to be completed by the end of 2026. Completed projects will be given greater weight in consideration.

Submission Requirements:

Name and county of the nominated farm where the project was implemented.
Names of partner entities involved in the project.
Approximate percentage of the project funded by ACAP.
Prompt: Describe the project and explain why it is innovative in addressing resource concerns through agricultural BMPs. Include specific examples. Additionally, share any other reasons why this project should be considered for the award (700 words or less).

Showcase your creativity by submitting your best ACAP project photo to be judged by your peers at the ACAP Ag Conservation Con. All submitted photos will be printed, mounted on foam core, and prepared for display in your home county after the conference.

Criteria:

Photos must be high-resolution digital images suitable for printing.
Photos will be displayed at the conference for judging.
Photos must have been taken in 2025 or 2026.

Submission Requirements:

Name, email address, and place of employment of the photographer.
County and farm where the photo was taken.