Neil Bien, the 2023 SDSU Eminent Leader in Ag, Family and Community, knows the importance conservation plays in preserving a ranch for generations to come.
Since 1888 Marshall County has been home to the Bien family ranch. Located in the rolling hills of South Dakota’s Prairie Coteau, since the family homesteaded the land, they have embraced its natural landscape of native grass and wetlands.
A third-generation Veblen rancher, Bien enjoys welcoming friends to enjoy the beauty of the ranch. And when they arrive, he gives them a unique welcome thanks to a bell from the old Trondhjem Lutheran church.
Marshall County in northeast South Dakota is home to an 8,200-acre ranch that belongs to the Bien family. Their dedication to the land and its water has led to recognition as this year's South Dakota Leopold Conservation Award® winner.