District Awards

In 1981 the Manitoba Association of Watersheds (MAW, formerly known as “Manitoba Conservation Districts Association” (MCDA) of which the SRWD (formerly known as Turtle Mountain Conservation District) is a member started the Watershed District Competition to recognize the efforts made by farmers towards conservation. Each Watershed District (WD) selected a farm family who actively promoted wise farm management and conservation practices on their farm. All WD farm families were judged on a provincial scale and one farm family was presented with the Syd Ransom* trophy to recognize the MAW Conservation Farm Family.

Each year Board or Sub-District members nominate deserving farm families and select one to be recognized by the SRWD. The following is the list of farm families that have been recognized by the SRWD over the years as well as those who were provincial winners.

In 2003 the MCDA terminated the provincial judging thereby eliminating a provincial winner and they changed the name to Conservation Family from Conservation Farm Family.

The transition from “MCDA” to “MAW” came after the 18 former conservation districts transitioned to 14 watershed districts in January of 2020. For more information on the benefits of this change and to learn about the new watershed districts, please visit Manitoba Association of Watersheds.

*The late Syd Ransom was a farmer and conservationist who resided in the Turtle Mountains southwest of Boissevain. He played a key role in the establishment and early operation of the TMCD and was the first chairman of the Turtle Mountain Conservation District.