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CAMBRIDGE – Caroline County farmer Dave Tribbett of Twin Maples Farms in Ridgely is the winner of the Sand County Foundation’s prestigious 2025 Maryland Leopold Conservation Award.
The award was presented during the Maryland Farm Bureau 110th Convention’s award banquet Monday evening, Dec. 8, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge.
Tribbett received a standing ovation from the 400 banquet attendees, as he and his wife Spring ascended the dais to receive the $10,000 award.
The award, which is presented in 28 states, was brought to Maryland two years ago. Tribbett was one of two 2025 Maryland nominees. Named in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award honors farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.
Alex Echols, program specialist for the Campbell Foundation’s agriculture program in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, presented the award, calling the selection process a “very competitive, selective process.” He called Tribbett a “hero” for his “groundbreaking work.”
“We're going to recognize a very different kind of hero today, and that's the farming leader,” Echols said. “This is not just a leader in the farming community. These are people that exemplify the best of farming, the best of conservation.”
“It’s hard for me not to get emotional about this,” said Echols, his voice breaking. “(There are) some real heroes that aren't just feeding the nations, but they're giving us the things we really care about, like clean water, healthy communities, a vibrant economy and a future.”
Tribbett thanked Spring and their three daughters, as well as his team of business associates. He said it’s been “a great 30 years” since he began raising chickens, established Giant miscanthus grass, and founded Mid Atlantic Organic Resource Company (MAORC), which transforms agricultural by-products into high-quality organic compost. Tribbett recently set up his corporate headquarters in Ridgely.
“Behind all these crazy theories that I come up with is a lady who has to hear of my ideas,” Tribbett said, pointing to his wife as the crowd applauded.
A short video introduced Tribbett, who purchased Twin Maples Farm in 2003.
The son of agriculture teacher, FFA advisor and Caroline County farmer David Tribbett, young Dave Tribbett started out by leasing some farmland and chicken houses while still in high school.
“With hard work, strategic diversification, and a forward-thinking commitment to sustainability, he never looked back,” according to the Sand County Foundation’s biography of Tribbett at Sandcountyfoundation.org. “Today, his Twin Maples Farms raises more than 1 million chickens annually in eight poultry houses, and 1,500 acres of crops, including corn, soybeans, and lima beans.”
A few years ago, Tribbett branched into raising another crop, Giant miscanthus grass – a sterile, non-invasive perennial grass – as he searched for better bedding for his chickens. The cane-like plant reaches heights of 12 feet and produces up to 8-12 tons of biomass per acre, the foundation’s website states.
“The harvested grass provides a clean, soft, dry, absorbent, dust-free bedding, that reduces flies, pests, and odors. Miscanthus fields stabilize soils, filter runoff, improve water retention, and enhance carbon sequestration, with no herbicides and minimal fertilizer inputs needed. By drying naturally in the field, no further drying is required. This reduces energy use when compared to wood shavings that require intense energy,” according to the Sand County Foundation’s website.
Tribbett’s “leadership in environmental conservation” continued when he founded MAORC, the website states. “Marquis Roberts, the compost facility’s farm manager is credited with helping Dave achieve a closed-loop system where resources are recycled and reused within a continuous cycle.”
In 2024, “MAORC diverted more than 19,360 tons of poultry and horse manure, hatchery and egg waste, and grain waste from landfills,” the website states. “These nutrient-rich agricultural by-products, coupled with miscanthus for carbon, helped MAORC produce 27,000 tons of organic compost sold to farmers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed as a sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilizers, promoting soil health and resource efficiency.”
Attending the banquet were Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks, state legislators from the Eastern Shore, and John Saathoff, president of the Caroline County Farm Bureau.
The Sand County Foundation, based in Madison, Wisconsin, and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present the Leopold Conservation Awards to private landowners in 28 states. In Maryland, the award is presented with state partners the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts, Maryland Farm Bureau Inc. and The Campbell Foundation.
The Maryland Leopold Conservation Award is made possible through the support of American Farmland Trust, The Campbell Foundation, Maryland Farm Bureau Inc., Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts, Sand County Foundation, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Horizon Farm Credit, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Chesapeake Conservancy, Delmarva Chicken Association, and The Nature Conservancy.
