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Although Dwight Clary called himself a dreamer, his roots in conserving the land and water run deep.

"My dad was conservation-minded," he said, "so I guess you could say it's a family tradition."

Dwight and his wife Lisa Clary, who are also Seneca County Farm Bureau trustees, were the first in their area to operate under 100 percent no-till in the early 1980s. The Clary's conservation techniques also include crop rotation, filter strips and shutoff valves on tiles to capture or release rain water during the growing season.

The Clarys are among four other couples to win the 2006 Conservation Farm Family Award sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Soil and Water Conservation, OFBF and Ohio Farmer magazine.

On Sept. 21 the families were honored at the Farm Science Review in London. Other winners are Gerald and Jan Hanko of Huron County, Jeff and Cathie Kreager of Muskingum County, Edith and Dallas Lakes Jr. of Montgomery County and Steve and Debbie Miller of Fairfield County.

• The Hankos operate a diverse 750-acre farm in Huron County. Major crops include corn, beans and wheat. Conservation techniques used include no-till, crop rotation, filter strips and the installation of 13.2 acres of grassed waterways. Gerald has been innovative in his use of precision farming to apply nutrients on all crop fields, which has reduced the amount of fertilizers used on his fields.

• Jeff and Cathie Kreager's principal crop is hay and they raise cattle. Conservation practices include installing a windbreak to reduce farmland erosion and stream fencing to prevent livestock from entering streams and woodlots. They have also worked with district personnel in developing a manure-nutrient management plan.

• Dallas and Edith Lakes farm 385 acres in Montgomery County. Principal crops are hay and corn. To combat rill erosion and drainage problems, Dallas has installed several water and sediment control basins, 9,000 feet of grassed waterways and miles of tile to control erosion.

• The Millers farm 515 acres in Fairfield County. Major crops include corn, soybeans, wheat and hay. Cattle are also raised. Conservation practices include the traditional techniques such as no-till, mulch till, crop rotation, filter strips and winter cover crops. On the innovative side, Steve spreads chicken compost and municipal sludge, has just installed a roofed manure dry stack facility and has plans to install an agricultural fertilizer containment facility.

"The winners set an example for other farmers," said Keith Stimpert, OFBF's vice president of public policy. "OFBF is proud to be a part of this award."

Since 1984, the Conservation Farm Family Awards program has recognized more than 100 Ohio farm families for their exemplary efforts of conserving soil, water, woodland and wildlife and other natural resources on the land they farm. Conservation farm families also host a variety of educational programs, opening their farms to schools, scout groups, farm organizations and others.

Caption: Dwight and Lisa Clary were the first in their area of Seneca County to operate under 100 percent no-till in the early 1980s. Photo by Seth Teter