Rachel Hopkins, MU Extension county engagement specialist, received the Conservationist of the Year Award from Women in NRCS for the natural resource conservation efforts she’s adopted on her 1,100-acre family farm. Conservation efforts that Rachel has implemented include building custom paddocks for management-intensive grazing, improving watering systems and laying local timber to slow erosion. Rachel worked alongside the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Crawford County Soil and Water Conservation District and the federal Natural Resource Damage Assessment while completing her conservation projects. Read more about her award and conservation practices.