Alex Forsbach of Savannah was recently honored with the prestigious 2026 National Conservation Legacy Award. The American Soybean Association (ASA) presented the award in February during its Commodity Classic Awards Celebration in San Antonio, Texas.

A trailblazer in soil health, Alex started his successful operation, Growing Acres Farm, in 2008, following in his father’s footsteps as a full-time row crop farmer on the family farm near the Tennessee River.

“I was humbled and honored to be selected for the award,” said Alex. “There are four regional winners — from the Upper Midwest, Northeast, Midwest, and Southern. In November, we learned we were the Southern region winner, and we were invited to San Antonio for the awards dinner, where we met the others from Delaware, South Dakota, and Kansas. None of us knew who would be named the national winner — it was announced live that night. They all represented great farming families who exemplify strong practices on their farms.”

The ASA Conservation Legacy Awards honor U.S. soybean farmers for progressive, environmentally friendly, and profitable farming practices, such as no-till and cover cropping. The awards recognize stewardship that improves soil health, water quality, and biodiversity, and “shine a light on the most progressive farmers.”

State row croppers were well represented by Alex, a producer dedicated to conservation and land improvement who uses sustainable practices like no-till farming, crop rotation, and cover crops to improve soil health and manage flood risks. He rotates grain sorghum, winter wheat, corn, and soybeans.

Alex says it doesn’t matter how many acres you have, “the important thing is how well you manage those acres.”

He is also quick to step in and address challenges facing farmers in his area. In 2013, Alex and other producers near the Tennessee River founded Tennessee Valley Farmers (TVF) to help preserve farmland and address flooding in Hardin County.

“Our main focus was engaging with the Tennessee Valley Authority about flooding,” Alex says. “Floodwaters here can reach 15 to 20 feet. We even had a house that floated onto our farm in the 2013 flood. The 198 nautical miles between the Kentucky and Pickwick dams have minimal elevation change, so our narrow channel lets water jump the banks, affecting many acres on both sides of the river.

“We’ve had great success with TVA. By attending quarterly listening sessions, we built a working relationship. They began checking river markers after heavy rains and making management decisions. Now, before major storms, they consider what crops are at risk and may even spill water ahead of time to create storage throughout the river system.”

Alex says TVF has grown from about 15 farmers to 30 and the group now meets annually, or more often if needed. While it began with flooding concerns, the TVF now addresses broader issues. It recently helped highlight concerns with beaver and water management challenges at White Oak, a 5,000-acre TWRA-managed property. The issues led to the development of a $4 million riverbank stabilization project planned for this summer.

In addition to farming, Alex is an advocate for agriculture. He hosts school groups, leadership classes, and elected officials on his farm, using props to demonstrate row crop production. He uses diecast models — tractors, combines, sprayers, grain bins, wagons, and trucks — to explain each step from planting to harvest.

He also shares soybean samples and facts with visitors and offers combine and tractor rides. He works with the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce’s leadership and high school groups. Visitors have included Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duval.

Alex is active in community efforts, including fundraising for a new 4-H learning center in Hardin County. The youth program is dear to his heart as a 4-H alumnus. As a 4-H’er, he participated in public speaking, the chicken chain, and seed- and plant-judging teams. He remains passionate about the program and says he is glad his daughters, Vera, 13, and Sadie, 11, are involved.

He works with the Ag Launch Group, which connects farmers with startups to test agricultural innovations in exchange for potential equity.

“Ag Launch is a great thing for farmers to get involved in,” Alex says. “It’s like an ag start-up incubator that partners with university-type farmers who might have really good ideas but not a whole lot of farm experience. They pair up to do trial work.”

And he offers praise for the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Project as another valuable resource, mentioning that he has utilized it to purchase grain bin storage units and grain-handling equipment.

Alex gives credit to his father, Karl, for sharing his love for farming and praises him as one of the hardest working farmers ever. Karl was raised on a farm in the Rhine River Valley of Germany before he and his wife, Erika, immigrated to Tennessee in the early 1980s with Alex and his brother, Chris. Karl purchased the farm in Savannah and began their row crop operation. The family has been involved in growing soybeans, corn, and other crops for more than 40 years.

After earning degrees in business management and economics from Mississippi State, including a master’s in business administration, Alex returned to the farm in 2008 with his wife, Katie, to work alongside Karl until the elder agriculturist retired three years ago. Both have long been involved with Hardin Farmers Cooperative where Alex served as a director. The Co-op is now part of First Farmers Cooperative.

The ASA accepts applications annually for the Conservation Legacy Awards, with deadlines typically in mid-August for the following year. For more information about the Conservation Legacy Awards, visit soygrowers.com.