Jason Dexter planted prairie grasses along a creek to help prevent erosion on his land in Lecompton. The grasses Dexter planted several years ago are well-established and easier to maintain than the gnarled cedars that have plagued his property. Dexter and his wife, Judy, won the Kansas Bankers Association's Buffer Award for their efforts.

Jason Dexter has always loved Kansas farmland.

Even when his family moved to California when he was 11, he yearned to return to his family’s land in Lecompton. It took him 26 years to get back.

Dexter, 68, and his wife, Judy, 63, are the recipients of the Kansas Bankers Association’s Buffer Award.

Several years ago, Jason installed several 35- to 40-foot buffers along the creek that runs through his 240 acres.

Today the prairie grasses he planted are tall and full. And they’re much easier to manage than the gnarly cedars that have long plagued his property.

“I am into conservation as much I can to conserve the soil,” Jason said.

In recent years, he has added a retention reservoir and built a berm by the creek to combat erosion.

Judy said it’s natural for Jason to do something, and do it right.

“When he puts his mind to something, he does it full speed,” she said. “He tries to do his best to do everything right for the land and for down the road when, hopefully, the farm will be kept in the family.”

“Anything to save the land,” Jason said. “Because land isn’t renewable. We’re losing more of it every year. It can’t be avoided as long as you’re going to produce something on it.”

Judy said she and Jason were both surprised to hear a message on their answering machine saying they had won the Buffer Award.

“I was just kind of in awe,” she said. “I think we both kind of stood and looked at each other, and said, ‘Wow.’ “

“I was surprised. ‘Why me?’ ” Jason said. “I just got this little farm. There are a lot of other people out there. It’s luck of the draw.”

Bill Wood, an agriculture extension agent for Douglas County, said the buffer program is a recent addition to the arsenal of tools that farmers have at their disposal.

“These folks are some of the first to get started on it. : They’ve got quite a bit of stream length that’s protected by buffers,” and the Dexters have maintained them well, Wood said. “It’s one thing to plant it and not maintain it, but these are very well-preserved.”

Jason Dexter feels honored to receive the award but thinks more people need to know about conservation methods.

“It would be nice if people were better educated about the land and the farm process,” he said.