In September 2007, American Farmland Trust (AFT) launched the Norm Berg Collection, an archive of speeches and writings by and about Norm Berg. Berg is our link to the beginnings of agricultural conservation in the United States. His far-reaching career began in 1943 at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Soil Conservation Service (SCS). As Berg rose through the ranks, he advocated for a broader understanding of agricultural conservation, recognizing before most, that development posed a serious threat to the nation’s agricultural resources. Upon retirement from public service, Berg became an advocate for AFT and the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS). Max Schnepf looks back at Berg’s contributions and leadership, which helped chart the course for the nation’s farmland protection movement.