Pope Soil & Water

Providing Quality Conservation Resources since 1949

Providing Quality Conservation Resources Since 1949

Pope SWCD Recognized Chamber Business of the Month

chamberbusinessofthemonth2017

Front row: Kay Blaurert, Dean Peterson, Tom Talle, Holly Kovarik, Nicole Brede, Kelly EricksonBack row: Scott Formo, Randy Pederson, D. Gary Reents, Mike Billehus, Keith Nygaard, and Jessica Oldkowski

Photo credit: Pope County Tribune/Marta Johnson

 

Pope SWCD Recognized as 2016 SWCD of the Year

Pope SWCD 2016 MASWCD District of the Year Paul and Barb Koubsky 2016 Pope SWCD Conservationists of the Year

Pope SWCD board and staff attended the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation District Annual Conference December 4-6 in Bloomington, Minnesota.  Pope SWCD nominated Paul and Barb Koubsky as this year’s Outstanding Conservationist for Pope County.  They were recognized at the convention during a luncheon on Tuesday, December 6th.

Pope SWCD was also named as the 2016 District of the Year.  This award is given to only one SWCD in the state that has shown leadership and has gone above and beyond in its programs and activities.

Local Leaders to Attend Conservation Conference

Keith Nygaard of Starbuck, D. Gary Reents of Glenwood, and Randy Peterson of Glenwood, supervisors and staff of the Pope Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will learn about the latest conservation programs at the 80th annual meeting of the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (MASWCD).  The meeting will be held Dec. 4-6 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bloomington.

 

“This is a great chance for us to learn more about some of the current natural resource issues in the state,” said Nygaard.  The conference will feature grassroots initiatives to conserve soil and water resources in Minnesota.  “The convention always provides us with new ideas that we can use locally,” Nygaard stated.

 

A plenary session on December 5 will feature Charles Marshall, Humorous Motivational Speaker & Author of “The Seven Powers of Success.”  Mr. Marshall’s keynote presentation will show how implementation of The Seven Powers™ can create success in the life of any individual or organization.  Through the use of humor and real-life examples, Charles relates inspirational stories of everyday underdogs who have used The Seven Powers™ to overcome obstacles and achieve success.

 

Later that morning, there will be a presentation and discussion with representatives from SWCDs and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources on ways the efforts of SWCDs have been enhanced and accelerated throughout the state.

 

In addition to a variety of sessions on conservation topics, the annual meeting will include the MASWCD business meeting, with discussions and votes on natural resource resolutions.  Several awards will be presented at a December 5 luncheon.  These include the MASWCD/MPCA Outstanding Community Conservationist Award, MASWCD/DNR Division of Forestry Outstanding Forest Steward Award, Minnesota DNR Division of Waters Appreciation Award, the Outstanding SWCD employee award (presented by the Board of Water and Soil Resources), and awards for teacher, and SWCD supervisor.  The convention also features a December 6 luncheon, where the SWCD of the Year Award recipient will be announced and recognition given to outstanding conservationists from SWCDs across the state, with support from The Farmer magazine.

 

Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (MASWCD) sponsors the annual meeting.  This year’s event is receiving support from the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.  Additional information on the event is available on the MASWCD web site at www.maswcd.org.

 

 

Irrigation Clinic to Be Held December 15th

Pope Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) along with Kandiyoi, Douglas, and Stearns SWCDs would like to invite irrigators in the four county and surrounding area to a workshop on December 15th.  A great line-up of speakers has committed to participating in the event representing: University of Minnesota, Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) and Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The event begins at 8:30 with registration and will be done by 2:00 p.m. and will be located at the Paynesville American Legion.

 Our groundwater has become a topic discussed more frequently and there has been considerable debate about its sustainability.  There are several other great topics to be addressed during the day including; water management in dry years, nitrogen fertilizer management plan, economics of irrigation, forever green initiative, and irrigation water management and systems maintenance.

 Register by sending a $10 fee for the meal to Holly Kovarik, Pope SWCD, 1680 Franklin Street North Glenwood MN.  Registrations need to be received by December 9th after this time the registration is $20 at the door.