Conservationists

(The Cartwright's have also been chosen as the State Finalists for Area III)

The Chisago Soil and Water Conservation District is pleased to announce that David and Carole Cartwright, of Nessel Township, have been chosen as the 2007 Outstanding Conservationist for Chisago County.

The Cartwright’s have turned their property into a tree farm by planting over 20,000 tree seedlings within the past four years, and plan to continue to expand and manage the property for years to come. They have shown a great willingness to work hard and learn from everyone, and anyone to improve their tree farm. Carole said they are working toward a goal of which they will never see the final product, they are planting high quality hardwoods for their grandchildren to enjoy in the future.

2006-The Dan & Kathy Carlson & Family (State Finalist) The Carlson’s have been good stewards of their land for many years. In the recent past they have made significant changes on their land to help benefit the environment, they are willing to try new things that may change or help their farm. They have changed to no-till planting on the whole farm. The integrated pest management plan and nutrient management plans that have been created, were created by a crop consultant that has special interest in the land, therefore it is reviewed often and is a priority for Kevin. They continue to manage their woodlands each year. The Carlson’s take care of their land while still using the land for agricultural practices.

2005-Ron & Sue Johnson (State Winner) The Johnson's have shown a strong commitment to preserving their family farm while coexisting in a rapidly developing county. They are always eager to work with and show others the success of a small family owned and operated farm within Chisago County. this commitment has been evident through the countless number of projects that they have completed through the SWCD/NRCS office and the strong leadership they have shown in the community through involvement with a variety of local, state and international organizations.

2004-Dale Bergfalk For the past 30 years Dale has been an active member in the soil and water conservation movement within Chisago County. from his 12+ years as a District Supervisor, to his countless number of conservation practices on his farm, he has always been in the forefront of Soil and Water Conservation in Chisago County. We thank Dale for his efforts and hope many more landowners will learn from his examples.

2003-F. Willard & Jeanette Carlson (State Finalist) As Chisago County has changed from an agriculture based community to a rapidly developing County, most landowners have sold their property to be developed into five acre parcels with little or no open space. The Carlson's looked at their property and did not want the standard five acre lot development and instead went with a planned unit development approach. this enabled them to develop their property into small acreage lots and leave large portions of the sensitive areas (i.e. wetland, rivers, woods) into preserved open space. the Chisago SWCD feels the Carlson's are worthy of this award because of their continued commitment to be good stewards of the land, both as active farmers and now as developers.

2002-John Jr. & Jewel Peterson The Chisago Soil and Water Conservation District Board nominated the Peterson's for this award because of their years of commitment to improving their farming practices through the use of no-till farming, buffer strips installed along drainage ditches, and years of new and innovative farming practices and ideas. All of these have helped the Peterson's to become a successful farmer in Chisago County.

2001-Clark & Marguerite Malcomson the Malcomson's are avid outdoorsmen who have a strong conservation ethic and enjoy working towards improving wildlife habitat within their community through various plantings including trees & food plots, as well as wetland restorations.

2000-Keith Johnson Keith is an excellent manager, he has worked closely with the Chisago SWCD and the NRCS to apply well rounded management to all his owned and rented land. Keith is very innovative and motivated to make his operation successful. We feel that Keith deserves this recognition for his hard work and his commitment to the environment.

"Bringing Conservation to Chisago County"