EOT 2018 Conservationist of the Year, Andy Dombeck

January 7, 2019 by SWCD Staff

Each year, the East Otter Tail SWCD nominates an individual or group that shows an outstanding commitment to protecting the natural resources in Otter Tail County. In 2018 our nominee, producer Andy Dombeck, also won Conservationist of the Year for the Northwest Area for the practices on his farm that build soil health and grow farm productivity all while protecting the environment. Andy is a great example of a producer that conserves our natural resources while operating a successful farm.

Some of the practices Andy implement include planting cover crops to keep the soil covered, using strip-till and no-till to minimize soil disturbance, building a rotation of crops from corn and soybeans to field peas and cereal rye, participating in the SWCDs Irrigation Scheduling Program to reduce over-application of water, and putting in his own research plots to determine effective nutrient application rates without nutrient loss.

Andy also encourages other producers to consider implementing conservation practices on the farm, saying "it's the right thing to do, we're only here for a short time and we need to leave it better than we found it." As he shows each growing season, there are many conservation farming techniques that are feasible and profitable in our neck of the woods, and we look forward to working with him to share those practices with other local producers. Thanks to Andy for all the work he puts in to protect our natural resources!

Check out the article on Andy by the Wadena Pioneer Journal here.

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