I have served on the Winneshiek County SWCD board for twenty-nine years. I have enjoyed my time on the Board, getting to know the way the organization works and have also enjoyed working with many amazing and talented NRCS and USDA staff over the years. I’m also a life-long farmer in Winneshiek County. My wife Joan and I got married fifty-six years ago, bought our farm, and started preserving the land using many and various conservation practices. We started by installing waterways, contour and buffer strips, and implemented a diverse crop rotation. We then enrolled many sensitive areas in CRP and CSP programs, added creek crossings and erosion control structures and terraces. We also made timber stand and windbreak improvements, implemented no till farming practices and integrated small grains and cover crops into our rotations, all in an effort to improve soil health and preserve soil. I feel that keeping our topsoil in place should be everyone’s top priority. We are fortunate to have a family with two married children, Jon H & Kimberly Lubke and Julie & Ben Sigmund, six grandchildren and soon a great grandchild, who all enjoy our farms. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to serve Winneshiek County for so many years in these capacities; it has been an honor.