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Taopi-area family recognized at annual state conference for SWCDs

Using a variety of practices on their cropland to improve soil health and reduce erosion, Voigt Family Farms is a strong example of conservation-minded farmers in Mower County.

This month, members of the Voigt family were recognized with dozens of other conservationists at the 88th annual convention of the Minnesota Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts in the Twin Cities.

Based in the Taopi area of southeast Mower County, the Voigts – Devin, Darin, Dustin and Dallas, with their parents David and Beth – are Mower County’s 2024 Outstanding Conservationists of the Year as chosen by the Mower Soil & Water Conservation District’s Board of Supervisors.

  “They really are a great family to work with on projects that support their farming operation while also protecting our natural resources,” Mower SWCD manager Cody Fox said. “The Voigts have seen firsthand the value of rotating crops, applying cattle to the landscape and reducing tillage.”

Aside from raising beef cattle, the Voigts’ operation also grows cash crops on a corn-soybean rotation and running a manure-pumping business. Over the years, they have maintained and installed numerous grassed waterways that help protect against field erosion on their cropland.

More recently, the Voigt family has focused on incorporating soil-health practices, including starting a strip-till system, planting more small grains, using cover crops and adopting no-till on some fields. Strip till involves tilling a narrow band of soil, placing fertilizer and leaving the other soil undisturbed.

The Voigts also have worked voluntarily with the Cedar River Watershed District, staffed by Mower SWCD, on major flood-reduction projects and the ongoing SWCD-CRWD water-monitoring efforts for 16 years.

MASWCD’s annual convention this year brought together more than 760 conservation leaders from across the state for two days of state leaders and environmental professionals discussing conservation policies, implementation strategies and the latest technologies in natural-resource management.

With more than 75 percent of Minnesota’s land under private ownership, voluntary conservation on private lands is key to protecting and enhancing natural resources for all to enjoy, said Chuck Rau, MASWCD’s board president and a Benton County SWCD board member.

“Creating abundant habitat for wildlife, healthy soil to grow our food and clean groundwater for our homes and businesses does not happen in a vacuum,” Rau said. “These resources don’t follow property lines. An impact in one area will affect another area downstream.”