DARLINGTON - The Lafayette County Land Conservation Department handed out the 2009 Lafayette County Conservation Awards at the June 13 dairy breakfast at the County Highway Shop in Darlington. The awards were presented by John Bartels, LCC chairman, and Leon Wolfe, David Hammer and Jack Wiegel, LCC supervisors.
The "Friend of Conservation" recipient was Gordy Larson. Larson, better known as the Bluebird Man, has been involved in the community and conservation activities his entire life. For the last 24 years he has been building every type of bluebird house imaginable. He has built 4,339 houses. He currently makes six different types of houses. He estimates he has used over 21,000 board feet of lumber and over 68,000 screws. His bird houses can be found in 12 states.
The Conservation Farmer of the Year Award recipient is Fay-Willow Farms, Don and Al Ruf. Between Don and Al, they own 70 acres of pasture and 420 acres of cropland and rent another 300 acres of cropland. All of the cropland is in contour strips and conservation tillage and they are implementing no-till into their rotation. All waterways are stable and sodded and they have planted about 30 acres to trees and shrubs for wildlife habitat.
Eberhard and Jan Schubert of Greensboro, N.C., received the Wildlife Habitat Development Award, which is given to a landowner who through their actions has shown efforts to improve wildlife habitat. The Schubert's have purchased 275 acres near Blanchardville since 2000. Eb has completed two earthen dams, one wildlife scrape, 545 lineal feet of stream bank riprap and planted numerous hazelnut shrubs. He enrolled his erodible cropland into the CRP and CREP programs, planted native grasses and added wildlife food plots. He developed a basic farm plan for the remaining cropland, including contour strips and residue management.
The Argyle Land Ethics Academy is this year's winner of the Conservation Education Award. Les Bieneman and Bob Laeser accepted the award for the charter school. ALEA has held prairie plant sales in conjunction with the Land Conservation Tree Sale; plant sales to the Blue Mound Area Project; native plantings at the First Capitol in Belmont; a garlic mustard pull/prairie planting station at Earth Day; installation of bat houses at Argyle Park; and plantings at the Argyle Boat Landing.
The "Friend of Conservation" recipient was Gordy Larson. Larson, better known as the Bluebird Man, has been involved in the community and conservation activities his entire life. For the last 24 years he has been building every type of bluebird house imaginable. He has built 4,339 houses. He currently makes six different types of houses. He estimates he has used over 21,000 board feet of lumber and over 68,000 screws. His bird houses can be found in 12 states.
The Conservation Farmer of the Year Award recipient is Fay-Willow Farms, Don and Al Ruf. Between Don and Al, they own 70 acres of pasture and 420 acres of cropland and rent another 300 acres of cropland. All of the cropland is in contour strips and conservation tillage and they are implementing no-till into their rotation. All waterways are stable and sodded and they have planted about 30 acres to trees and shrubs for wildlife habitat.
Eberhard and Jan Schubert of Greensboro, N.C., received the Wildlife Habitat Development Award, which is given to a landowner who through their actions has shown efforts to improve wildlife habitat. The Schubert's have purchased 275 acres near Blanchardville since 2000. Eb has completed two earthen dams, one wildlife scrape, 545 lineal feet of stream bank riprap and planted numerous hazelnut shrubs. He enrolled his erodible cropland into the CRP and CREP programs, planted native grasses and added wildlife food plots. He developed a basic farm plan for the remaining cropland, including contour strips and residue management.
The Argyle Land Ethics Academy is this year's winner of the Conservation Education Award. Les Bieneman and Bob Laeser accepted the award for the charter school. ALEA has held prairie plant sales in conjunction with the Land Conservation Tree Sale; plant sales to the Blue Mound Area Project; native plantings at the First Capitol in Belmont; a garlic mustard pull/prairie planting station at Earth Day; installation of bat houses at Argyle Park; and plantings at the Argyle Boat Landing.
