The Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) have announced the selection of Kipland Vale, Inc., as the SWCD’s “Outstanding Conservationist of the Year”. Kipland Vale, Inc., a dairy operation near Rockville, is owned and operated by Jerome and LeMay Bechtold and their sons Mark and Roger. The Bechtolds were honored at the 2003 Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation District’s annual meeting in Bloomington in December. Conservationists from around the State were recognized for exceptional accomplishments in implementing conservation practices and improving Minnesota’s natural resources. Dennis Fuchs, administrator of the SWCD, said that Kipland Vale was recognized for more than 50 years of conservation achievements. “The benefits of their work extend way beyond their farm,” Fuchs said. Listed below are a few of the reasons why their farm was chosen. o The Bechtolds installed a waste management system in 1990 to prevent feedlot contaminated water, or runoff, from entering the Sauk River. The system features two circular ponds capable of storing 3 million gallons of manure and feedlot runoff. The liquid manure is then incorporated into the soil in the spring or fall according to a manure management plan. o They have been using conservation tillage for about 30 years. They use reduced tillage and no-till to leave crop residues on the surface to prevent soil erosion. o They planted 9,000 feet of field windbreak and 4 acres of shelterbelt for erosion control and wildlife. o Jerome has been on the Stearns SWCD Board since 1957 and served as the board chairperson for 20 years. o Jerome was instrumental in the establishment of the Anoka Sand Plain Water Quality Demonstration Project and served as its first chairperson. o Jerome also helped organize a joint powers board to reconstruct a failed dam on the Clearwater River near Fairhaven. The dam stabilized lake levels upstream which improved fish habitat and now serves as a centerpiece for a small Stearns County park. o Kipland Vale was recognized as a River-Friendly Farmer in 1999. This award is given to farm operations located near rivers that meet 13 stringent criteria for water quality and erosion control. Kipland Vale has grown from a 260-acre farm with eight registered Brown Swiss in 1948 to 420 acres milking 340 cows today. In the process they raised 11 children: Brigid, Barbara, Karen, Joyce, MaryRuth, Michael, Mark, Roger, Gregory, Timothy and Steven. The Bechtolds have never been afraid of innovation. In 1970 they installed the first “carousel” type milking system in the Midwest. This system featured a round platform, with drive wheels underneath, that had eight stalls which would rotate past the person doing the milking preparation. The cows would step on one at a time, be milked, and then step out at the end of one revolution. This system was replaced in 1994 with a “herringbone” type parlor which can milk 20 cows at a time. They are currently working with the SWCD to design and install a composting facility for dairy mortality. This facility may also be the first of its kind in this area. “We’re really proud of what the Bechtolds have done for conservation in Stearns County,” said Dennis Fuchs. “They provide a great example of a family that makes a living off the land while protecting the resources and serving the community.”
