Cooperator Spotlight

Conservation Farmer of the Year Award

Aaron Verseman awards Betty Zoellner the SWCD 2015 conservation farmer of the year award.Betty has been as been a cattle rancher since 1983.  She manages an angus/charolais cow/calf herd along with harvesting seed and hay on her acres and rented acres.  Betty is very proactive in maintaining her ranch, by conducting early maintenance and using best management practices such as rotational grazing, As a result, Betty has only utilized cost-share funds a few times.  Betty received District cost-share to stop some gully erosion by constructing a pond and to smooth and reseed erosional areas with critical area treatments.  Betty has also utilized the continuous CRP program by installing wildlife habitat buffers around old small ponds.  A well, pipe lines, and waterers were installed to provide the livestock with water after fencing excluded the ponds.  Betty manages a healthy forest by eliminating exotics while maintaining good ground cover and making firewood from cull and downed trees.  She has excluded the livestock from a stream that runs through the middle of her ranch which maintains water quality and stream bank stability.

As a result of Betty’s work ethic, pride of ownership, and dedication to the resources of her ranch and the farms that she rents, the Perry County Soil and Water Conservation District would like to award Betty Zoellner with the 2015 Conservation Farmer of the Year Award.

 Award Year
Conservation Farmer
 Award Year
Conservation Farmer
1966
  Edwin Oberndorfer
2000
  Fred & Dan Miesner
1967
  Eugene Brueckner
2001
  Eric Borgfield
1968
  Norman Reiss
2002
  Miesner Farms
1969
  Gilbert Bock
2003
  Besand Farms
1970
  Chalmer Brickhaus
2004
  Lawrence & Shirley Buchheit
1971
  Delmar Balsman
2005
  Steve & Beth Lukefahr
1972
  Willie Borgfield
2006
  Dave & Mark Steinbecker
1973
  Darwin Rodewald
2007
  Curtis & Mary Kassel
1974
  Albert & Joe Moll
2008
  Moll Farms Inc.
1975
  O. A. Ernst
2009
  Brian Koenig
1976
  Norbert Kassel
2010
  Bernard & Anna Marie Ernst
1977
  Arnold & Weldon Ernst
2012
  Roy & Audrey Pohlman
1978
  Bert Besand
2015
  Betty Zoellner
1979
  Frank Kaufmann    
1980
  James Henderson    
1981
  Melvin Kluender    
1982
  Herb & Earl Koenig    
1983
  Darwin Cattoor    
1984
  Rick Kammler    
1985
  Willard & Gerald Fritsche    
1986
  Isadore Bohnert    
1987
  Paul & Oscar Schmidt    
1988
  Lawrence Kiefer    
1989
  Curtis Hadler    
1990
  Robert Schuessler    
1991
  Sylvester & Larry Geringer    
1992
  Eldor Koenig    
1993
  Ernst Hereford    
1994
  Mueller Polled Hereford    
1995
  Dennis and Willis Koenig    
1996
  Breig Farms    
1997
  Keith & Rudy Dreyer    
1998
  Lorene Bohnert    
1999
  St. Mary Seminary