If you’ve stopped in to the Fillmore County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) office lately, you may have noticed a new face. That’s Laura Christensen, who was recently hired as district administrator.
Laura explained, “I am replacing Donna Rasmussen. She’s been here a long time and has been a really big part of this district, so I have big shoes to fill… Donna has helped mentor me, and she’s been wonderful.”
“I’m coming from up by Duluth, in Carlton County, where I worked as a technician, and I have lots of diverse experience all over the state. I grew up in southwest Minnesota, on a farm.” Laura pointed out that she earned a degree in Biology from Bemidji State University, with minors in environmental science and wetlands ecology. Her work experience totals six years in this field. “I have also worked at a watershed district in central Minnesota,” she added.
When asked about her new position, Laura stated, “I used to be very much in the field, doing different conservation projects, and now I’ll mainly be managing staff and our budgets.” She explained that she’ll be working with nine staff members at the SWCD, and some have worked there for decades, so she truly appreciates all of the expertise they bring. Fillmore SWCD also has a five member board of supervisors.
In explaining what the SWCD office offers to the community, Laura said, “We are here to help landowners implement conservation projects. A big focus is with agriculture. We do things like grass waterways. We help provide technical as well as financial assistance.” She also mentioned that the SWCD can work with municipalities such as townships.
The Fillmore SWCD is also involved with low-interest loans, educational programs, stormwater management, soil health, bacteria testing, grazing management, feedlot runoff control, windbreaks, nutrient/manure management, trees and tree supply sales, State Cost Share Program, private well testing, cover crops, Reinvest in Minnesota, forest management, and many other projects/services. More information can be found on the website fillmoreswcd.org. There is also a Facebook presence.
Laura said a unique feature of the SWCD is that even though is it a governmental agency, “We work through grants. We really don’t get an allocation from the state. We have to apply for different grants, from the DNR and from MPCA and various other entities.” Because of this, she said political and legislative changes can have a great impact on the SWCD grants.
Laura stated that the SWCD is here to help, and welcomes any questions, as well as welcoming anyone to come in and find out more information. The office is at 900 Washington Street NW in Preston, and Laura pointed out, “This is a great hub. We’re also housed with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as well as FSA, we’re all here in this building. So it’s a great place to stop in, and we can direct you.” She added, “When it comes to agriculture especially, implementing conservation practices on your land can ultimately be financially beneficial to you, in the long run” including by reduced erosion, reduced nutrient usage, and better water quality.
Although Laura has only been in Fillmore County for a few weeks, she said she’s been impressed by the friendliness she’s noticed, and she looks forward to continuing her outdoor pastimes, including hunting, fishing, and biking. She added, “I’m extremely excited to be here and serve the people of Fillmore County.”