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The Minnesota Office for Soil Health (MOSH) announces the selection of the first State Soil Health Specialist, Anna Cates. This position provides expertise on soil health issues for agricultural and conservation professionals across the state.

The Office for Soil Health is a collaborative program created last year by the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) in partnership with the University of Minnesota Water Resources Center (WRC). The Office for Soil Health strives to build local expertise to promote soil health and water conservation by developing the knowledge, skills, and abilities of local conservationists to promote sustainable soil and land management.

Anna Cates holds a Master of Science in Soil Science and is finishing her doctorate in Agronomy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she has been studying soil carbon cycling in corn-cover crop biofuel systems. She will begin her new role in a full-time capacity in January 2019, but will work part-time until then to connect with partners and stakeholders and plan outreach and research activities. Her position will be housed within the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate at the University of Minnesota.

“I’m eager to work closely with farmers, keeping in mind the uncertainties of crop and livestock production,” Cates said. “My goal is to tailor my research toward addressing the practicalities of running a business.”

The Soil Health Specialist will expand the tools and skills of Minnesota’s local conservation delivery community through the development of research and outreach strategies, as well as promote greater understanding of the economic impacts of soil and water management practices. For more information, contact the Office for Soil Health at (612) 624-6765.

St. Paul, Minn.—Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) Executive Director John Jaschke presented the 2018 Outstanding Soil and Water Conservation District Employee award on Monday, Dec. 10 to Fillmore Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) Administrator Donna Rasmussen. The recognition ceremony took place during the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts’ (MASWCD) annual convention in Minneapolis.

“Local conservation staff go above and beyond every day to preserve and protect our water and soil resources,” Jaschke said. “Donna Rasmussen is a top-notch professional and a passionate advocate for conservation not only in Fillmore County, but across the southeast region of Minnesota.”

Rasmussen has been the administrator for Fillmore SWCD since 2008 and previously served as Fillmore County’s first Water Plan Coordinator. She manages eight staff, including two employees who assist multiple SWCDs in the southeast area. Funding for a shared Soil Health Technician position was set to expire at the end of this year, but Rasmussen worked tirelessly to secure continued funding through an NRCS Conservation Collaboration Grant.

In addition to her work at the SWCD, Rasmussen is involved in a number of water quality initiatives throughout the area. She serves as chair of the regional Basin Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota (BALMM), a group that works with partners to coordinate efforts to protect and improve water quality throughout the basin. She was instrumental in forming the non-profit citizen group Friends of the Root River in 2014. She also acts as a day-to-day coordinator for the Root River One Watershed One Plan partnership, completing their comprehensive watershed management plan at the end of 2016 and developing a work plan for a Watershed-Based Funding pilot grant to implement the plan this year.

Each year, BWSR celebrates the excellent work accomplished by soil and water conservation district staff that advances conservation efforts across the state.

Photo Caption: Fillmore Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) Administrator Donna Rasmussen accepts the 2018 Outstanding Soil and Water Conservation District Employee award from BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke on Dec. 10. The award was presented to Rasmussen during the annual Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (MASWCD) convention in Minneapolis.