It’s no surprise that Scott County is full of amazing, influential people who take remarkable steps towards protecting our natural resources, and the Scott SWCD showcases the amazing stewardship of individuals and organizations through their Conservation Leaders Program.

The Conservation Leaders Program gives appreciation and recognition to outstanding conservationists, trendsetters, and stewards of the land in Scott County. Four nominees are selected annually based on their land use category: agricultural, rural residential, urban/lakeshore, and community groups. The Scott SWCD is proud to present this year’s nominees:

Agricultural Producer: Oldenburg and Brabec Farms LLC

There’s a bit of a teacher in all of us, but few embody both the desire and talent needed to inspire those they teach, and even fewer are doing it from a farm field like the father-son-in-law duo of Randy Oldenburg and Dustin Brabec.

The Oldenburg and Brabec farm—homesteaded in 1863 in Blakeley Township—naturally lent itself to problems with erosion, ravines and runoff in spite of its beauty. But Randy and Dustin are doing everything they can to foresee, minimize, and repair any potential consequences with conservation practices. With direction from the Scott Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) staff, they’ve installed over a dozen soil-and-water saving conservation projects since 2001.

First dipping their toes into conservation projects to help with erosion, the Oldenburg’s and Brabec’s have consistently improved their corn and soybean operation through projects like filter strips, grade stabilizations, perennial plantings, water and sediment control basins, and other projects that help prevent erosion and soil loss on their fields. What really sets them apart, however, is their pioneering spirit with cover crops and no-till planting.

2022 proved a pivotal year for Oldenburg and Brabec’s operation when they started using cover crops at a large scale on their farm. Prior to that, they had attended workshops and had a small test plot to learn more about the practice.  

With weather and excellent site preparation on their side they enrolled 100 acres of their fields into the Scott SWCD’s cover crop program—the maximum-allotted acreage at the time. After just one year of watching the improvements the cover crops made to the soil, Oldenburg and Brabec fully adopted cover crops onto the entirety of their 400-acre agriculture operation. Their method of seeding and cover crop mixture changes slightly every year as the pair experiments with the best formula for their soils, but their commitment to maintaining cover on their soils year-round remains consistent and beneficial.

The final—or at least most current—piece of the puzzle for them was the addition of no-till in 2024. Oldenburg and Brabec wanted to increase soil health and reduce soil erosion by practicing high residue management on the acres they planted into cover crops. Just one year of no-till for their operation is projected to reduce soil erosion on their fields by over 500 tons! Randy and Dustin have expressed that they intend to continue this process, which would repeat that metric annually.

“Conservation projects work. They save soil and reduce erosion,” Randy summed up. “We’re proud of our homestead that has been around for several generations. With improvements, it will continue to be in the family for generations to come.”

Rural Residential Landowners: The Witt Family

Brandon and Jenny Witt moved to New Prague in the spring of 2021 with the hopes of enjoying the peace and nature their peaceful, rural property provided.

Right away, Brandon and his family had ideas to improve the habitat surrounding their home. Most notably, they accomplished these feats while battling through great health challenges. Brandon tragically lost his battle with cancer in the fall of 2024 but left behind the most exemplary legacy filled with love, respect, and purpose for all that surrounded him—including friends, family, and nature.

“Brandon always had a connection with nature. In every aspect of his life, from his work to his personal life, he wanted to set a good example with the land,” Brandon’s surviving wife, Jenny, recounts.

That stewardship was proven again and again with what the family has accomplished since their first restoration project—an erosion-reducing grassed waterway—in 2023. As of 2025 the Witts have installed six different soil-and-water-saving conservation construction projects on their property, including three grassed waterways, two rock-lined waterways, one grade stabilization, and a wetland restoration. All of these projects help reduce erosion, improve habitat, and protect nearby waterbodies.

“We wanted to live within nature, not just right next to it. That was always a priority for Brandon and myself.” Jenny comments.

Their crowning jewel is far and away their newly restored wetland, the results of which will bring enhanced biodiversity and improve water quality for years to come. 50 years ago, the wetland was destroyed during highway construction, before more modern-day understandings of wetlands were commonplace. The restoration process started back in 2022 when Brandon reached out to Willie Peters, Resource Conservationist at the Scott SWCD. Witt and Peters together made plans to restore 0.75 acres of historic wetland habitat. The pair worked with the land’s original contours and existing soil to minimize disturbance and maximize the water filtration possible. The final restoration now provides protection and pollution reduction to vital public watercourses that flow into Sand Creek before eventually draining out to the Minnesota River.

The Witt’s projects combined save an estimated 116 tons of soil loss per year. That’s the equivalent of over ten semi-trucks full of dirt! And the family has no intention of stopping. Jenny has expressed interest in expanding several of their waterways to increase their capacity, and adding on areas of native trees and prairie plants to add to their wildlife habitat.

“The Witt’s are one of the most remarkable families I’ve worked with throughout my tenure,” Peters describes. “No other family has implemented as many projects in a short of time with as much benefit as them. They are stewards of the land through and through.”

Urban/Lakeshore Homeowner: Dr. Christian Morkeberg

Spring Lake resident Dr. Christian Morkeberg has been a pivotal advocate for water quality, pollinator habitat, and shoreline restoration for over two decades.

So how many projects can he squeeze into his narrow lake lot? The answer as of 2025 is eight and counting! Christian conducted his first planting with the Scott SWCD in 2020 where he planted 800 sq ft of pollinator habitat in conjunction with the statewide “Lawns to Legumes” program. The program’s goal was to increase pollinator habitat for Minnesota’s state bee: the Rusty Patched Bumblebee, and Christian was one of the main drivers in his neighborhood to help recruit ten landowners to implement projects together!

Thanks to his efforts, over 7,500 square feet of pollinator habitat was added to the neighborhood, and—most excitedly—several neighbors have confirmed documented sightings of the Rusty Patched Bumblebee!

The list then goes on; every year since, he has added into his property’s projects and now hosts three raingardens, two areas of pollinator habitat, and a lakeshore buffer that spans his entire shoreline. His total restored area sums out to be over 2,600 square feet of vital habitat for butterflies and bees! Christian has found a perfect balance of landscaped cohesion with his native plantings that have turned his property into an oasis for butterflies and humans alike.

“These ecosystems are so multi-faceted,” Morkeberg explains. “It’s providing so many benefits to our pollinators, but also our soil. These habitats especially help my vegetables and fruit trees, improving their health and reducing pollution.”

He is always encouraging friends, neighbors, and colleagues that they can “do it” too and leads by example with his monumentally impressive eight different gardens and native plantings and his genuine enthusiasm and gratitude towards nature and its gifts.

“It’s one thing to set aside a part of your land for pollinator habitat and to know you’re doing a good thing. Christian goes far beyond that and advocates for the ecosystem as a whole. He understands the benefit these native plants provide from their flowers to their roots,” Hannah Plonsky, Scott SWCD Natural Resource Specialist elaborates. “He is building a sanctuary that does so much more than the sum of its parts. His lot is the quintessential example of a landscape that provides wildlife habitat, soil health, and water quality benefits.”

In addition to his home plantings, he has also been serving the Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed Board for the last three years, where he has been involved in many policy initiatives that promote conservation within the district. The watershed district works in Prior Lake and Spring Lake to reduce flooding impacts and improve water quality in the area. 

When asked that drives him to plant for pollinators, he simply says “I do it for the butterflies and bees. I want to give them a place to live and eat and rest. They deserve it just as much as we do. When you plant for pollinators, they will come, and living with them is just a joy.”

Community Groups: The City of Shakopee

The cities we call home have a great impact on our lives. The City of Shakopee embodies that responsibility in all of their public services, but especially in their achievements with public conservation plantings.

Restoration projects started for the city back in 2022 when Bill Delaney, Senior Planner with the City of Shakopee, and Michael Kerski, Director of Planning and Development with the City of Shakopee, spoke with Natural Resource Specialist, Meghan Darley with the Scott SWCD about a potential prairie restoration project along Highway 169. Excel Energy was completing improvements to power lines along the highway, and Kerski saw an opportunity to not only restore 9 acres of land near the highway into native prairies, but also make it an example of natural, healthy landscaping.

The end result was a fantastic partnership between the city, Excel Energy, and the Scott SWCD, but also a spark that would ignite into three other highly visible restoration projects the city would undertake.

Over the following three years, Delaney and Kerski worked with Darley and other City of Shakopee staff, to facilitate three additional large restoration projects across the city that total over 70 acres of native prairie plantings, and 750 square feet of pollinator gardens.  

Most recently, the city completed work on 35 plus acres of prairie and pollinator plantings at Jackson Commons Park: the park includes Farmstead bike park that hosts a variety of biking trails for residents at all skill levels. The staff worked together with Scott County to weave a mixture of oak savannah prairie flowers and grasses in and amongst the bike park runs and other trail systems in the park.

“It’s amazing to see the prairie mature and slowly take over the former crop land,” Delaney comments.

“I’d encourage everyone to look closer at the native landscapes around them to really appreciate what is going on with the color texture, and life that surrounds it,” Kerski adds.

Lindsey Vugteveen, Environmental Technician with the City of Shakopee, has initiated additional prairie projects throughout the city to lessen need for traditional maintenance. Vugteveen also orchestrates the three-year maintenance cycle that includes weed management, prescribed burns, and other strategies to ensure the projects stay healthy and vibrant for as long as possible.

“Overall, these projects save our maintenance crew time and money verses maintaining traditional turf landscapes. I’m glad we’re able to implement so many projects and I can’t wait to see what our team does next!” Vugteveen comments.

The team sums it up well with an agreed statement, “no project is too small! Whether it’s a pocket planting or a 40 acre prairie, it’ll all make a difference.”

Congratulations to this years four outstanding nominations for their Conservation Leader recognition, and may their positive impacts continue to improve the soil quality, water quality, and environment in Scott County.