Healthy soils are at the heart of agriculture

The Taylor County Land Conservation Department helps maintain healthy land and water conditions on Taylor County properties. The department works with land and farm owners to keep the environment of their properties healthy and in good condition. The types of farms the department works with include beef, grazing, and dairy farms.

Brent Tessmer is the County Conservationist for the Taylor County Land Conservation Department. Before working for Taylor County, Tessmer worked for the conservation department in Clark County. He began working at the department in 2016. Tessmer went to college for plant and soil science and has always had an interest in agriculture. Throughout high school, Tessmer worked on a dairy farm. He also has previous experience working as an agronomist. Agronomists work with crop production and soil management.

“It’s a worthwhile cause,” said Tessmer when asked why he decided to join the department. He believes it is important to keep the land productive and sustainable for future use.

As the County Conservationist, Tessmer works with applying for grants, the permitting process for manure transfer and storage, as well as working with land owners and farmers to create nutrient management plans. Tessmer also works to get rid of invasive species on roadways and private property. Through grants from the department of agriculture and the DNR. The department is able to collect around $120,000 a year. This money is used toward projects with land owners. This money can cover up to 70% of each project. The department also makes money by selling native trees and shrubs starting in fall and ending in winter.

The department also helps the county by donating 500 sugar maple trees to the Sugar Maple Festival.

INVASIVE SPECIES

The majority of invasive species that the conservation department works with are species that are either hazardous or in a limited population in which the species is easier to contain. Some of the invasive species that the conservation department has dealt with are garlic mustard, Japanese knot weed, and wild parsnip. Wild parsnip is a hazardous species that can be dangerous due to its sap that may cause burns or blisters on the skin when exposed to the sun.

Two ways the department works to get rid of invasive species is by mechanically extracting them or using herbicide. When mechanically extracting invasive species, the plants are cut or pulled. This is usually a reliable method when working with species that are spread by seeds. Herbicide is usually used with species that have underground rhizomes that help root them and are more difficult to get rid of.

“We’re pretty much on top of everything as far as populations we’ve found in the county,” Tessmer said about the department’s control of the invasive species population.

Along with keeping invasive species at bay, the

Brent Tessmer

County Conservationist