Thursday, June 15, 2023
Vol. 158, Issue 24
Dairy Princess proves you can’t spell crown without cow
Decorah, Iowa 52101 www.decorahnewspapers.com
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Wiltgen accepts Interim Engineer role
By Kate Klimesh
The Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved current Winneshiek County Assistant County Engineer Isaac Wiltgen as Interim Engineer. Wiltgen will assume the role following County Engineer Lee Bjerke’s last day, June 23. Bjerke resigned his position in May. Wiltgen is a certified engineer and agreed to take on the interim position as the search for a new county engineer begins. Wiltgen
By Denise Lana
Being crowned dairy royalty is a family affair for Kendra Elsbernd and her three siblings. Older sister Ashley served as Dairy Princess Alternate i n 2021. Younger sister Addison just completed her tenure as 2022 Winneshiek County Little Miss Squirt, while the youngest of the sibling quartet, Blake, just completed his reign as 2022 Little Mr. Herdsman. It now appears Kendra is giving her sisters and brother some healthy familial competition, as she was crowned 2023 Winneshiek County Dairy Princess. But for Kendra and her entire family, being members of dairy royalty is much more than crowns and sashes. The 17-year-old South Winn rising senior is passionate about all things bovine. Chatting about cows with Kendra is akin to car enthusiasts debating Ford or Chevy or sports fans defending the Cyclones against the Hawkeyes. Her eyes light up as she passionately declares with a bold-font, all-capital letters, triple-heart-emoji emphasis, “I LOVE COWS!” Kendra’s belt buckle boasts a studded silver steer’s head, her daily shoes of choice are her ‘going out’ cowboy boots (as compared to her ‘muck boots’, she laughs). Kendra lives on the family’s 600-cow dairy farm, located between Calmar and Ossian, with her younger sister and brother and parents, Peter and Kristi Elsbernd. She explains that her Grandpa Ray Elsbernd returned from war in the 1960s and started the farm and has since passed it onto son, Peter. “Grandpa Elsbernd is president of the farm, and my dad is vice president,” she detailed. “But my older sister Ashley is hoping to take over the farm when she is done with college.” Big sister Ashley, who is going to school to study Dairy Science, achieved notable success in high school as president and award winning member of the Future Farmers of America organization. Kendra has followed Ashley’s footsteps closely, having served as FFA Student Advisor as well as 4-H Vice President. As part of South Winneshiek’s FFA team, Kendra has spent the past several years honing her agriculture broadcasting, flora culture and dairy livestock judging skills. “You have to judge the cows on a bunch of things — where their udders hang, how low they hang, their teats, where their hooves are, if they stand straight,” Kendra elaborated. But according to the fair-haired princess, FFA focuses on so much more than farming. “Most of the members are from farming families, but a lot of us are interested in agriculture and want to learn more about the
Price One Dollar
Kendra Elsbernd shares her passion for all things dairy as 2023 Winneshiek County Dairy Princess. At left she is pictured at age 5 with her first cow “Beauty” in the Pee Wee Dairy Show at the Winneshiek County Fair.
leadership in agriculture. But it’s not just agriculture, it’s giving us leadership opportunities, it’s preparing us for life.” That said, Kendra stressed that there is so much more to a farm than any agriculture class or FFA event can represent. “I don’t think most people understand living and working on a farm. It’s more than a gallon of milk at a grocery store, there is a true connection made between the farmers and the animals,” Kendra lamented. “They fall into a routine together, and there is a personal connection with the cows. It’s not just milk cows, it’s getting to know them and building a harmonious relationship.” Being a farmer takes knowledge and intuition when it comes
Dairy Princess
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noted, “Communication is a big thing, so feel free to reach out to me, or if I have questions, I’ll reach out to you.” As Interim Engineer, Wiltgen will be able to continue work on current, ongoing projects, but will not be able to submit new projects to the DOT for consideration, including project bid-letting for next year’s construction projects. The Board of Supervisors
Interim Engineer
continued on page 3
Seed Savers quilt display at Minnesota State Quilt Show
The quilt exhibit by members of the Northeast Iowa Quilters’ Guild inspired by the Seed Savers catalog is going on the road. After appearing at the NEIQG Quilt Show last October and at the Seed Savers Visitors Center in April, 25 of the quilts will appear in a special display at the Minnesota Quilters State Show at the River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud. The show runs June 15-17; Thursday and Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The show is open to the public with an admission fee. Local quilters represented include: Marilyn Bassford, Marty Berda, Margie DeBower, Mike Ellingsen, Cathy Evelsizer, Mary Glock, Roberta Hass, Ruth Ann Hunter, Jarret Johnson, Marge Johnson, Elaine Kipp, Arlene Klatt, Karen Kulper, Beth Landas, Peg Lerch, Carol Maki, Connie Putnam, Julie Rotach, Roxanne Schnitzler, Nancy Sojka, Karen Tjossem and Sweet Young. (submitted photo)
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Watershed watch: Protection of resources essential
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By Tori Nimrod, Environmental Education and Upper Wapsi River Watershed Coordinator
For the community to grow and thrive, protecting the ground and surface water resources they rely on is critical. This effort is the responsibility of all watershed residents. This Decorah Watershed article outlines best management practices watershed residents can implement to reduce erosion on their property. Each practice uses unique strategies to slow down runoff and encourage infiltration into the landscape. Information in these articles is gathered from the Iowa Stormwater Education Partnership. To learn more about the best management practices explained visit https:// iowastormwater.org/. The first group of practices are the most basic and inexpensive options, but also manage smaller amounts of runoff water. These practices
Management of stormwater is an important aspect of the watershed, and there are a few practices that help to slow the flow of water, and keep the soil in place to prevent erosion from fast moving runoff. Above is the effect of landscaping features with native plants and grasses that have deep roots to hold the soil in place during runoff in strategic high flow areas. include rainwater harvesting, native landscaping, soil quality restoration and rain gardens. Rainwater harvesting is a fairly inexpensive option to begin managing water on a property, but can only manage small volumes of water. Rain barrels are connected to gutters to collect rainwater from roofs. Typical rain barrels capture between 50 to 60 gallons of water. A small 8’x10’ area of roof will gener-
ate approximately 50 gallons of water runoff during a 1-inch rainstorm. Rainwater harvested via rain barrels is typically used for watering gardens, lawns and other non-potable applications. Landscaping featuring native plants and grasses with deep root systems, which create open space in the soil below and allow rainfall to percolate deep into the ground, are another option. They create diverse habi-
Illustrated above is the effect of permeable pavers, which allow water to flow more easily through the hard surface instead of sheeting over it, allowing water to penetrate between them and slowly enter into the base underneath the paver.
tats that attract birds, butterflies and other wildlife. Once established, they don’t require fertilizer, pesticides or supplemental water to survive. When native landscaping is strategically placed, it enhances the landscape’s ability to infiltrate and manage stormwater. Many other infiltration-based stormwater management practices utilize native plants to add functionality and beauty.
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Many of the best management practices also involve soil quality restoration, which is the process of improving soil health. Compacted and heavy clay soils act as an impermeable surface. By aerating the soil and adding organic matter it increases the water holding capacity of the soil. Therefore, to improve soil health start by reducing soil compaction through aeration and increasing organic matter
with the addition of high-quality topsoil and/or compost. Soil quality restoration leads to healthier, more functional soils and to landscapes that can absorb more rainfall. Lastly, rain gardens incorporate both native landscaping and soil health restoration to capture
Watershed continued on page 3