Craig & Cel Iversen Named 2011 Cooperators of the Year

The Richland County Conservation District has named Craig and Cel Iversen as this year’s Cooperators of the Year. For the past 15 years, the Iversens have worked diligently with the NRCS and the Richland County Conservation District to improve their land for cattle and for wildlife. They have accomplished this by drilling wells, laying pipeline, installing stock tanks, cross fencing, reseeding old cropland to grass and planting shelterbelts.

“When we picked up this place 15 years ago, there were only a few grain bins and one building here,” says Craig Iversen. “There were no wells, no pipelines, and nothing for cattle to utilize. Cattle had to drink out of stock ponds which often became stagnant and unusable.”

Using available NRCS programs, the Iversens began the process of improving the land by drilling two 400-foot deep wells that provided excellent drinking water. Once they had the wells in place, they began installing pipelines and fencing. “We put in eight miles of pipeline that served all the pastures,” Iversen remarks. “We then put in water tanks and did some cross fencing. This allowed cattle access to good drinking water and to better utilize the available grazing land.”

The Iversens eventually built a home on the property and turned their attention to planting shelterbelts. They used a variety of shrubs, deciduous trees, and conifers to encourage the growth of a variety of trees and to attract wildlife as well. “The trees that were here were dying, so we planted shelterbelts,” Iversen comments. “We bought our trees from the Richland County Conservation District, and we’ve planted trees every year. The deer are hard on trees, and the porcupines are hard on them, but we keep replanting. The Conservation District helped us plant them, they came back and laid the mesh, and then we utilized the pipeline as we put in a drip system to water the newly planted trees.”

The Iversens also seeded 200 acres of land back to grass, which has helped better serve the cattle and also has enhanced wildlife. “The NRCS came up with a good variety of grass that gives us an excellent hay crop,” Iversen notes. “We always leave a few strips of the grass for wildlife use.”

The Iversens are pleased with the outcome of their efforts and commitment, and they praise both the NRCS and the Richland County Conservation District for assisting with this long term project. They used federal conservation programs available to landowners and received nothing but valuable help and advice from the local NRCS. “We are happy with the results,” Iversen says. “It took a long time, but eventually everything came together. The main thing was obtaining the water, and everything else followed from that.”

He concludes, “This was a big project, and it took a lot of time, effort and money. Without the NRCS programs and the Richland County Conservation District, we couldn’t have afforded to do this. We applied for the programs every year, and didn’t always get them, but when we did, the help was invaluable. The NRCS planned it all. Dave Haverkamp is a great guy to work with, and we got a lot done.”

The Richland County Conservation District is proud to name the Iversens the 2011 Co-operators of the year.