The Le Sueur County SWCD Board of Supervisors has chosen brothers Jerry and Jim Beckel of rural Le Sueur County as the 2025 Outstanding Conservationists of the Year.

The Beckel farm is located on the southeast side of Lake Washington and has been in the family since 1946. The brothers have been farming together for the past 55 years. When they first started farming together, Jerry had a dairy operation, and Jim had a farrow to finish hog operation.

Over the years, they have utilized many conservation practices on their land to improve the productivity and management of their soil. Structural practices, like grade stabilization structures and water and sediment control basins were constructed to help control erosion on the land. When the Beckel’s had more livestock, a diverse cropping rotation of oats, alfalfa, corn and soybeans were planted. All of these practices combined help increase soil health and organic matter while reducing nutrient leaching. Currently, they grow corn, soybeans and hay and have a small beef herd.

Recently, a 24.8-acre water storage project was completed on their land. This project has the potential to reduce 274 pounds per year of total phosphorous, 8,224 pounds per year of total nitrogen and 44.9 tons of total suspended solids. The results of this project will improve water quality in the immediate 900-acre watershed and reduce nutrient runoff into Lake Washington.

Jerry and Jim Beckel will be honored at the 2025 Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts Annual Convention in December at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bloomington.

Above: a completed water storage project that was done on their land in Washington Township