The Le Sueur County SWCD Board of Supervisors has chosen Dennis, Nick, John and James Krautkremer of Montgomery Township as the 2026 Outstanding Conservationists of the Year.

 

They operate a multi-generational, corn-soybean farm and do custom finishing of hogs. Dennis has been farming in Montgomery Township since the early 1970’s. Over the years, his children and grandchildren have embraced farming alongside him, bringing in new ideas and perspectives.

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The Krautkremer Family has been nominated for this award for their ongoing efforts to improve the soil health on their farm. They have fully converted their 1,500+ acre farm to strip tillage and cover crops and are seeing the benefits of adding a living cover and reducing the amount of tillage done each year. They have less compaction in the headlands, reduced erosion on the hillslopes, increased water infiltration rates in low areas and have seen how cover crops can help with weed suppression and wind erosion in the winter.

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They have become mentors to other producers across Le Sueur County and other surrounding areas that are interested in incorporating similar practices. With their whole farm transition, they have been tracking their inputs, costs, and outputs to see how their Return of Investment (ROI) has changed. They have cut their fuel use in half, reduced their nitrogen rates, sold off tillage equipment that’s no longer needed and have more free time in the fall and spring.

 

Dennis, Nick, John and James will be honored at the 2026 Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts Annual Convention in December at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bloomington.