Conservation Farmer of the Year

The Goodhue Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has named Paul and Elaine Burfeind Family its 2026 Conservation Farmer of the Year, recognizing his lifelong commitment to conservation and responsible stewardship of the land.

The Burfeind family farm is located in the picturesque Wells Creek watershed in Goodhue County.

Paul's grandfather purchased the main farm in the 1920s, and at least 30 acres of the property have remained in the Burfeind family since the late 1860s.

Today, the 600-acre farm includes rolling cropland, woodland, and pasture. Corn and soybeans are the primary crops, with alfalfa included in the crop rotation.

Paul continues to work with the Goodhue SWCD to improve the farm's conservation efforts.

In recent years, he has partnered with the district to install additional grassed waterways and water and sediment control basins, further reducing erosion and protecting the water quality of Wells Creek.

PICTURED: Seen here with the Goodhue County Board of Commissioners