Conservation is a Family Affair

Dave and Kristy York consider themselves a very fortunate married couple.  They both grew up on farms where many conservation practices were used, they adore their two young children and Dave and Kristy consider themselves very lucky to both be working for NRCS in Iowa.  

Dave is district conservationist in Carroll County and Kristy is a soil conservationist in nearby Audubon County. 

According to Dave, “NRCS has been very good to us and will continue to be.  Early in our careers we asked to be in adjoining counties and they have honored our request.  We have been very fortunate and lucky that way and it has worked out.”  

Dave and Kristy both grew up about 30 miles apart in southwestern Iowa.  They didn’t meet until Dave went off to Iowa State University in 1989 to study agricultural studies and farm operations.   Dave’s college roommate was Kristy’s brother.  Soon their friends wanted them to meet.  “They set up a blind date,” Kristy joked, “that went bad.  We ended up marrying in 1995.” 

One year younger than Dave, Kristy graduated from high school in 1990, entered Iowa State the same year and virtually followed in his footsteps.  She went after a degree in agriculture studies and farm operations--the same major as Dave’s.  She joined the NRCS student trainee program in 1993, one year after Dave, and graduated from ISU in 1994 following Dave into NRCS as a full time Soil Conservationist. 

After a number of career assignments in different Iowa counties, the two now make their home where Dave’s office is located: Carroll, Iowa.  Kristy works about 30 miles away. 

Dave jokes, “We chose to live in Carroll because it was Kristy’s turn to commute.”

Even though their conversation is peppered with humor, Dave and Kristy are very serious about their jobs. Kristy can quickly list a number of environmental benefits that have resulted from her conservation work.  Dave is proud of how his district and a diverse group of partners have installed over 1,000 miles of buffers on private land in the county since 1996. 

Buffers are usually a grass or tree boarder along streams or rivers that helps keep soil in place and reduce water pollution.  In the case of the Carroll County buffers, a private watershed consultant says the buffers are a key reason there has been a 40 percent reduction of sediment entering a large lake in the next county.  The consultant says buffers greatly improve water quality and maintenance costs for the downstream lake association.  

 Growing up, both Dave and Kristy came from farm families with a tradition of saving the soil.  Their parents brought them up teaching them and instilling in them the value of conservation.  Today, they are proud to be part of NRCS where they work with many farm and ranch families and continue their tradition of putting conservation practices on the ground to promote cleaner water, conserve natural resources and promote sustainable agriculture.  

Side bar:

According to Iowa NRCS Human Resources Manager Christopher Knudsen, it is not uncommon for there to be a family connection between employees.  He notes that currently there are four married couples in the state and there are a number of parent/child, siblings, and even twins employed by NRCS.  Knudsen adds, having a family tie between employees is permissible as long as one family member does not supervise another and all job applicants apply under open competition.  

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