Posted: 9/25/07
Ervin ëPinkyí Barth named Houston County Conservationist of the Year
By Charlie Warner
Argus Editor
"My goal in life is to leave the earth a little better off then how I found it."
Words to live by stated by Ervin "Pinky" Barth of rural Caledonia. Barth, who has lived his life following that maxim, was recently named the Houston County Outstanding Conservationist of the Year by the Soil and Water Conservation District. He has been nominated by the county SWCD for the state award program.
From a very early age, Barth learned the benefits of conservation practices. He was born and raised on a farm near Preston in Fillmore County. His father was one of the first farmers in the area to incorporate conservation strip farming to help combat water erosion problems. In fact, Barth helped his father lay out the contours in the fields.
"I was on the long end of the rope," Barth said laughing. "Thatís a joke for folks in the business. But itís true. Dad held the rope and I walked along with the other end of the rope, marking out where the contours would be located."
Barthís father was a firm believer in treating his farm land with respect. He developed a conservation plan and was one of the first farmers in the area to apply lime to replenish the vitality of his soil.
Barth worked with his father on the Fillmore County farm, and continued to learn about all he could about conservation practices. In the early 1950s Congress passed the Watershed Act. The East Willow Creek Watershed, which emptied into the South Branch of the Root River near Preston, became one of the first pilot projects in the area. Barth became secretary of the steering committee and spent much of his free time talking to property owners in the area about ways to improve erosion problems they were experiencing.
When money was appropriated to each watershed district to help promote the fledgling program, Barth was asked to travel to Mower and Houston counties to speak with more farmers. "I even came to Caledonia to talk to some of the farmers over here," he recalled.
Barth was hired by the watershed district on a part time basis and spent most of the time he wasnít farming with his father promoting soil and water conservation practices. In 1955 his father passed away.
"I really didnít know what to do," he remembers. "Should I stay and farm? By that time, I was working for two watershed districts and couldnít continue with that and farming full time."
Barthís quandary was answered when a full time position with the Soil Conservation Service, which was a federal program, opened up in Caledonia. Shortly after moving to Caledonia, he met a waitress named Esther Wheaton.
"It was her cookies that won me over," Barth said laughing, as he glanced over at his wife of nearly 50 years, who everyone calls Bootie. "And Iím still enjoying them," he added, as he popped another fresh date-filled sugar cookie in his mouth.
After working for the SCS in Caledonia for a number of years, Barth was transferred to the Duluth office, where he worked as a survey technician for three years.
"It was the coldest three years of my life," Bootie chimed in. "I was never so glad when we decided to move back to Caledonia."
The Barths decided to get back into farming, so they bought the Wheaton farm, which had been in Bootieís family since 1866.
Spreading the conservation message was in Barthís blood, however and in 1967 he went to work for the Root River Soil and Water Conservation District based in Caledonia. He spent the next 23 years working out of the Caledonia office, served as office manager, and retired from the SWCD in 1990.
Encouraging others to be good stewards of the land was not just a 9 to 5 job for Barth. He spent much of his free time improving the former Wheaton farm, located just west of the Houston County Airport on Highway 76, and a second farmstead they purchased just down the road. The Barths planted several windbreaks on the two farms, built a pond for wildlife in the early 1970s, practiced a crop rotation and no-till programs on their 127 acres of tillable farmland, used contour and stripcropping on their highly erodible land, and selective harvesting on the woodlots they have owned and managed.
Barthís love of nature wasnít confined to trees, cropland, and waterways, however. His passion for wildlife promoted him to get involved with the Caledonia Rod and Gun Club. The local sportmenís club has long had a nature exhibit at the Houston County Fairgrounds. In 1975, the Rod and Gun Club needed someone to take over management of the fairgrounds exhibit. Barth volunteered, and later on, the management of the wildlife area, which includes the raising and maintaining of white tail deer, exotic birds, and the displaying of many species of fish, small and big game each year during the fair.
"I started rasing different kinds of exotic birds for the exhibit. At one time, I had six or seven different varieties of pheasants, turkeys, peacocks, and quail. Iíve also raised water fowl ñ wood ducks and mallards. We usually have a variety of water fowl at our pond each year."
Barth also loves to teach area youth about conservation and nature. He has provided duck and quail eggs and an incubator to elementary school science classes, and has served as a judge at the SWCD Area VII Envirothon.
"Barth has lived his life as a true conservationist, sharing his time, skills and knowledge, and leading by example. His passion for wildlife has inspired many to follow. He has indeed left a positive mark on the hills and valley of Houston County, as well as in the hearts and minds of those who reside here," wrote the Houston County SWCD nominating committee.
That pretty much sums Barthís life up in a nutshell.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com