Three candidates are vying for two supervisor seats on the Freeborn County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Paul R. Heers Jr., is running unopposed for the District 3 supervisor seat.

Jon Wiersma and Colin Wittmer are both running for the District 4 supervisor seat.

The District 4 seat is currently occupied by Cole Pestorious, who will vacate his post at the end of his term on Dec. 31.

Wiersma, 26, lives at 20590 700th Ave., Albert Lea.

Originally from Hollandale, Wiersma has lived west of Albert Lea near Armstrong for more than 10 years.

He was home-schooled, graduating in 2002. He then went on to attend Minnesota State University, Mankato, receiving a bachelor’s degree in business management in 2005.

Currently, he farms with Frontier Family Farms, a grain operation, west of Albert Lea.

Wiersma said as a farmer, he’s tied to the land and feels it’s important to “do things right” here in Freeborn County.

“I felt I could add a perspective that could be useful to that position,” he said.

His main goal as District 4 supervisor will be to represent farmers in general, drawing from his own point of view.

“We deal with water quality and watershed issues,” he said. “Conservation is very important, yet you still have to balance that with economic issues.

Wittmer, 26, is also running because would like to be involved with making decisions on water quality issues.

Wittmer has lived in Freeborn County his entire life and currently resides at 65361 140th St., Alden.

After graduating from Alden Conger High School in 2003, he went on to attend South Central College in Mankato and graduated with an associate’s degree in agribusiness.

He works for Freeborn County environmental services as a household hazardous waste technician and county feedlot officer. He also farms 120 acres in rural Conger.

He thinks that serving on the SWCD would be a good learning experience.

“I’d like to continue some of the programs with grass buffer strips and conservation farming practices,” he said. “I’d keep working with a lot of those programs to keep them available.”

This is the first time that Wiersma and Wittmer have either one run for the position.

Heers, 58, is running unopposed for the District 3 supervisor seat that will be vacated by Roger M. Nelson, whose appointed term will end Dec. 31.

He has lived in the area most of his life, and currently resides just south of Oakland at 19917 890th Ave., Oakland.

After graduating from Austin High School, he went on to attend South Dakota State University in 1974 with a bachelor of science degree in animal science.

He currently farms 1,100 acres and has 100 head of cattle.

Heer said he was contacted and asked to run for the position. Nelson is reportedly vacating the seat to spend more time at his home in the south.

Heers said he brings his years of agricultural experience and common sense to the position.

“I look at it as learning more about the area,” he said. “I want to leave this a better place than when I came on.”

The Freeborn County SWCD is governed by a five-person board of supervisors, who each serve four-year terms. Serving the other districts are District 1 supervisor Dave Ausen, District 2 supervisor Chris Dahl and District 5 supervisor Don Kropp.

The goal of the SWCD is to serve the residents of Freeborn County by creating an awareness of soil and water resource concerns, offering practical alternatives to manage these concerns, and providing technical assistance to apply and maintain best management practices that impact water quality while sustaining soil productivity and land-user profits.

The board works primarily with private landowners, to help them solve soil and water conservation problems. They focus on soil erosion reduction, water quality improvement, enhancing wildlife habitat, and work to cr

eate awareness of conservation practices to help preserve resources.