SHEEK, Inc., of Sherburn, was named the 2010 Outstanding Conservationist at the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Disctrict's annual meeting in St. Paul.

SHEEK is owned by Doug Hartke, Tim Nelson, Tim Eisenmenger, Dale Schumann, Rod Eisenmenger, Milt Smith and Scott Kittleson. Working as a team, they used the Reinvest in Minnesota, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service easement programs to establish and permanently protect wildlife habitat on approximately 425 acres of marginal land that they own.

They established 32 acres of trees and shrubs, restored 165 acres of wetland and planted almost 230 acres to native prairie.

They serve as officers for Fox Lake Conservation League, Ducks Unlimited and Friends of the Windom U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Through various fundraisers and charitable gambling, they provide funds back to the community for habitat and numerous other community projects and activities.

SHEEK was one of eight area conservationists selected for the state award. Also recognized as area winners were Charles and Kathy Carlson, Thief River Falls; Greener Farms Partnership, Foley; Charles and Nancy Pace, Moose Lake; Ron and Jane Harnack, Taylors Falls; Grant and Dawn Breitkreutz, Redwood Falls; the Moldenhauer family, Root River; and Kent and Linda Solberg, Verndale.

The conservation awards were sponsored with support from The Farmer.