Jean Kursave began her career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Wisconsin as a contract employee in 2010. She wasn’t looking for the job— the job “found” her. Her mom noticed an ad in the newspaper for an agency needing someone with an agricultural background adept at administrative support. Working as a contractor, she was able to go back to college to obtain a bachelor’s degree in environmental science with the intention of setting out on a career path with NRCS as a Soil Conservationist. But after a brief hiatus with NRCS sister-agency, the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), Jean was able to return to her NRCS roots as a soil conservation technician and has since moved into the role of civil engineer technician with NRCS-Wisconsin. Jean really enjoys being in the technician role and helping people get conservation on the ground. “I might make some soil conservationists mad by saying this, but technicians have the cool part of our jobs. We get to put in practices that we can go back years later and say, ‘I helped put that in,’ or ‘I designed that.’ You tend to look at the landscape through a different lens.”

Jean’s mother, Kathy Vodak, wasn’t just the kismet catalyst for starting her professional path toward conservation; she is also her greatest conservation influence. Though her father was the primary day-to-day operator of the family farm, when she was 7 months pregnant with Jean, Kathy was laying out contour strips on their newly purchased additional acreage. “I like to say my conservation journey started before I left the womb!” said Jean, leading to her taking the road less traveled, not only as a conservation-minded landowner, but also as one of only two female civil engineer technicians working for NRCS-WI. Growing up on her family farm, Jean was fortunate to very seldom face stereotypes or challenges as a woman in the agriculture industry. However, she recognized cultural differences in her surrounding community when neighbors would stop by their farm only to address her dad or uncle. As years passed and generations shifted, so did the cultural landscape as Jean started to be seen as an equal to the other land managers in her community.

In 2016, Jean and her husband, Marine Corps veteran and full-time firefighter, Casey Kursave, purchased their own 10 acres of mixed forest and cropland just outside of Richland Center, Wisconsin. With much of the cropland acreage situated up the hillside from where the house nestled into the valley, they were lucky the previous landowners had already implemented some conservation practices, including diversions that reroute water runoff to a stable and appropriate output. In the spring and fall, the rolling hills catch a stray frost if temperatures are cool enough. As a hobbyist-turned-amateur specialty crop and fruit grower to fuel her unique canning projects, Jean’s first resource concern was to be able to extend the growing season. She saw an exciting opportunity to help develop a conservation plan for her own property, outside of her full-time civil engineer technician duties, and walk through the NRCS technical and financial assistance programs options as a customer with specific agricultural and conservation goals for her operation. 

Jean applied for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and was awarded funding to implement a high tunnel system, which Jean and Casey opted to build and install themselves. Despite being advised to recruit assistance in the build, the literal blood, sweat, and tears that went into installing the high tunnel as a couple makes it the conservation accomplishment Jean is most proud of. Since its completion in July 2018, the high tunnel has paid off in protecting their produce and providing additional habitat for pollinators to assist in the produce growing cycle. “The most enjoyable part of owning our property is watching everything grow, thrive, and benefit from our caretaking,” said Jean. “In return, the garden gives us wonderful produce and the great satisfaction of opening a jar of my home-grown and home-canned pizza sauce in the middle of winter for a taste of my summer labors.”

Following the completion of the high tunnel, Jean applied for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for assistance with implementing tree and shrub plantings to improve the wildlife and pollinator habitat around their property. Her passion for conservation and land stewardship has extended to her neighboring properties thanks to Jean’s connections to NRCS resources. Their conservation luck continued as they found an interested and experienced farmer, who also leases cropland from several of their neighboring farms, that implements cover crops and no-till farming conservation practices. Jean also feels lucky to have a partner who not only respects her professional expertise but shares her passion for conservation and stewardship of their land. “My husband Casey is my biggest advocate. We joke that he never tells me ‘no,’ but it goes both ways. We have learned to talk things out together as a team. When we work together, we succeed together. He is always game for trying new vegetables in the garden or trying out new conservation practices on our property. We strive to leave our little corner of the world a better place for future generations.”

As a civil engineering technician for NRCS-WI, Jean feels fortunate to contribute to such a strong team of fellow professionals and enjoys visiting the people, animals, and unique “nature nooks” in Southwest Wisconsin, many hidden from the main roads and known only by the landowners. But she recognizes that reaching out to NRCS as beginning farmer starting their operation can be intimidating and overwhelming. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions! As an agency, we have so many avenues for information gathering, but I still find people like that human connection. Having that face-to-face contact is beneficial not only for the NRCS employee, but the landowner as well. I always keep an open line of communication with the customers and want them to feel they can ask me anything. I want them to be as comfortable as possible or I don’t consider the project a success. Having a landowner comfortable with the conservation practices and understand why and how it works usually means the project will succeed because they have faith in that system.”

Story & photos by: Krisann McElvain, Public Affairs Specialist 

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