2022 WCCD Awardees

Matt Koenn, Distinguished Service Award

Located in Sylvan Township, Matt runs a corn, soybean, grain, and cow/calf operation with his father. Matt's grandfather and father started the farm, originally a dairy farm, back in 1959 and Matt's brother was involved for a period of time as well. Matt now has 17 registered Angus cows for commercial and breeding stock and 900 acres on the 2nd Hayes Family Farm. ​

When Matt shares a tour of his family's farm, the pride he takes in the care and management of their land and cows is evident. Matt's vision is to expand cover crop practices to at least 50% of the farm. About 75% is managed with conservation practices such as cover crops and no-till. Additionally, the farm is MAEAP verified, part of CSP, and maintains wildlife/wetland areas. Matt’s father served on the WCCD's Board of Directors in the 1980s, and Matt's aspirations and love of the land led him to follow in his footsteps and serve as a Board Director for 17 years. Matt's highlights of serving on the Board were helping with Tree & Shrub Sales and staying actively involved in decisions supporting conservation practices.

At the WCCD, we are thankful to community members who drive conservation and regenerative agriculture efforts. Congratulations, Matt Koenn!

​“I’ve always been a conservation advocate. More people should try to do more if they can! It’s part of preserving the land and environment. We need to be stewards of our land and it’s always been a part of farming for me.” -Matt Koenn

Kathy & Norm Fischer, Volunteers of the Year Award

In 2022, many volunteers stepped up to make all our events a success, but two individuals stood out with consistency, dedication, and humor to nearly every event in 2022: Kathy & Norm Fischer! So, we decided to honor both of them.
Kathy is a retired nurse and Norm is a retired teacher living in York Township. In 1970 they began purchasing trees. Originally their property was a field, but over the years they planted them, they have grown to be 50 ft trees. They began volunteering with the WCCD 3-4 years ago after volunteering with York Township Parks for 15 years and were looking for new opportunities.
When asked if they'd recommend volunteering with the WCCD events, she said "Volunteering is a good way to meet people and be able to contribute.” Their enthusiasm and love for serving their community are contagious. We fully appreciated the knowledge, humor, and energy that they bring to the work.

​On behalf of the Washtenaw County Conservation District, thank you, Kathy & Norm!

“Two things make the difference and the only reasons we will participate; one is the people and two is the purpose. What we find so cool about the WCCD is the people are so kind, so generous, and always have a smile on their faces. They make you feel appreciated and the community that the WCCD builds...that's what keeps us coming back. Plus, we value nature, we value the environment, and to us, it’s extremely important. We try to do what we can in our lives and try to come in and support the WCCD’s bigger picture.” -Kathy & Norm Fischer