2023 News
Shayna Vendela
Farm Bill Biologist Shayna Vendela starts work for Pheasants Forever in Pine County
Biologist hopes to focus on EQIP program and reviving sharp-tailed grouse habitat
HINKLEY, Minn. — Shayna Vendela says a life-long love for the outdoors has led to her current work as a Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist in Pine County.
Vendela attended the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, receiving a bachelor’s degree in conservation and environmental planning with an emphasis on the conservation track.
She has worked previously as an aquatic invasive species intern with the Burnett County Land Services department and later with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as an educator and visitor services associate, based in the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area. Vendela also served as a mentor for new hunters through the Wisconsin DNR’s Learn to Hunt program.
A native of Grantsburg, WI., she grew up near several large public wildlife areas. “Growing up I had access to about 15,000 acres available to do whatever I wanted outdoors and those experiences were always positive. I became fascinated with the way everything is interconnected and I think that’s one of the things that led me to this career,” Vendela said.
She also credits her high school biology teacher with encouraging her along her career path.
Vendela said she hopes to focus her efforts on brushland management to aid the area’s sharp-tailed grouse population. “There are a few around and they are hanging on. I’m personally interested in seeing the population not fizzle out or die out completely. They do need a large amount of land, something that I’m hoping to work on and focus on areas where they have been spotted the past few years,” she said.
She said assisting interested landowners with the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) will be one of her primary focus areas.
“Shayna is very familiar with that part of the state and we’re excited to see the impact her work has on the landscape,” Minnesota Private Lands Manager Josh Pommier said.
Vendela splits her time working from both the USDA service center in Hinckley and the Sandstone Soil and Water Conservation District office.
Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologists in Minnesota work directly with landowners and local conservation partners including the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Board of Water and Soil Resources, Soil and Water Conservation Districts and other government entities and non-profits. They assist private landowners with identifying technical and financial resources to help meet their conservation goals.
Media contact: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@pheasantsforever.org, 320-260-9739
Cole Neibauer
Farm Bill Biologist Cole Neibauer brings conservation experience to new role in Nobles County
Worthington-based biologist looks forward to building relationships with landowners in the heart of pheasant country
WORTHINGTON, Minn. — Cole Neibauer has started work as a Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist in Nobles County.
Originally from Atkinson, Neb., Neibauer attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, receiving a bachelor’s degree in fisheries and wildlife with a focus on wildlife ecology and management.
While in college he worked with the Nebraska Game and Parks department as a conservation technician. He also worked as a technician in the Lower Platte South Nebraska Natural Resource District.
Neibauer then worked for five years for the Missouri Department of Conservation in southwest Missouri, starting as a technician and then as a wildlife biologist. He did work in prescribed burning, invasives removal, goose and duck banding, hog trapping, woodland management and many other tasks.
“In Missouri I learned the satisfaction that comes with starting a project and then seeing it through all the way. You do a lot of work to start something and maybe it doesn’t look great right away. It’s really rewarding to see a project get past that and then become amazing habitat. I can’t wait to start seeing some of those success stories here,” Neibauer said.
“Cole fills a key role for us as a Farm Bill Biologist in Nobles County. It’s a vital area for upland habitat in the state. There is a passion for all things pheasant hunting there and I’m sure Cole will become an important part of the conservation community in Southwest Minnesota,” Pheasants Forever Minnesota Private Lands manager Josh Pommier said.
While his career has mostly been with public lands, Neibauer said he’s excited to be working with private landowners in his new role. “I think coming from the public land side of things gives me a good perspective for working with landowners. I’m ready to start forming those relationships and leaning on my experience for successful projects,” he said.
Neibauer works from the USDA service center in Worthington. He works primarily in Nobles and surrounding counties.
Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologists in Minnesota work directly with landowners and local conservation partners including the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Board of Water and Soil Resources, Soil and Water Conservation Districts and other government entities and non-profits. They assist private landowners with identifying technical and financial resources to help meet their conservation goals.
Media contact: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@pheasantsforever.org, 320-260-9739
Fartun Nur gets ready to walk a trail for Ruffed Grouse near Longville, Minn., during a Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Learn To Hunt grouse camp event in early October.
Learn To Hunt event brings experience, community to new group of hunters in Minnesota's Northwoods
Grouse camp is one in a series of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever immersive weekends designed to connect adults with the outdoors
LONGVILLE, Minn. — Samiya Ali smiled as she made her way along an old logging trail as golden aspen leaves twirled gently to the ground all around her.
It was the Minneapolis metro-area resident’s first time hunting in the Northwoods for Ruffed Grouse, and actually her first time hunting anywhere.
“My big goal was to walk in the woods with a gun and hunt, so already we have a success,” Ali said with a grin.
She was part of a group of 11 hunters that took part in an Adult Learn To Hunt Grouse Camp weekend at YMCA Camp Olson in Northern Minnesota in early October. The mentored event was hosted by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, Modern Carnivore, Minority Outdoor Alliance, Camp Olson YMCA and the Minnesota Land Trust.
Most participants came looking for information and to experience grouse hunting. What they also found was a network of support.
“One of the biggest hurdles for people entering into hunting is a lack of community and all the things that community can provide,” Hunting Heritage Program Manager Ashley Chance said. “These weekend experiences really bring people together. You share meals, there’s joking and comradery and that’s where connections are formed. Those connections are what new hunters are going to rely on when they inevitably encounter barriers in their path.”
As the campfire crackled following the successful day’s hunt, mentors demonstrated ways to clean game birds and how to prepare them for the table. Laughter echoed through the woods as hunters shared tales from the afternoon afield.
Grouse camp participants gather around the campfire following a successful day's hunt
“There was just an energy that comes from a shared focus on getting out there and being successful and celebrating that success of a few people. Even if you were somebody who didn’t shoot a bird, you get to share in that. Cultures have done that for millennia. You celebrate the harvest and share the stories and then share the food, that’s really a universal experience that’s pretty special,” Modern Carnivore founder Mark Norquist said.
In addition to grouse and American Woodcock, the weekend’s menu featured goose, duck, foraged wild mushrooms, venison and hand-harvested wild rice from a lake in the nearby area.
“The aspect of sharing a meal together is a universal experience that everybody can participate in. There’s something about sharing a meal and talking about food that crosses boundaries and builds relationships very quickly,” Norquist said.
Minority Outdoor Alliance founder Durrell Smith led participants through a workshop focused on the history of the North American conservation model, ethical hunting, safety and etiquette when hunting private or public lands. After a session on the clay target range, hunters left with their mentors for an afternoon on the grouse trails.
Funding for the camp came through a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation. It is one in a series of six Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Learn To Hunt events nationwide, including pheasant hunts in Colorado and Wisconsin and Northern Bobwhite Quail hunt experiences in Texas, Alabama and South Carolina.
“The future of hunting, and by extension wildlife management and conservation, hinges on our ability to expand the hunting community to new demographics, or to help bring people back into the sport,” Chance said. “It’s all about creating an environment where people not only feel welcome but feel like they belong, and those are two very different things.”
- Text and photos by Dave Schwarz, Minnesota Outreach Coordinator
More photos are at: https://www.minnesotapf.net/photos/category/grouse-camp-2023/
Pheasants Forever Minnesota Private Lands Manager Josh Pommier and Farm Bill Biologist Brittney Hubbell talk with landowner Kirk Quade about results of pollinator-focused habitat improvements on an area of permanently protected land near Hutchinson.
Easement Enhancement Grant focuses on pollinator habitat, research by the University of Minnesota
HUTCHINSON — A successful habitat enhancement program for native pollinators in Minnesota is coming back for phase 2.
The initial round of applications for the grant is from Nov. 1, 2023, through December 15, 2023. Future application periods will be available if adequate funding remains. The program is funded by the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.
Landowner Kirk Quade enrolled just over 12 acres in the program’s first phase. The two plots are part of a 140-acre property Quade owns along the south fork of the Crow river in Meeker County. The land is in a permanent USFWS conservation easement.
On a recent crisp fall day Quade talked about the impact of the program on the land.
“If anybody is considering doing this program, I would say just say yes. It doesn’t hurt anything and I think it really improves the land. There isn’t really a downside,” Quade said.
Quade initially heard about the program through Pheasants Forever Minnesota Private Lands Manager Josh Pommier. The plots were seeded in 2019 after some small trees were removed.
To qualify for the program, land must be permanently protected and the landowner must allow access to the site for research by the University of Minnesota to document the benefit of the plantings for bee and butterfly habitat.
The second round of the program will enhance more than 785 acres of wildlife habitat. Seed mixes used will be high diversity, with a minimum of 25 species.
Eligible expenses can include tree and shrub removal, tillage and herbicide application, prescribed burning, seeding and mowing.
Up to $700 per acre in restoration activities is available for each project.
Potential project sites include private land enrolled in Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Conservation Easements or publicly owned land in the 63-county project area within the farmland region of Minnesota.
For more information or to submit an application, contact Pheasants Forever Private Lands Manager Josh Pommier at jpommier@pheasantsforever.org or (320-292-5860)
- Text and photos by Dave Schwarz, Pheasants Forever Minnesota Outreach Coordinator.
Kayla Chau
Kayla Chau starts work as a Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist in Lac qui Parle County
Madison-based biologist brings love for the outdoors, experience with prescribed fire to new conservation role
MADISON, Minn. — Kayla Chau has been named a Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist for Lac qui Parle County.
Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, Chau attended Iowa State University, receiving a bachelor’s degree in animal ecology with a focus on wildlife. She completed an internship as a field technician with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in the Loess Hills State Forest and was part of the prescribed fire crew.
“I never thought I’d get certified and be doing fire, it just kind of found me. I definitely enjoy it,” Chau said.
A love for the outdoors set the stage for her future career.
“As a kid I was always outdoors, just outside constantly, and learning about the environment in school really motivated me. Now that I’ve been able to be in the workforce and have seen changes you can make by getting your hands on the ground, and being able to go back and see what you’ve done even just a year later, it’s amazing,” Chau said.
“Kayla brings a lot of enthusiasm to this role in an important part of the state for conservation,” Pheasants Forever Minnesota Private Lands manager Josh Pommier said. “She will be a great asset for private landowners with questions or those seeking more information on the options that are out there,” he added.
“I’m enjoying getting to know the community and people who live here, especially getting to know private landowners. Right now I’m focused on getting familiar with the programs and all the ways to assist those landowners,” Chau said.
Chau works from the USDA service center in Madison. She works primarily in Lac qui Parle and surrounding counties.
Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologists in Minnesota work directly with landowners and local conservation partners including the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Board of Water and Soil Resources, Soil and Water Conservation Districts and other government entities and non-profits. They assist private landowners with identifying technical and financial resources to help meet their conservation goals.
Media contact: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@pheasantsforever.org, 320-260-9739
Brittney Hubbell
Minnesota Native Hubbell starts work as Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist in Meeker County
LITCHFIELD — Brittney Hubbell grew up on the shores of Lake Mille Lacs in Isle, Minn., instilling in her a love for the outdoors. She hopes to capitalize on that in her work as a new Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist based in Litchfield.
After studying marine biology in California, Hubbell received a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin- Superior with a minor in aquatic environmental exploration.
Hubbell completed an internship with Wisconsin Department of Transportation as an environmental scientist and wetland delineation intern. She also finished two undergraduate research projects, including isolating microbes from soil samples to produce antibiotics and research on the foraging habits of two subspecies of honey bee.
Hubbell also took part in a student volunteer program on a shark research vessel in Florida.
“I’ve realized that my niche is really in conservation, having the opportunity to preserve the land and focus on the habitat and the biology side. I wanted my career to be in that path of hands-on conservation where I can see what is going on and really try to provide more of an impact environmentally,” Hubbell said.
“We’re excited to have Brittney join our team of farm bill biologists here in Minnesota. She has a wide variety of experience that I’m sure will serve her very well in her work with landowners,” Pheasants Forever State Coordinator Tanner Bruse said.
Hubbell works from the USDA service center in Litchfield. She works primarily in Meeker and surrounding counties. She replaces Josh Pommier, who was promoted to Pheasants Forever Minnesota Private Lands Manager in April.
Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologists in Minnesota work directly with landowners and local conservation partners including the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Board of Water and Soil Resources, Soil and Water Conservation Districts and other government entities and non-profits. They assist private landowners with identifying technical and financial resources to help meet their conservation goals.
Media contact: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@pheasantsforever.org, 320-260-9739
Chance Steward
MN Regional Rep wins national Rookie of the Year award
Friday, July 21, 2023
ST. PAUL — Regional Representative Chance Steward has been honored with the 2023 Rookie of the Year award by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.
President and CEO Marilyn Vetter made the announcement Monday morning. The award is one of several employee recognitions rolled out by the national organization this week.
The Rookie of the Year award recognizes an individual for making significant contributions in the early stages of their career. Steward was recognized for his accomplishments in his first full year of work in the role.
Vetter highlighted Steward’s success in helping restart long-time chapters, maintaining volunteer relations at a high level, hitting lofty goals for the organization’s programs and initiatives and being a leader among his peers.
She also pointed out his work within the organization’s education and outreach focus, including his efforts with local chapters and volunteer committees hosting first time Women on the Wing Learn to Hunt events or purchasing Milkweed in The Classroom kits.
Steward works closely with our dedicated chapters and volunteers in the western portion of Minnesota.
“It’s great to see Chance receive this recognition,” Pheasants Forever Minnesota Coordinator Tanner Bruse said. “He truly cares about this work and it shows. His commitment and enthusiasm for our mission and volunteers is contagious and I’m sure his accomplishments are only getting started.”
Photo by Aaron Black-Schmidt
Volunteers join forces to improve prairie habitat at Rice County WMA
Minnesota chapters take action in Hands-On Habitat month events
NERSTRAND — On a picture-perfect June morning near Nerstrand, volunteers gathered to remove several miles of rusted, tangled barbed-wire fence.
No more tripping, no hiding places for invasives, no more injured dogs.
The work of the more than 40 volunteers centered on Koester Prairie, part of the Prairie Creek Wildlife Management area in Rice County.
Pheasants Forever chapter leadership and other community volunteers have been pitching in for years to improve wildlife habitat areas throughout the country. Those efforts were formalized with Hands-On Habitat, a one-day event held in conjunction with Earth Day in 2022. More than 90 events were held nationwide. The effort was such a success that the program was expanded to a month-long focus this year.
On June 9, Pheasants Forever volunteers were joined by more than 20 Minneapolis-based employees of Deloitte, a multinational professional services network. The effort was part of Deloitte’s Impact Day, an annual event that connects employees with more than 1,000 volunteer opportunities with nonprofits across the country.
Fifth-generation landowner Craig Koester greeted the volunteers before they set out to work. “I am thrilled that you are all here. I can’t tell you what it’s like to say we have 40 people coming out to do volunteer habitat work. This blows me away, it’s just wonderful to have that kind of involvement. You don’t know how much that means,” Koester said.
Koester’s family initially sold land for the WMA in 2013. A 138 acre addition will be dedicated June 20. In all, the area comprises almost 500 acres, including several areas of native prairie and oak savannah.
Over the two-day event, volunteers removed nearly eight tons of steel fencing from the area.
Many Pheasants Forever chapters use the Hands-On Habitat effort to dovetail with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Adopt a Wildlife Management Area program.
The Nobles County Pheasants Forever committee has adopted every WMA in their county, 45 areas in all. Volunteers from several chapters, including the Metro Area Pheasants Forever chapter, joined forces with them on a June Saturday to improve conditions in three of those areas.
Volunteers completed sign work, fence removal, invasive tree removal and general trash pickup in those three WMAs. They removed nearly four miles of fencing.
“It’s just a great chance for everybody to come together and see how amazing these areas are, and then to have the opportunity to make them even better,” Nobles County chapter president Scott Rall said.
More information on the DNR’s Adopt-A-WMA program can be found here: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/wmas/adopt-wma.html. Details of upcoming Pheasants Forever events near you are here: https://pfqf.myeventscenter.com/
Media contact: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@pheasantsforever.org, 320-260-9739
Andersen Joins PF Minnesota staff as first statewide prescribed burn coordinator
NRCS partnership brings experienced biologist to assist landowners with the use of fire on grasslands
For immediate release June 2, 2023
MANKATO — Talk to Jason Andersen about his work for any amount of time and you’re sure to hear three words: Safe. Effective. Accessible.
Those words summarize Andersen’s vision for the use of fire in grasslands management in Minnesota.
The prescribed burn coordinator represents a partnership between Pheasants Forever, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and other partners. Andersen is based in Mankato and will concentrate on fire management mostly in the south and west areas of the state.
His goal is to help private landowners utilize prescribed burning to reach their habitat goals. Anderson will also provide technical assistance and training to NRCS staff and landowners.
“We tend to think of it as a management tool in the toolbox, but really fire is a natural part of these ecosystems that we also are a part of. With my position, I’m trying to get more of that natural part of the ecosystem back on the landscape,” Andersen said.
Andersen worked for nearly seven years as a Pheasants Forever farm bill biologist in the Council Bluffs, Iowa area. He then worked as a roadside vegetation manager for a county in Iowa before rejoining Pheasants Forever as the Minnesota Prescribed Burn Coordinator in January.
“We’re excited to have a dedicated fire coordinator on board in Minnesota. As we concentrate on making fire a vital part of managing private grassland areas in the state Jason’s skills will be invaluable,” Pheasants Forever Minnesota Coordinator Tanner Bruse said.
Andersen is currently doing research and groundwork on the possible development of prescribed burn associations. The associations are built around the basic idea of neighbors helping neighbors with more formal structure and additional training involved. Pheasants Forever would support organizations through equipment and training.
“Most of our pre-settlement habitats were fire dependent. Tall-grass prairie covered our region and now there is only a small fraction of that left. Any reconstructions we have done need periodic disturbance by fire to keep them in grassland form,” Andersen said.
Andersen studied at the University of Nebraska-Omaha where he earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and a master’s degree in biology.
Meeker County biologist Pommier named Minnesota Private Lands manager for Pheasants Forever
Seasoned conservation professional will lead team of farm bill biologists, specialists throughout the state
For Immediate Release May 8, 2023
LITCHFIELD — A farm bill biologist for nearly 10 years, Josh Pommier now hopes to share his knowledge and experience with others to strengthen Pheasants Forever private land programs in Minnesota.
Pommier started his career with an engineering firm designing subdivisions. “I realized after a year of that I didn’t really enjoy developing the land, I would much rather conserve it,” he said. He then worked for two prairie restoration companies before joining the Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist staff.
“Josh has been instrumental to the team in Minnesota for the last 10 years implementing our mission with partners and assisting farmers and landowners with their conservation goals. I’m excited to see his next steps as he leads our team,” Pheasants Forever Minnesota Coordinator Tanner Bruse said.
Pommier will oversee all Farm Bill Biologists in Minnesota. He will also manage the work of Pheasants Forever’s precision ag specialist, prescribed burn coordinator and grazing specialist.
Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologists in Minnesota work directly with landowners and local conservation partners including the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Board of Water and Soil Resources, Soil and Water Conservation Districts and other government entities and non-profits. They assist private landowners with identifying technical and financial resources to help meet their conservation goals.
Pommier said working with landowners has been the most rewarding part of his job, including the completion of what he calls the “project of a lifetime,” a 260-acre wetland and upland habitat restoration involving five different landowners and five different easement types.
“It really feels good when you can help people accomplish the goals for their property. Seeing projects through from first meeting somebody to seeing the benefits when everything is done is what I’ve enjoyed the most. Now I get to work with other staff to accomplish their goals and I’m looking forward to that,” Pommier said.
Pommier has worked in the USDA Service Center for Meeker County in Litchfield. He plans to stay in the area
Media contact: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@pheasantsforever.org, 320-260-9739
T.J. Boettcher named Farm Bill Biologist for Houston, Fillmore, Winona Counties
Biologist plans to focus on pheasant and quail habitat in southeast Minnesota driftless region
For immediate release April 10, 2023
CALEDONIA — Bobwhite Quail are relatively rare in Southeast Minnesota, but T.J. Boettcher hopes to change that.
Boettcher recently started work as the Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Farm Bill Biologist based in Caledonia.
He grew up in the area and has worked to improve his family’s land for years. “It’s something I’m passionate about. That experience is what will help me help other landowners because our property is so similar to others in the area,” Boettcher said.
In addition to traditional upland habitat, an area of focus for Boettcher will be improving habitat to recover quail numbers in the region. “They’re rare, but I’ve talked to people who have them on their property. We’ve lost a lot of oak savanna and brushland habitat over the years,” Boettcher said. “Moving forward, we hope to identify and restore those oak savanna and remnant prairie areas that are vital for quail recovery.”
Boettcher completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin Lacrosse with degrees in biology and chemistry. He continued at UW-Stevens Point and earned a master’s degree in natural resources with a forestry emphasis.
“We’re excited to have T.J. on staff in the southeast part of the state. He knows the area and brings specific expertise to the habitat needs there. Southeast Minnesota is truly a unique landscape with various species of wildlife including pheasants and quail. T.J. has the skills to really make an impact in this area and increase the habitat quality and quantity for pheasants, quail and other wildlife,” Pheasants Forever Minnesota Coordinator Tanner Bruse said.
Boettcher works in the USDA service center in Caledonia.
Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologists in Minnesota work directly with landowners and local conservation partners including the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Board of Water and Soil Resources, Soil and Water Conservation Districts and other government entities and non-profits. They assist private landowners with identifying technical and financial resources to help meet their conservation goals.
Schwarz hired as Minnesota Outreach Coordinator
Writer, photographer brings media skills to tell the story of the Habitat Orgainization
For Release Dec. 27, 2022
Dave Schwarz has been hired on as Minnesota’s first-ever Outreach Coordinator for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.
The Outreach Coordinator serves in joint capacity with Pheasants Forever, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
“We have so many good things happening throughout this state. Often we’re so focused on launching initiatives and completing projects that we don’t have time to let the world know. We’re excited to have someone on board who’s dedicated to telling those stories and expanding our message to new audiences,” Pheasants Forever Minnesota Coordinator Tanner Bruse said.
Schwarz will work to increase awareness and participation for shared priorities including monarch and pollinator conservation programs, Farm Bill programs, habitat programs, youth and diversity initiatives and chapter outreach events.
Taught to hunt and fish by his dad from a young age, Schwarz said he hopes to be able to give something back to conservation and the outdoor sports.
“I’ve loved all things outdoors for as long as I can remember and it’s always been a big part of my life,” Schwarz said. “I’m honored to have this opportunity to work for an organization I respect and a cause I truly believe in.”
Originally from Spencer, Iowa, Schwarz started his career as a photojournalist for the Owatonna (Minn.) People’s Press and was later named the newspaper’s managing editor. Schwarz has been photo/video team leader at the St. Cloud Times/USA Today Network since 2003.
In addition to work locally, He has completed projects in Guatemala, France, Germany and Afghanistan.
His work has been featured in newspapers and other publications worldwide, including the New York Times, USA Today, The Guardian in London, The Wall Street Journal, and on refrigerator doors throughout the Midwest. He’s received numerous awards from state and national associations.
Schwarz lives in Sartell, Minn., with his wife Lisa. When not on the job he enjoys working with bird dogs, travel, cooking, camping, cross country skiing and ice fishing.
