Curtis Elke joins NRCS Massachusetts as ASTC for Operations

NRCS Massachusetts is pleased to welcome Curtis Elke as Assistant State Conservationist for Operations. Curt, a native the small town of Cavalier, North Dakota, comes to Massachusetts by way of Oklahoma where he served as District Conservationist and Civil Rights Representative for four years.

Curt started his career with USDA as a GS-3/5/7 Soil Conservation Technician in Cavalier, North Dakota from 1985 to 1990. After graduating from North Dakota State University in 1993 with multiple degrees in Horticulture and Landscape design, Soil Science, and coursework emphasizing Civil Engineering, Curt decided to try corporate America by working for nine years as National and International Sales Manager for Concord Soil Exploration Equipment a subsidiary of Case International.

In 2002, Curt returned to NRCS as Soil Conservationist in Durant, Oklahoma where he worked on forestry, pastureland management, water quality, livestock management, pecan nut plantations, nursery tree farms, sod farming, waste management systems, and education.

Curt has been associated with farming and ranching all his life. Curt and his family grew sugar beets, hard red spring wheat, pinto beans, and sunflowers on their 1300 acre farm. Some of Curt's other accomplishments have been: designing an executive 18 hole golf course in Dallas/Ft. Worth in 2005, invented and patented a laser alignment system for the utility, commercial and recreation trailer industry.

Curt has two children Joshua, 23, and Carlee, 20, who both live in Fargo, North Dakota, and are majoring in Natural Resources Management at North Dakota State University in Fargo.

Curt also has many hobbies that he enjoys such as hiking, boating, golfing, horseback riding, skiing, church activity, art painting, landscape design, and writing poetry. He has been sharing words of encouragement by writing an "Encouraging Phrase of the Week" reaching hundreds of people throughout the United States and Canada.

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