About KES
Conservation planning should help the farm make better decisions.
Kluthe Environmental Solutions was built around a simple idea: conservation planning should help farmers and landowners make better decisions, not add another layer of confusion.
KES works with farms to understand the operation, identify resource concerns, evaluate realistic conservation alternatives, and develop plans that fit the way the farm actually works.
Technical requirements matter. So do funding requirements, engineering considerations, laws, property restrictions, and the practical realities of implementation. Good planning brings those pieces together without losing sight of the farm itself.
Experience from inside the conservation system
KES is led by John Kluthe, principal consultant and conservation planner.
Before founding KES, John spent much of his career with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, working directly with farmers on conservation planning, nutrient management, grazing, erosion, water quality, soil and crop concerns, and implementation of conservation practices.
That experience provided more than familiarity with NRCS procedures. It meant seeing, repeatedly, where conservation plans worked well, where projects became unnecessarily complicated, and where decisions made early in the planning process affected what could realistically be implemented later.
KES was created to bring that experience directly to farmers and landowners.
The goal is not simply to complete the required paperwork. It is to understand the operation, explain the choices clearly, and develop a plan that can move from discussion to implementation.
Agriculture and conservation belong in the same conversation
KES approaches conservation planning from an agricultural perspective.
A conservation practice does not exist in isolation. It affects crops, livestock, labor, equipment, nutrient use, field access, manure handling, grazing, production schedules, and the economics of the farm.
Likewise, production decisions affect soil, water, nutrients, erosion, habitat, and other natural resources.
KES works at that intersection.
The objective is not to choose between production agriculture and conservation. It is to identify conservation approaches that address real resource concerns while remaining practical for the agricultural operation.
The farm comes first
Every project begins with the farm, the landowner’s goals, and the problem that needs to be solved.
From there, KES evaluates the conservation alternatives, technical requirements, and other considerations that may shape the plan.
Some projects are relatively straightforward. Others involve NRCS requirements, engineering, preserved-farm restrictions, permits, funding conditions, or input from several technical specialists.
Those requirements matter, but they do not replace the landowner as the center of the planning process.
KES works to identify those considerations early so the landowner can make informed decisions among alternatives that are realistic and capable of being implemented.
Technical experience that supports the planning
John’s background includes agricultural production, agronomy, conservation planning, and natural-resource management.
He holds a B.S. in Agronomy from Missouri State University and an M.S. in Forestry from the University of Missouri.
He is a Certified Conservation Planner, an NRCS Technical Service Provider, and a Certified Crop Adviser.
That combination of field experience and technical training allows KES to look at a farm from several directions at once: soil and crops, livestock and nutrients, conservation practices, NRCS requirements, and the practical details of implementation.
Personal service, with specialized expertise when needed
KES is intentionally a small consulting business.
John remains the primary client contact and leads the conservation planning, field assessment, and project coordination for KES clients.
When a project requires engineering or other specialized expertise, KES works with experienced independent professionals, including engineers and other technical specialists.
This approach allows the client to maintain a direct relationship with the planner while still bringing in the additional expertise a project may require.
KES does not try to be every specialist.
The role is to understand the whole project, recognize when additional expertise is needed, and help keep the pieces working together.
Why KES exists
Conservation programs can provide farmers with valuable technical and financial assistance.
But the process can also become complicated quickly.
Contracts, practice standards, engineering, nutrient management, conservation planning, deadlines, funding rules, and implementation decisions all have to fit together.
KES exists to help farmers make sense of that process.
Understand the farm. Evaluate the choices. Develop a plan that works.
A Little More About the Person Behind KES
About John A little more about the person behind KES and the way John approaches the work.
John Kluthe has spent most of his career helping farmers work through conservation problems that rarely fit neatly into one box.
His background includes agronomy, forestry, conservation planning, and years of field experience with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Before that, he served in the U.S. Navy.
What has stayed consistent is the part of the work John enjoys most: getting out on a farm, understanding how the operation actually works, and helping turn a complicated set of concerns, requirements, and possibilities into something useful.
John founded Kluthe Environmental Solutions to work more directly with farmers and landowners and to bring that practical, farm-level perspective to conservation planning.
He tends to approach projects by asking a lot of questions, looking closely at how the pieces fit together, and trying not to make things more complicated than they need to be.
For John, good conservation planning is not just about meeting a technical requirement. It is about helping a farmer make a decision that still makes sense once the plan leaves the desk and reaches the field.
Veteran-Owned Business John’s service in the U.S. Navy remains an important part of his background and values.
My time in the United States Navy was one of the most formative experiences of my life. It instilled a deep sense of duty, personal accountability, and commitment to something greater than myself. The friendships forged through shared challenges and a common mission taught me the value of trust, teamwork, and perseverance — lessons that continue to guide both my personal life and my work.
Military service also taught me the importance of being prepared, communicating honestly, following through on commitments, and taking responsibility for the work entrusted to me. Those values continue to influence the way I approach my relationships with clients and the care I bring to each project.
I remain proud of my service and grateful for the opportunities, experiences, and perspective the Navy gave me. I also have a deep appreciation for the men and women who continue to serve, for veterans who have served before us, and for the families who support them.
May God watch over those who serve, those who have served, and the families who stand beside them. Godspeed.
Start a Conversation
Let’s Talk About Your Farm
Have a conservation project in mind or an NRCS contract already in place? Start with a little information about your farm and what you’re working on.
Email John
Tell me where the farm is, what you’re working toward, and whether an NRCS contract is already part of the project.
John@KlutheEnvironmental.com
John@KlutheEnvironmental.com