Field day touts versatile winter camelina
This cover crop endures drought, keeps nitrates out of groundwater, helps pollinators, and produces both a cooking oil and a biodiesel. What’s holding it back in Minnesota?
Meet the Drainage Management Team
As the Drainage Management Team reaches its 10-year mark, a look at the group that explores ways to apply science to agricultural drainage. Its members hail from agencies ranging from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the University of Minnesota.
SWCDs celebrate conservation firsts
Two Minnesota counties celebrate milestones for the MN CREP program: Redwood County marks the first recorded MN CREP easement, while West Otter Tail County marks the first recorded MN CREP wetland easement. One flanks a ditch in a corn field, the other forever protects property from development. Both enhance wildlife habitat.
Saving Lake Ida starts with sampling
One of the largest, deepest, and cleanest of Douglas County’s 400-some lakes is in danger of degrading. A Clean Water Fund grant supports efforts to collect samples throughout the summer from a county drainage ditch to help determine the best course of action.
Agricultural wetland banking aids landowners
The Ag Bank provides opportunities for farmers to drain degraded wetlands in a way that is both legal and environmentally sustainable. It also provides options for landowners interested in restoring a wetland on their property.