Ag Resource Management Grand Pearl
The practices in this project included residue management, strip till, nutrient management, waste storage facilities, and heavy use area protection. This project is located in the Grand Pearl Watershed.
YEAR COMPLETED:
2020
MAJOR WATERSHED:
Sauk River
This project began because of the concerns the landowner had about soil erosion and reduced soil organic matter on their irrigated, sandy soils. This landowner has several hundred acres of continuous corn with lots of residue, so they were wary of trying no-till practices. Strip till seemed to be the perfect compromise to protect their soil. This farm knew that purchasing a strip till machine would not be cheap, so they inquired about financial assistance through the Stearns Conservation District. They applied for a soil health grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and were successful in the winter of 2023-2024. They also utilized a low interest loan through the Ag BMP Loan Program, administered through the SCD, to keep the interest rate down on the amount they owed out-of-pocket. The Ag BMP Loan Program allows participants to borrow from a lender of their choice, at a 3% interest rate for up to 10 years, and up to $200,000.
In order to reduce some of the risk in adopting a new conservation practice, this farm applied for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). EQIP offers a per acre incentive payment for up to 5 years when they utilize strip till to plant their crops. This farm has been assessed and they are making changes to their management in order to become Ag Water Quality certified in the future. Because of their interest in becoming MAWQCP certified, they are eligible for grants of up to $5,000 to adopt conservation practices that will aid in certification. They used this grant to purchase two new soil moisture sensor probes that will help them determine when and how much to irrigate. They are also working with the SCD to test their pivots for uniformity.
Components:
2020-2023 Nutrient Management
2024-2028 Strip Till
2024 Irrigation Water Management
Benefits:
Reduced soil erosion
Increased organic matter on sandy irrigated soils
Increased water holding capacity
Partners on this project included Stearns Conservation District, USDA-NRCS, and the MN Department of Agriculture.
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