Eleven farmers have intensively planted cover crops in Minnesota’s Rice Creek watershed since 2018 and are now seeing improved stream health, fish habitat, water quality, and farm profits as a result. Specifically, monitoring of Rice
Creek and the watershed shows that cover crops on 27% of tillable acres are keeping 9000 pounds of nitrate and 200,000 pounds of sediment out of the creek every year.
You can feel the energy around work in this small watershed. Participants say momentum grew over time, often unevenly, but has built because committed farmers, community members with interest in the stream, local colleges, county Soil & Water Conservation District staff, supportive state and federal government programs, and Cannon River Watershed Partnership, a local nonprofit group dedicated to the river and watershed, have connected and communicated.
Al Kraus, conservation program manager for Cannon River Watershed Partnership, says participating farmers have advanced the situation on their own, but they also appreciate the shared work that’s made change less risky, more
socially acceptable, and even fun.
Tim Little has farmed in Rice Creek and adjacent watersheds for many years, and is passionate about the value of cover crops and building soil health. When he started using cover crops in 2013, his seed dealer, TJ Kartes, suggested he ask a
few neighbors to get together and talk about cover crops, to share what they’re learning. Since then seven neighbors have gathered a few times a year. They also buy and apply seed together, share what they’re learning informally, and mentor
others. “I would never go back!” says Tim.
Driven by community interest, St. Olaf College led a monitoring project in 2013 that established a baseline for measuring improvement in stream health and water quality over time. The local, on-farm data is valued by producers and can impact
decisions. Faculty Paul Jackson and Kathy Shea have deep knowledge and experience with agriculture, and with their students continue to monitor nutrient loss and retention and stream conditions. In the process students expand their perspectives about agriculture and the environment. Monitoring of various kinds is also provided by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Rice SWCD and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Consistent leadership and positive, long-term relationships with producers have positioned Rice SWCD as a respected
community partner, one that delivers important services like grant management, cost-share funding, water sampling, on-farm technical assistance, and other services.
Together these people accomplish more than they could do alone. How does it all come together? Cannon River Watershed Partnership is the hub. Al Kraus connects with people, notices needs and innovations, structures peer-to-peer
exchanges and gatherings, brings in partners and funding, and communicates constantly to expand a growing local trend to practices that build soil health, retain nutrients and soil, improve fish habitat and water quality, and increase the
resilience and farm success.
Now, because Tim Little and others who are catalysts own land in adjacent watersheds, and because momentum is there to expand, CRWP is planning a second phase of this work in two adjacent watersheds.
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