Southwest Minnesota Wellhead Soil Health
This grant opportunity would increase practices that are associated with groundwater quality and increasing soil health and nutrient management for producers with row crop operations within Drinking Water Supply Management Areas within four Southwest Minnesota counties. A soil health assessment will be conducted to gain insight on the current operation of the farmer, then a strategy can be created to move the farmer toward soil health goals they would like to achieve. Proposed non-structural practices for soil health and reduction of NO3-N leaching to groundwater are cover crops, strip-till/no-till, conservation crop rotation, and split application of N fertilizer with use of precision agriculture to prescribe N rates. In creating this strategy, a farmer can elect to choose from the suite of practices laid out in this application for the life of the contract with guidance from the SWCD. Cover crop incentive of $40 per acre per year installed, strip-till/no-till incentive of $30 per acre annually utilized, conservation crop rotation $100 for additional species in rotation with a one-time payment for a three year contract, and split application for N management at $20 per acre and precision agriculture for N rate prescription at $30 per acre per year utilized. The split application and precision agriculture practice as well as conservation crop rotation practice will be in conjunction with cover crops and/or strip-till/no-till practices in this application as they are not as directly associated with increasing soil health but more directly considered management of the primary pollutant. It is anticipated this project will include 2175 acres with a combination of practices averaging $130.
This grant opportunity would increase practices that are associated with groundwater quality and increasing soil health and nutrient management for producers with row crop operations within Drinking Water Supply Management Areas within four Southwest Minnesota counties. A soil health assessment will be conducted to gain insight on the current operation of the farmer, then a strategy can be created to move the farmer toward soil health goals they would like to achieve. Proposed non-structural practices for soil health and reduction of NO3-N leaching to groundwater are cover crops, strip-till/no-till, conservation crop rotation, and split application of N fertilizer with use of precision agriculture to prescribe N rates. In creating this strategy, a farmer can elect to choose from the suite of practices laid out in this application for the life of the contract with guidance from the SWCD. Cover crop incentive of $40 per acre per year installed, strip-till/no-till incentive of $30 per acre annually utilized, conservation crop rotation $100 for additional species in rotation with a one-time payment for a three year contract, and split application for N management at $20 per acre and precision agriculture for N rate prescription at $30 per acre per year utilized. The split application and precision agriculture practice as well as conservation crop rotation practice will be in conjunction with cover crops and/or strip-till/no-till practices in this application as they are not as directly associated with increasing soil health but more directly considered management of the primary pollutant. It is anticipated this project will include 2175 acres with a combination of practices averaging $130.
Annie Felix-Gerth
(p) $2,000,000 the first year and $2,000,000 the second year are for grants to farmers who own or rent land to enhance adoption of cover crops and other soil health practices in areas where there are direct benefits to public water supplies. Up to $400,000 is for an agreement with the University of Minnesota Office for Soil Health for applied research and education on Minnesota's agroecosystems and soil health management systems.
Measurable outcomes to include 2175 acres of agricultural row crop production to soil health improving practices to reduce NO3-N contamination in groundwater resources. Model calculation reductions in groundwater are currently not available via BWSR.
2,122 acres of soil health improving practices applied to cropped lands on the landscape in Pipestone County public groundwater supply areas for nitrogen reduction to drinking water. An estimated 21,821 lbs. of nitrogen per year reduction to surface contribution was achieved. No technical or administration time was charged to the grant.
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS