Methodology
 

Literature Review

-- Sustainable Ag and 
    Watershed Conservation
-- Government Programs
-- Barriers to Conservation
    Farming
-- Creating an Enabling 
    Environment for 
    Conservation Farming
 

Research Project: Conservation Farming in Northfield, MN

--  Watershed Conservation
    on Northfield Farms
-- Government Programs
-- Barriers to Conservation
    Farming
-- Creating an Enabling 
    Environment for 
    Conservation Farming
 

In Pictures: Northfield Farms
 

Educational Program Development for Conservation Farming in Northfield, MN
 

Conclusions
 

Acknowledgements
 

Literature Cited
 

Land Use and Water Quality: The Importance of Conservation Farming

There is a growing awareness that preserving water quality is inextricably linked to good land stewardship practices, particularly on agricultural land.  Freshwater ecosystems are often among those most severely affected by agriculture due to the high inputs of eroded soil particles, nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizer, and pesticides they receive in runoff (Tilman, 1999).  The EPA has identified nonpoint source pollution from agriculture as the source of more than 50% of the pollutants impairing lake water quality and 60% of the pollutants impairing river water quality.  Sedimentation, eutrophication, and pesticide contamination due to agricultural runoff have become serious problems in many Midwestern lakes and rivers in agricultural watersheds (Anderson et al., 2001; L.L. Jackson, 2002; Randall et al., 2002).  Soil erosion and nutrient losses from farms have negative effects on both agricultural and aquatic ecosystems as well as public health. 

Despite the soil and water quality problems associated with agricultural runoff from conventional farms, conservation farming practices can be an important part of addressing the interconnected concerns of soil and watershed conservation.  For example, by incorporating perennials into crop rotations (L.L. Jackson, 2002), reducing tillage, developing nutrient management and integrated pest management plans, and maintaining conservation buffers such as riparian forests (USDA / NRCS, 1999), farmers can preserve both soil fertility and water quality by preventing erosion, reducing runoff and leaching, and reducing inputs of fertilizers and pesticides to the watershed. 
 

Erosion and Water Quality Concerns in the Cannon River Region

Erosion and water quality are particularly important concerns in the Cannon River Region, located in southeast Minnesota.  Over the last 30 years, the eleven-county region comprising southeast Minnesota has experienced a marked shift from diversified cropping systems including corn, soybeans, small grains, perennial crops (such as alfalfa), and livestock pasture toward exclusively corn and soybean row crops, which now comprise 97% of the agricultural landscape (Randall, 2003). 
 

• Sedimentation

This photo of the confluence of the turbid Minnesota River (below) and the relatively clean Mississippi River (above) shows evidence of erosion and sedimentation from southern Minnesota farms. (Photo: Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission and Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, In MPCA.  2000.  Oxygen-poor ‘dead zone’ links Gulf of Mexico with Minnesota waters.  Minnesota Environment, Nov. 2000.  Accessed online at: http://www.pca.state.mn.us/publications/mnenvironment/fall2000/hypoxia.html. Used with permission.)

• Nutrient and Pesticide Pollution 

In summary, the Cannon River Region’s interconnected concerns of soil erosion and watershed contamination are largely the result of changes in the agricultural landscape toward more intensive row cropping, combined with challenges presented by the region’s unique climate and soil characteristics. 
 

Project Overview 

In light of the related erosion and water quality concerns facing the Cannon River Region and the importance of sustainable agriculture in addressing these concerns, my purpose in this project was twofold, consisting of a research component and an education component.  First, I sought to better understand the ecological, political, economic, and social aspects of conservation farming in Northfield, MN by interviewing farmers, agricultural extension agents, and Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) staff.  After gaining a better understanding of conservation farming and some of the challenges farmers face in implementing practices that conserve water quality, I put this knowledge to use by working with the Cannon River Watershed Partnership to develop educational programs and resources that will enable farmers to contribute to good stewardship of local land and water resources.