New Project Spotlight: Planting Our Future

Oct 2

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new project in collaboration with the University of Minnesota Extension’s Southeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, addressing one of southeast Minnesota’s most pressing challenges: nitrate contamination of groundwater.

This project will bring local voices together (community members, farmers, and researchers) with scientific modeling to design viable agricultural futures that both protect drinking water and sustain farm profitability. This work will produce two critical outcomes:

A set of policy recommendations and program interventions to reduce nitrate pollution.
Community and sector champions who will help advance and implement these solutions.

With support from state and federal partners, we have the opportunity to protect public health, reduce costs for communities, and build a resilient agriculture economy that works for southeast Minnesota.

Clean drinking water is one of our most important needs—and one of our biggest challenges. Nitrates from cropland are showing up in wells and water systems across our region.

Together with farmers, community members, and local leaders, we are embarking on a process to envision better futures for agriculture and water. We invite you to join us in shaping these solutions—your voice and perspective will be key to building a healthy, resilient future for our communities.

This project is in partnership with UMN Extension’s Southeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships: Community-University partnerships for sustainability, serving Greater Minnesota.