Take Action for Clean Water on Your Farm
Clean River Partners can connect you with local programs and resources to protect your land and bottom line.
Conservation Practices
Conservation agriculture is a set of practices that work with the land instead of against it.
Benefits include protecting your soil, keeping nutrients where you need them, and reducing runoff into local waterways like the Cannon and Straight Rivers.
-
One of the most common practices is cover crops: plants grown to cover the soil and keep roots in the ground, year-round.
Why Farmers Use Cover Crops
Reduce soil erosion
Improve water infiltration
Retain nutrients
Build organic matter
Improve resilience during wet and dry conditions
Watershed Benefits
Cover crops reduce nutrient runoff and help protect streams, lakes, and downstream water quality.
-
Reduced tillage is a management practice that involves fewer or less intense tillage passes, leaving at least 30% of the soil surface covered with previous crop residue.
Why Farmers Use Reduced Tillage
Reduce fuel and labor costs
Improve soil structure
Retain soil moisture
Reduce erosion
Watershed Benefits
Leaving crop residue on the field helps reduce sediment and nutrient runoff into local waterways.
-
Agroforestry is the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits.
Why Farmers Use Agroforestry
Diversify farm income
Improve slope stability
Reduce wind and water erosion
Improve livestock protection and habitat
Watershed Benefits
Trees and perennial systems improve infiltration, stabilize streambanks, and support watershed health.
Local Projects and Research
Through partnerships with local Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), funding has been set aside for farmers in the Cannon River Watershed who are interested in improving water quality and soil health on or near their land.
If your property drains into Rice, Heath, or Wolf Creek, or into the Little Cannon River, you may be eligible.
-
Rice County is home to the Rice, Heath, and Wolf Creek sub-watersheds. Rice Creek is a self-sustaining brook trout stream with a DNR fishing easement, open to the public for recreational and subsistence fishing.
Excess nitrate has impaired the creek, and we are partnering with local farmers to adopt practices that improve water quality.
-
Goodhue County is home to the Little Cannon River, a cold-water resource and designated trout stream. In 2020, a parcel of land along its banks was designated as an Aquatic Management Area.
Excess sediment has left the river impaired. This site is now a hub for our conservation work in the county.
-
Kernza is a perennial grain developed from intermediate wheatgrass, known for its deep root system that enhances soil health and reduces erosion. It offers a sustainable alternative for farmers, providing both grain and forage, and is increasingly recognized for its potential environmental benefits.
Why Farmers Are Interested
Perennial grain system
Reduced erosion
Dual-use grain and forage potential
Emerging market opportunities
Project Work
For several years, we partnered with the Forever Green Initiative (FGI) at the University of Minnesota and farmers in the Cannon River Watershed to explore whether Kernza could function as a dual-use commodity crop on a working farm. This collaboration brought research out of test plots and into real-world conditions, where decisions must balance conservation goals, livestock needs, and farm economics.
Resources
-
Winter camelina is an oilseed crop high in omega-3 fatty acids and well-suited for cool growing seasons. It is often used as a cover crop in winter to improve soil health and reduce erosion. In relay-cropping systems with soybeans, winter camelina can boost profitability and total farm output.
Why Farmers Are Interested
Additional revenue stream
Winter soil coverage
Relay-cropping potential
Improved overall farm productivity
Project Work
Research and outreach efforts are focused on improving winter camelina production systems, seed processing, and market opportunities within the watershed.
Resources
-
Winter camelina is an oilseed crop high in omega-3 fatty acids and well-suited for cool growing seasons. It is often used as a cover crop in winter to improve soil health and reduce erosion. In relay-cropping systems with soybeans, winter camelina can boost profitability and total farm output.
Why Farmers Are Interested
Cover crop integration
Soil health improvements
Reduced nutrient loss
Additional forage opportunities
Project Work
For several years, we partnered with the University of Minnesota Extension and farmers in the Cannon River Watershed to explore whether Kernza could function as a dual-use commodity crop on a working farm. This collaboration brought research out of test plots and into real-world conditions, where decisions must balance conservation goals, livestock needs, and farm economics.
Resources
Farmer Resources
Making changes to your operation takes time, planning, and sometimes upfront investment. Local and state programs exist to share the cost and walk you through the process.
Cost-Share through your local SWCD
Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) offer cost-share programs that can cover a portion of the expense of implementing conservation practices on your farm.
Your local SWCD staff can help you figure out which practices make sense for your land and connect you with available funding.
Find your SWCD: Blue Earth County, Dakota County, Dodge County, Freeborn County, Goodhue County, La Sueur County, Rice County, Scott County, Steele County, and Waseca County
MAWQC Program
The Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP) offers farmers and landowners a voluntary pathway to protect our state’s water resources.
By adopting conservation practices that safeguard rivers, lakes, and drinking water, participants strengthen the resilience of their operations while contributing to long-term environmental stewardship.
Cannon River Agricultural Collaborative
The Cannon River Agricultural Collaborative (CRAC) is a dynamic partnership of government agencies, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community groups dedicated to improving the health of our soil and water.
This group works together to create a thriving ecosystem supporting agriculture and stewardship.
Questions?
Contact Tessa Parks (she/they), our
Conservation Program Coordinator, Agriculture
tessa@cleanriverpartners.org
(507) 200-8195
Our Partners
