Rice Soil and Water Conservation District
1810 N.W. 30th Street Faribault, MN 55021
Phone: 507-332-5408
Fax:507-332-9892
Directions
Who We Are
The Rice Soil and Water Conservation District is a subdivision of state government. It is overseen by a five member board of supervisors elected countywide to represent the soil and water conservation needs of the county. The board of supervisors make policy decisions, approve cost-share contracts, and promote soil and water conservation.
Mission
The Rice Soil and Water Conservation District's mission is to assist local landusers in the management and conservation of soil and water resources by means of educational, financial and technical assistance.
Location
The Soil and Water Conservation District is located in Faribault at the USDA Service Center which also houses the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Rural Development, and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forestry Office. The Rice SWCD includes a staff of five district employees.
History
Soil and Water Conservation Districts were set up by Congress starting in the 1930's all over the country after the Dust Bowl. Rice SWCD was formed in 1942 to address soil erosion on the county's farm land. Since its inception, we have been providing technical and financial support to Rice County residents for a wide variety of conservation practices.
About Rice County
Rice County is located in Central Minnesota, 30 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul. It is 496 square miles and includes 7 cities and 14 townships, the largest two being Faribault and Northfield with populations of 20,000 and 17,000 respectively. The total population of Rice County is 59,749.
The dominant industries of Rice
County are agriculture and education. Faribault is known for their woolen, garden and nursery industries and Northfield is known for its cows, colleges and Malt-O-Meal plant. Northfield is home to over 5,000 students from all across the state and country at St. Olaf and Carleton Colleges.
Rice County is rich in natural resources such as soil and water. Like much of Minnesota, receding glaciers more than 10,000 years ago carved out moraines, rivers, lakes, wetlands and left nutrient rich soil ideal for farming.
Information from the Rice County, NACD, and Maltby Nature Center websites.