Farmers Can Earn Incentives for Soil Saving Practices

For many people, fall is their favorite time of the year. The leaves are starting to change, the temperature has dropped, and you can open up the windows to let the fresh air in. Driving across Rice County’s beautiful countryside, one of the first things you will notice is that our farmers are out in the field, operating the combine, tractor, and truck, working long into the night.

To our farmers and your families, we wish you a safe and bountiful harvest. As you are working out in the fields, keep an eye open for different types of erosion. Gully erosion can form in swales where water concentrates flow. Rill erosion can form between crop rows on sloped grounds. Sheet erosion can form on flat areas where water ponds. And wind erosion can form throughout the year, anywhere bare soil is exposed.

Some examples of soil erosion in Rice County, Minnesota.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst estimate that over the past 160 years, the Midwest has lost about 57.6 billion metric tons of topsoil. The University of Minnesota estimates that Minnesota loses around 5.2 tons of soil per acre each year just from wind erosion. Your soil is your most valuable resource. At what cost are you willing to lose it?

The time has never been better to consider changing tillage practices.  If you have been thinking about switching to Strip-till or No-till, now is the time! Rice SWCD has funding to pay up to $35 per acre per year for up to three years on up to 750 acres per operation, which could really help with a new equipment purchase, or just help offset any yield losses as the soil transitions to a reduced tillage system. 

If cover crops are what you are looking for, how about $50 to $60 per acre per year for up to 500 acres?  If you have acres that have had no more than two years of cover crops in the last ten years, then contact us to get started on an application. 

Cover crops and no-till/strip-till can significantly reduce soil erosion. These practices have many other benefits, including increasing water infiltration, reducing compaction, building organic matter, preventing weed growth, and providing habitat for beneficial insects that pollinate or eat crop insect pests.

Cover crops grow alongside corn residue in a Rice County farm field and protect the soil from erosion.

Additionally, this program offers windbreak/shelterbelt assistance for establishing or renovating a windbreak around a farmstead.  If the cold winds give you the chills, planting a living windbreak will keep you comfortable and reduce energy consumption.

This funding won’t be around for long, so if you are serious about adopting any or all of these practices, contact the Rice SWCD office soon. To learn more about soil health funding opportunities, visit our website at www.riceswcd.org.

Steve Pahs is the District Manager with the Rice Soil & Water Conservation District. Contact Steve with your questions about conservation practices and programs at 507-332-5408.