We’re the Land of 10,000 Lakes; Let’s Act Like it!
By Adriene Matthews, Agriculture and Outreach Specialist Individual Placement Member / AmeriCorps Member placed at Cottonwood SWCD.
There are several different types of jobs in conservation in America. This article will highlight the jobs in conservation that may be overlooked, or people have never heard of before, me included. This is a series that will touch on the variety of jobs in conservation that I work closely with in Minnesota.
Hi, my name is Adriene Matthews, and I am an Agriculture Outreach Specialist for the Conservation Corp of Minnesota and Iowa in the town of Windom, in Southwest Minnesota. I have had the wonderful opportunity to work alongside so many different organizations and agencies, from Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), and Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). I was able to learn about all the different ways these organizations are helping with conservation of land, air and water, in Minnesota.
August was Water Quality month! To showcase the wonderful work that Minnesota is doing to protect its water quality, I have interviewed two certification specialists who work with MN Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP). MAWQCP is a voluntary program for farmers and agricultural landowners to take the lead in implementing conservation practices that protect our water.
Herman Bartsch, the area 6 Certification Specialist, went to Vermillion College because he wanted to get an associates degree focused on wildlife. A soils class helped to expand his view of conservation beyond wildlife habitat. He then went to Steven’s Point College in Wisconsin, to study soil and land management. While studying at Steven’s Point, Herman worked with the Forest Service for a couple seasons. He was able to learn more about soil health while doing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) evaluations. Once he graduated from Steven’s Point, he got a job working at NRCS. After working at NRCS for nearly a decade, Herman worked with South Central Technical Service in Blue Earth for a year. When attending a training event Herman spoke with someone from the MDA was then introduced to MAWQCP, and transitioned into a job with the Department of Agriculture, working with MAWQCP.
Herman has learned a lot about water quality since working with this program. The amount of pollutants and chemicals that end up in recreational, surface and ground waters have steadily climbed since the mid 1970’s according to ‘Friends of the Mississippi River’. Herman has seen changes in the rivers and lakes that he used to swim and fish in when he was younger. He wants future generations to be able to enjoy the local water resources as he has. This is something that he talks to his young kids about when they go to the same rivers and lakes.
Over the years, Herman has noticed a lot of change in tillage uses by land owners. Previously moldboard plows were used to till the ground. This type of equipment is used to invert the soil at a depth of 8 to 12 inches and leaves the ground completely black. Many farmers have moved away from this type of aggressive tillage. We are seeing a lot more reduced tillage, like strip or no till being used. Reduced tillage is good for soil health and water quality because of its ability to maintain soil structure, increase organic matter and keep the soil covered. Covered soil will have less of a chance of leaving the ground due to the wind or rain, and from being transported into our waters. Perdue extension states that the greatest impact on water quality, from strip till and no till, is to protect surface water quality by reducing runoff.
The MDA has a Soil Health Financial Assistance Grant that landowners can apply for to get cost-share to buy equipment that will help soil health in Minnesota. As stated previously, strip till and no till equipment does a good job of not disturbing the soil as much as more aggressive tillage equipment. Cover crops are another practice that can help prevent compaction issues and allow for a living root to be in the soil after a cash crop like corn or soybeans is harvested. However, there can be a barrier for farmers to get this equipment, due to cost. One quick google search can show that the average cost for strip till equipment can range from $67,000 to $566,654, all depending on what you need and what works for your operation. The Soil Health Financial Assistance Grant can help landowners get the equipment they are looking for so that they can better improve soil health on their farms. Herman has worked as a Certification specialist for many years, and being on one of the front lines of water quality protection is something he loves being able to do. Working with landowners and conservation technicians to help preserve Minnesota’s water and land is an important part of conservation in the land of 10,000 lakes.