The Wadena and East Otter Tail Soil and Water Conservation District Boards received a $227,000 Cover Crop Demonstration Grant from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources.
As one out of five recipients for the grant, the SWCDs will increase cover crops in targeted areas of East Otter Tail and Wadena counties, according to a SWCD news release.
“The goal of this project is to work with local farmers to establish 1,000 acres of cover crops annually to prevent soil erosion, enrich soil health, improve water quality and produce more sustainable and profitable farming operations,” said Darren Newville, district manager of both SWCDs.
The selected producers will receive payments to establish specialty cover crops such as edible beans and potatoes on a maximum of 80 acres for three years. Additional opportunities for livestock producers and traditional corn and soybean growers will be considered.
Three cover crop demo sites will host annual farmer field days to discuss cover crop topics. There will also be informal winter meetings to share successful farming tips.
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For more information on the project, contact the Wadena SWCD at 218-632-4201 or the East Otter Tail SWCD at 218-346-9105.
