Stearns County Farm Honored For Green Practices

(KNSI) – A Stearns County farm has been recognized for growing green.

The Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts recently honored the Janski Farm in South Haven as Minnesota’s Outstanding Conservationist.

Co-owner Daniel Janski talked about his reaction after receiving the award. “It was shocking. We were pretty surprised that we were selected. It was an honor to hear that our farm had been selected as conservationist of the Stearns County district. We were just blessed to be selected.”

Janski talked about how no-till planting with a cover crop works. “We’ll have 15 to 18 species of native plants to give diversity to the cover crop mix. We’re mimicking the forest, and we’re actually just knifing through those roots with our corn planter and planting the corn into the green sod. It looks like you’re planting into grass.”

Crops are put into the ground in the spring after the ground has greened up. Janski says the cover crops keep the nutrient-rich soil in place and helps keep moisture in the ground. The farm is bringing in yields similar to what they harvested before using cover crops about six years ago.

Janski says they’ve been recognized for helping pioneer no-till farming in central Minnesota. “On my farm, I honestly don’t know that I wouldn’t want to farm with tillage anymore just because I’ve seen the benefits. I see the future for agriculture and no-tillage and green farming I think is a great thing for the land and it is great for the farmer as well.”

Janski Farm was founded in the early 1940s and is operated as a fourth-generation family farm. They grow alfalfa, barley, corn, edible peas, oats, rye and soybeans. The farm also has about 220 dairy cows and raises steers for beef.

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