(KNSI) – A local farmer is part of a group that helped the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program reach the milestone of getting a thousand farmers and landowners from across the state to use more than 715,000 acres of land to protect the state’s water resources.
Greg and Rebecca Symanietz farm 135 acres of owned and rented cropland including corn, soybeans, and alfalfa with an oats nurse crop and a 40 cow/calf pair beef herd in Stearns County.
Symanietz tells the Minnesota Department of Agriculture that he got started with the program because he knew he wanted to change his farming goals. He adds that the program has “given me good feedback and information while allowing me to make small slow adjustments over time.”
Symanietz recently made improvements to his grazing system by adding fencing, an armored cattle lane, and a watering system with a heavy use area protection surrounding it. He says these measures allow him to rotationally graze his cattle on over 60 acres of pasture and improve his pasture’s productivity, herd health and protect sensitive areas.
Symanietz is also planning to plant a winter cereal rye cover crop on his corn and soybean acres to improve soil health, reduce soil erosion, and improve water quality.
The program is a voluntary opportunity for farmers and agricultural landowners to take the lead in implementing conservation practices that protect our water. Those who implement and maintain approved farm management practices will be certified and, in turn, obtain regulatory certainty for ten years. The program is available to farmers and landowners statewide.
FOLLOW US FOR INSTANT UPDATES!
FOLLOW US FOR INSTANT UPDATES!
