Resources for Farmers

We work with our partners to provide Lower St. Croix watershed farmers and rural landowners technical assistance, resources, and education/outreach to support implementation of economical conservation practices that have water quality and soil health benefits.

Learn more about our:

Contact your county soil and water conservation district with requests for free site visits or additional information.

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upcoming events and Learning OPPORTUNITIES

Events

Field days, workshops, networking - our partners are very interested in providing opportunities for producers to network and learn from each other.

Please be sure to regularly check our Events page for upcoming learning and networking opportunities.

Out Again with Jenn Video Series:
Join our former agronomist Jennifer Hahn as she traveled the Lower St. Croix watershed to work with and learn from our farmers. From showcasing different tillage practices to happily digging up some soil to determine how healthy it is, Jenn is a wealth of information on how to make your operation more resilient.

Conversations with a Farmer Video Series:
Farming in east-central Minnesota has unique challenges - with a shorter growing season and variable soil types - farming ‘breeds’ different here. This video series features interviews with area farmers and talks about everything from their tillage practices to nutrient management to where they go to get information.

Conservation Blogs across the Lower St. Croix Watershed:
Educators Barbara Heitkamp and Angie Hong host blogs that regularly share stories and conservation tips across the watershed, including:

Available programs

Click on the organizations below to learn about ongoing potential funding programs. In process of updating (Feb 2024).

  • Agricultural Conservation Program

    The Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership has a program to provide technical and financial assistance for non-structural practices. Conservation staff will work one on one with you to create an individualized plan to integrate with your system. Covered practices include cover crops, nutrient management, prescribed grazing, no-till and strip till, and other conservation tillage*.

    Contact your county SWCD to learn more.

    *available practices can vary by county

  • EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

    Offers a large selection of practices producers and landowners can implement (cover crops, no-till, strip till, conservation tillage, grazing, windbreaks, nutrient and pest management, erosion control). Contract length varies depending on practice(s) chosen, applicants receive payments after they implement the practice(s). Payment rates are approximately 60% of actual costs. Can submit an application at any time. NRCS will process applications 1-2 times annually generally in the spring, the program is competitive.

    Click to learn more.

    Continuous CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) through the Farm State Agency and NRCS

    Up to a 15 year program of putting crop ground into perennial vegetation (native and introduced species). Receive an annual rental payment based on the 3 most predominant soils in the offer area. Contracts begin 10/1 – 11/1 annually, can apply anytime.

    Click to learn more.

    CSP (Conservation Stewardship Program) through the NRCS

    A 5-year program in which you receive a payment based on the conservation practices currently using and payment for additional practices agreed to implement. CSP offers a variety of enhancements to add to the operation. Applications can be submitted at any time, applications are processed annually (typically in spring).

    Click to learn more.

    Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) contacts for the Lower St. Croix Watershed:

    Anoka County: Logan Berg - (763) 567-5367, logan.j.berg@usda.gov

    Chisago County: Megan Lindberg - (651) 674-2333, megan.lindberg@usda.gov

    Isanti County: Brian Steffen - (763) 689-3354, brain.steffen@usda.gov

    Pine County: Jason Rehn - (320) 384-7432, jason.rehn@usda.gov

    Washington County: Matt Lundberg - (651) 605-6416, matthew.lundberg@usda.gov

  • Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP) through the MN Department of Agriculture, NRCS and county SWCDs

    The Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP) is a voluntary opportunity for farmers and agricultural landowners to take the lead in implementing conservation practices that protect our water.

    Through this program, certified producers receive:

    Regulatory certainty: certified producers are deemed to be in compliance with any new water quality rules or laws during the period of certification (10 years)
    Recognition: certified producers may use their status to promote their business as protective of water quality
    Priority for technical assistance: producers seeking certification can obtain specially designated technical and financial assistance to implement practices that promote water quality from two avenues:
    MDA grant for ag practices providing up to 75% cost share with a maximum payment of $5,000 for those already certified or actively seeking certification
    RCPP (Regional Conservation Partnership Program): The MAWQCP provides RCPP grants through NRCS to provide a special funding pool of conservation funds.

    MAWQCP contacts for the lower St. Croix Watershed:

    Metro (Anoka and Washington Counties): Will Bomier, (651) 201-6141, will.bomier@state.mn.us

    Northeast MN (Isanti, Pine, and Chisago Counties): Ryan Clark (218) 384-3891 x6 ryan.clark@carltonswcd.org

  • Chisago Soil and Water Conservation District (www.chisagoswcd.org)
    Contact:     Mary Jo Youngbauer - (651) 674-2333, mary.youngbauer@mn.nacdnet.net OR Jacquelynn Olson, 651/674-2333, jacquelynn.olson@mn.nacdnet.net

    Available Programs:

    Cost Share Program – Technical planning and financial assistance to implement conservation practices

    Goose & Rush Creek Watershed – Technical assistance and implementation funding for erosion control, wetland restoration, and soil health practices, expires December 2026

    Chisago Lakes Lake Improvement District - Technical assistance and implementation funding for soil health practices as well as urban and agricultural erosion control projects, expires Dec 2025

    St. Croix Direct Drainage area - Technical assistance and implementation funding for erosion control, wetland restoration, and soil health practices, expires Dec 2025

  • Washington Conservation District (www.mnwcd.org)
    Contact: Angela Defenbaugh (651) 796-2262, adefenbaugh@mnwcd.org
    Sign up for a FREE site visit.

    Available Programs:

    Cost Share Program – Technical planning and financial assistance to implement conservation practices

    Cost Share Non-Structural Practices - Includes cover crops, nutrient management, prescribed grazing, residue and tillage management

  • Isanti Soil and Water Conservation District (www.isantiswcd.org)
    Contact: Matthew Remer - (763) 689-3271, MRemer@IsantiSWCD.org

    Available Programs (PDF available via this link):

    • Cost Share Program – Technical planning and financial assistance to implement conservation practices (https://tinyurl.com/isantiprograms)

    • Cost Share Non-Structural Practices – Includes cover crops (multi-species) and residue and tillage management, both 3 year contracts

    Green Lake Watershed – 100% funding, examples of projects filter strips, grassed waterways, wetland restorations, water and sediment control basins (WASCOBs), cover crops, residue and tillage management

    Rum River Watershed:

    • Technical assistance and implementation funding for erosion control, wetland restoration, and soil health practices

    • Technical assistance and funding for tree planting on permanently protected land (Conservation Easements and/or 20+ yr Sustainable Forest Incentive Act lands)

    • Reinvest in MN (RIM) perpetual conservation easements, restoring vegetation and hydrology to pre-settlement conditions, pays 60% of land value

  • Pine Soil and Water Conservation District (www.pineswcd.com)
    Contact: Paul Swanson - (320) 216-4241 paul.swanson@co.pine.mn.us

    Available Programs:
    Cost Share Program – Technical planning and financial assistance to implement conservation practice

    Snake and Kettle River Watersheds – Reinvest in MN (RIM) perpetual conservation easements, restoring vegetation and hydrology to pre-settlement conditions, pays 60% of land value

  • Anoka Soil and Water Conservation District (www.anokaswcd.org)
    Contact: Jamie Schurbon - (763) 434-2030 x210, jamie.schurbon@anokaswcd.org

    Available Programs:

    Cost Share Program – Technical planning and financial assistance to implement conservation practices


Resources

Below find information on a variety of topics that may be of interest to farmers/rural landowners.

Disclaimer: The resources and links on this page are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by the Lower St. Croix Watershed Partnership (Partnership) of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation or organization or individual. The Partnership bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.

Lower St. Croix One Watershed-One Plan (LSC1W1P)