Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates Blog

MLR has partnered with Happy Dancing Turtle, Pine River Watershed Alliance, the Association of Cass County Lakes and Fish and Waters Conservation Fund to identify farmers in the Pine River Watershed area who have committed to farming practices that protect clean water - Up the Creek Meats. If you are in Cass or Crow Wing Counties, buy your meat directly from one of these farmers. Learn more here: http://www.fishandwatersconservationfund.org/up-the-creek-meats/

Farmer Jim Chamberlin, with Happy Dancing Turtle, takes a deep dive into regenerative agriculturte and the five soil heralth principles this guest blog, writing, "Done well agriculture heals our land, our water and our communities."

Agricultural runoff can destroy lake and river systems with siltation, and chemical surges causing algae blooms, unnatural growth of aquatic plants, decreased oxygen levels and impacts to drinking water.

But runoff is also bad for farmers. Heavily impacted fields infiltrate less water, requiring more irrigation during dry times and flooding during wetter periods. Unhealthy soils require expensive inputs of tilling, herbicide, fundicide and chemical fertilizers.

A growing number of farmers are practicing regenerative agriculture, with a focus on farming in a way that increases soil health. The costs of inputs falls, yields rise and runoff pollution is greatly reduced. But what is regenerative agriculture, and what are the five soil health principles?

Thursday, November 21, 2019
6:30-8:30 pm
Marsden Room at RCD, 1425 Paul Kirkwold Ave S, Arden Hills, MN

Attend the Aquatic Invasive Species and You public meeting, find out what is being done about aquatic invasive species (AIS) in Ramsey County, the groups that are taking action to protect Ramsey County's lakes, share your ideas and get involved.

People care about things they understand. If we want young people to care about our lakes and rivers then they need a good understanding of them. But youth participation in hunting and angling has fallen off sharply, threatening the future of conservation efforts.