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Certification validates conservation efforts

A southeast Minnesota farmer says it’s nice to have a program that recognizes conservation efforts on his farm.

Eric Kline of Elgin tells Brownfield the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification validates environmental practices that have been in place on his farm for decades.

“We already kind of feel like we’re at the top tier (for conservation), and now we’re getting validated for all those practices of solid manure, grass waterways, contour strips, buffer strips (and) rotational grazing as well.”

Kline says because of the hilly terrain in Wabasha County, solutions to erosion are necessary.

“You look at other fields around just driving down the road, you see all the runoff and loss of topsoil.  It all has to go somewhere.  We always feel really good when there’s rain (because) all of our grass waterways are intact.  We don’t see the runoff and soil erosion.”

Kline is one of more than 100 farmers in the state voluntarily enrolled in the water quality certification program administered by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.