Farmland Conservation
Healthy Soil. Productive Farms. Clean Water.
Ready to Explore Conservation on Your Farm?
Whether you are interested in planting cover crops, conservation tillage, improving soil health, addressing erosion, or exploring other conservation practices, funding may be available.
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Farmland conservation is about finding practical ways to keep soil and nutrients where they belong—on the field and available for growing crops. Practices such as cover crops, conservation tillage, nutrient management, grassed waterways, and other conservation practices can help reduce erosion, improve soil health, increase water infiltration, and protect the natural resources that make the Cannon River Watershed a great place to live and farm.
Conservation Practices for Your Farm
Every farm is different. Soil types, crop rotations, equipment, livestock, topography, and management goals all influence which conservation practices may work best.
The following practices can be used individually or together as part of a larger farmland conservation system.
Structural Conservation Practices
Healthy soil management practices can help reduce erosion across an entire field. However, some areas are especially vulnerable to concentrated runoff and may require additional conservation practices.
Structural conservation practices can slow and safely manage runoff while helping keep valuable soil where it belongs. Practices may include:
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Grassed Waterways
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Water and Sediment Control Basins
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Grade Stabilization Structures
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Cover Crops
Common cover crops can include cereal rye, oats, clover, radishes, and other species or mixtures. Depending on the management goals, cover crops can help:
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Protect soil from wind and water erosion
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Keep living roots in the soil for more of the year
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Improve water infiltration
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Build soil organic matter
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Capture and recycle nutrients
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Improve soil structure
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Suppress weeds
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Support beneficial soil organisms
Conservation Tillage
Conservation tillage involves reducing soil disturbance and maintaining crop residue on the soil surface.
Different approaches may include:
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Reduced tillage
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Strip-till
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No-till
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Residue management
Reducing tillage can help protect soil structure, maintain crop residue, reduce erosion, and improve water infiltration. It may also reduce the number of equipment passes across the field.
Buffers and Perennial Vegetation
Strategically placed perennial vegetation can provide lasting protection for soil and water resources. Grasses, native plants, and other perennial vegetation can be used along waterways, field edges, drainage areas, and other vulnerable parts of the landscape to stabilize soil and slow the movement of water. By keeping the soil covered year-round, these areas can help reduce erosion and prevent sediment and nutrients from reaching nearby lakes, streams, and rivers.
Buffers and perennial plantings can also provide habitat for pollinators and wildlife while adding diversity to the agricultural landscape. When placed where they can provide the greatest benefit, perennial vegetation can be an important part of a larger conservation system—helping protect water quality while keeping vulnerable areas of farmland stable and productive.
Nutrient Management
Nutrients are essential for growing productive crops, but careful management can help ensure those nutrients are available when and where crops need them.
Nutrient management considers factors such as the amount, source, timing, placement, and application of nutrients.
Effective nutrient management can help:
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Match nutrient applications with crop needs
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Improve nutrient use efficiency
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Reduce the potential for nutrient losses
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Protect nearby lakes, streams, and groundwater
