2022 | Seven Mile Creek Watershed

Contact

Applicant Organization: Great River Greening

Contact: Brad Gordon

Email: BGordon@greatrivergreening.org

Project

Farmers, Great River Greening and Nicollet SWCD are hosting field days, community events, demonstrations and discussions to advance cover crops, crop rotation and data collection showing the results of conservation practices.

Great River Greening has been working in the Seven Mile Creek watershed and St. Peter area for over a decade, building relationships with farmers and other partners to create more
sustainable agricultural and environmental systems. The newest project is seen as an opportunity to propel these watersheds into consideration for significant investments in the future.

The Forever Green Initiative is a University of Minnesota and USDA Agriculture Research Service program that develops new crops and high-efficiency cropping systems. They are working on the agronomics of new crops and coordinating with corporate partners interested in establishing supply chains for the cover crops in the seven mile creek watershed. Their research team is also interested in working with farmers to better understand the water quality impacts of these new crops.

Farmers in the Seven Mile Creek and Rogers Creek watershed will be offered three field days, furthering the creation of local community groups of farmers committed to working together on production and sustainable solutions. Most education and outreach will be one-on-one, through local farmers partnering to actively engage the conversation around cover crops. Momentum is accumulating in the watershed as producers, conservationists, and business partners embrace cover crops that are economically and environmentally sustainable.