East Otter Tail SWCD - Blog

March 23, 2020 by Jim Lahn

Last year I gave a presentation on the Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP) at a meeting of the Central Minnesota Irrigator’s Corporation (CMIC).  This meeting was held in Wadena, and the farmers in attendance utilize irrigation in their farming operations and come from the surrounding area.

March 16, 2020 by EOT SWCD

What do you do all winter?

Not gonna lie, we get asked that a lot! In the summer, we spend as much time as we possibly can out in the field doing site visits, planting trees or native seed or installing shoreline buffers, and as soon as the ground freezes we all get mopey and stare out the window wishing for a longer fall. But winter isn’t that slow and boring for us at the Soil and Water! Winter gives us a chance to catch up on all the things that fall by the wayside when the weather starts to warm up in the spring!

March 5, 2020 by EOT SWCD

PERHAM —When Mark Riestenberg installed an irrigator in 1995, he relied on a handful of soil and a look at what the neighbors were doing to decide when to turn it on.

Twenty-five years later, neighbors still rely on neighbors to determine when to irrigate. But now they’re watching Riestenberg and about 45 other farmers who work with East Otter Tail Soil & Water Conservation District staff on a science-based approach to irrigation scheduling.

March 4, 2020 by Darren Newville

Soil and Water Conservation District, Soils Office, Soil Conservation Service, Soil and Water, what….? What is a Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) other than a mouthful, and why should you care?  I’ve been working for SWCD’s for over 25 years and I believe that 90% of the general public does not know what a SWCD is or what we do. So, what the heck is an SWCD?

February 23, 2020 by SWCD

Funding to help local producers plant cover crops is now available through the SWCD.