East Otter Tail SWCD - Blog

April 6, 2020 by EOT SWCD

Do you live in Central Minnesota? Do you like having access to accurate up-to-date weather? If so, the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN) is for you. Yes, we know it says North Dakota, but it serves data for central and northwestern Minnesota. There are 12 stations located throughout the central region including: Becker, Hubbard, Otter Tail, Wadena, Pope, Todd, Morrison, Benton and Sherburne counties. Weather stations in our area include Perham, Parkers Prairie, Ottertail, Wadena, and Staples.

April 2, 2020 by EOT SWCD

One question I get asked by landowners every winter and spring is “I would like to make my property better for deer, which trees should I plant?” It seems like a simple question to answer, but there are several factors you need to consider when planting trees for deer, turkeys, or even grouse. While one tree might work for your neighbor or you read how well one tree was is in a magazine, that does not necessarily mean it will be productive on your property.

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.