You are here

agriculture

FMR supports call to ramp up federal ag conservation assistance

FMR is proud to be part of a broad coalition of 133 conservation, farmer and rancher, wildlife and other groups urging the leadership of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate agriculture committees to ensure the forthcoming infrastructure package includes robust funding for Farm Bill conservation programs and farmer assistance. >>

April 29

Competing Clean Water Fund bills move forward in Legislature

The Clean Water Fund is designated to protect, enhance and restore water quality in lakes, rivers and streams, as well as protect groundwater. Both the Minnesota Senate and House have authored spending proposals, but they're very different, leaving the fate of our legislative priorities — like clean-water crop funding and lead service line replacement — uncertain.  >>

by Trevor Russell
April 13

Climate change, climate justice and FMR's Water program

Climate change has worsened river flooding and drinking water pollution, making FMR's water program work even more important for climate resilience, adaptation, and justice. Here are some reflections on how our Water program's work intersects with both climate change and climate justice.  >>

April 10

Introducing the Forever Green Partnership

Silphium and bee

Farming is the backbone of Minnesota's economy, but agricultural pollution has posed an unsolvable puzzle for decades. Now, with viable alternative crops on the horizon — like cultivars of the silphium flower pictured here — a new coalition aims to flip the script and make it more profitable to be green. (Photo: JanetAndPhil)

Farming is the backbone of Minnesota's economy, but agricultural pollution has posed an unsolvable puzzle for decades. Now, with viable alternative crops on the horizon, a new coalition aims to flip the script and make it more profitable to be green.  >>

Research roundup: Is cropland ag carbon sequestration as effective as we want it to be?

Storing greenhouse gases in cropland soils is all the rage these days, as Fortune 500 companies, conservation initiatives and even the Biden administration seek to reward farmers for sequestering carbon beneath our feet. But how sound is this approach? We pulled together some of the latest news about no-till farming, cover crops and how effectively these practices sequester carbon.  >>

by Trevor Russell
February 9

Minnesota gets a bad report card for nitrate reduction (part two)

How do we get a better grade for nitrate pollution reduction? We have to change the mix of what we grow. In this follow-up, we explain why it isn't feasible to rely on incentive payments to farmers alone to move the needle on our water quality problems. And we offer an exciting solution that could improve water quality by AND sustain farmers' livelihoods.  >>

by Trevor Russell
January 13

Support Soil & Water Conservation Districts

Tom Cotter of Cotter Farms

Farmers like Tom Cotter promote clean-water and soil-healthy practices hand in hand with their local Soil and Water Conservation Districts. (Photo by Dodd Demas)

County-based Soil and Water Conservation Districts are Minnesota’s frontline conservation organizations, working hand in hand with local landowners to implement a variety of conservation projects that conserve soil, water and related natural resources on private land. But they're increasingly underfunded by our Legislature. We want a better funding strategy to sustain these vital organizations.  >>

Pages