Stearns County Breakfast on the Farm
The 5th Annual Stearns County Breakfast on the Farm will be held at Landwehr Dairy, owned by the Dennis and Marlene Landwehr family, on Saturday, June 2, 2012 from 8:00 a.m.-Noon. The Kimball Lions will be cooking up a hearty breakfast of pancakes, French toast, eggs, sausage, juice, coffee and milk for $5/person. Children 5 and under eat free! The event will include children's activities, a farm animal petting zoo, tours of the farm, a visit from Princess Kay of the Milky Way, an obstacle course with the Vikings Cheerleaders and live radio broadcasts with KCLD and WILD Country.
For more information visit the website: http://www.stearnsfarmbreakfast.com/ or visit us on Facebook: Stearns County Breakfast on the Farm.
Longtime Stearns County supervisor gets his day - literally
When Jerry Bechtold was first elected a soil and water conservation district supervisor in 1957, he was a young man, and Stearns County was a very different place.
The county's population was roughly half what it is today. The rural landscape was dotted with barns and silos, not houses.
There were almost 4,000 dairy farms in the county with an average of 14 cows apiece. Today, there are fewer than 900, and the average herd size is 83 cows.
The environmental issues facing the Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District may have changed. But during Becthold's astonishing 55-year tenure on the district's board of supervisors, his colleagues say one thing hasn't wavered: his commitment to conservation. Click here to see entire St. Cloud Times Article...
May Day Storm Bad Timing For Some Stearns County Farmers
The local effects of the slow moving, May 1st storm that pounded central and southern Minnesota was way more than just the hail damage that was reported in the state news media. Massive amounts of soil was stripped from hills and gouged from waterways, burying newly planted crops in lowlands, and filling road ditches in Albany Township and other areas mostly north of I-94 in Stearns County. Click here for Press Release.
Take a Day OFF* on the Mississippi River Event Planned
*Outdoor Family FunOn Saturday, August 11, 2012 the Stearns County Soil & Water Conservation District will be teaming up with the Minnesota DNR, Stearns County Parks, Benton County, St. Cloud State University, local sportsman's clubs, businesses and others to host a day of family fun, where folks could get hands-on instruction in a variety of outdoor activities!
This year's event will mark the fourth consecutive year of hosting the "Take a Day *OFF (Outdoor Family Fun) on the Mississippi River" event. There were an estimated 1,300 participants taking part in last years activities.
Click here for more info
NEW CRP General Signup Complete
The General Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signup is complete. Stearns County had 64 offers for a total of 1485 acres. Landowners will be notified sometime in June if their offer was successful. Stearns County has 2700 CRP acres expiring on September 30, 2012. Fortunately, USDA has authorized additional acres for enrollment under several of the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP) practices. The Stearns County USDA Service Center will be busy this summer working with landowners to enroll acres in the CCRP. Contact the USDA Service Center for more information 320-251-7800 Ext. 2.
Fitting Cover Crops into Your Rotation
Cover crops are an excellent way to build organic matter, protect soil from erosion, fight weeds, capture nutrients, and even provide supplemental forage; they help mimic a natural system where there is cover year round when interseeded into or planted after cash crops. When planting cover crops you can look at your specific goals and consider legumes for a nitrogen source, nutrient recovery and increased infiltration with deep rooted brassicas (i.e. turnips and radishes), or try a mixture that will cover multiple resource concerns. One helpful tool is the Cover Crop Decision Tool offered by the Midwest Cover Crops Council http://www.mccc.msu.edu/index.htm.
Important SWCD Supervisors Election Option Information
Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors can be elected from the 2 options presented below:
Option 1 : Supervisors are elected at large
Option 2: Supervisors elected by districts
Click here for more information on these options
WANTED: Places to Install Raingardens, Native Buffers, and Shoreline Restoration Projects
The Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District is looking for property owners within Stearns County that are interested in completing a raingarden, native buffer, or lakeshore restoration project. Interested? Click here.
Current Releases:
- May Day Storm
- New CRP General Signup Announced for March
- Conservationist of the Year 2011
- High Water Levels
- USDA Assistance Available to Irrigators
- Take a Day OFF Event
- Stearns Co SWCD 2010 Annual Report Overview
- State Envirothon Results
- Middle Spunk Lake Project
Past Press Releases Click here...
Other News Click here...
No-Till University
FREE posters available!
Click here
The On-Farm Network® is here.
The Stearns County SWCD is partnering with the On-Farm Network® to assist farmers in implementing stalk nitrate evaluations to help them fine tune Nitrogen management in corn production. Click here for more information.
Learn about Pheasants Forever.
Check out the video at the bottom of the Pheasants Forever page. Click here...
Want to learn about the soil on your property?
Check out the Web Soil Survey Click here...
Department of Natural Resources is taking tree orders (minimum order 500 trees). Click here for more information.
Mississippi River Basin Initiative Program
The Stearns SWCD and partners have been awarded over $4 million for projects that will protect and restore the waters of the Sauk River. Working with many partners, the SWCD will provide assistance to producers to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus while supporting agricultural productively and wildlife habitat. Learn more...