News Archives - Pope Soil & Water

Virtual Manure Management Field Day a Success!

The Pope and Stearns SWCDs worked together to put together a Virtual Manure Management Field Day which was held on January 7th, 2021. The event had over 100 people registered.

During the virtual event, there were live interviews from Greg Vold, co-owner of Dorrich Dairy, Tim Woeste, co-owner of Upper Midwest Pumping, LLC, and Kevin Wolter, Business Development Manager, Bazooka Farmstar. There were research updates from University of Minnesota Extension staff members Melissa Wilson on manure management, Jodi DeJong-Hughes on tillage, and Anna Cates on soil health. There was also drone footage featuring the application of manure taking place on Dorrich Dairy.

A special thank you to Minnesota Department of Agriculture for sponsoring the event through the Minnesota Agriculture Water Quality Certification Program funding via the Clean Water Fund. Thank you Dorrich Dairy, Stearns SWCD, University of Minnesota Extension, Upper Midwest Pumping/Woeste Custom Harvesting, and Bazooka Farmstar.

Virtual Manure Management Field Day – Zoom Meeting (01.08.2021) – YouTube

Conservation Reserve Program Sign Up to start on January 4, 2021

CRP – General -Signup 56

It’s that time of year again with another sign-up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) coming up soon. The CRP is intended to allow the option for farmers to remove environmentally sensitive land from agriculture production and in return receive a yearly rental payment. The producer must plant native species that will improve the health and quality of the land by giving it a 10-15 year rest from production.

On November 12, 2020 the USDA announced the next General CRP signup (Signup 56). This signup will start on January 4, 2021 and run through February 12, 2021.

General CRP is competitive and uses the Environmental Benefits Index (EBI) to rank eligible offers for selection. Some producers are familiar with the bidding process for eligibility and the FSA staff will help you through this.

We also want to remind producers that we do have Continuous CRP open as well. Continuous CRP is not a perpetual easement and does not require a competitive bid, acres that qualify can be automatically enrolled. This program offers different types of conservation practices but has more limitations on what can be enrolled.

It is important to remember that CRP land must meet certain eligibility criteria including ownership and cropping history. If you are interested in signing up for these programs, please contact your local FSA office. Pope County FSA office can be reached at 320-634-5143 ext 2.

https://www.fsa.usda.gov/news-room/news-releases/2020/usda-to-open-signup-for-the-conservation-reserve-program-and-crp-grasslands-in-early-2021

Pope SWCD Board Meeting Notice January 19, 2021

The Pope SWCD will hold is monthly meeting at Keith Nygaard’s heated shop at 27820 180th Street, Starbuck, MN 56385 starting at 7 a.m. The meeting is being held at this location to allow proper social distancing measures. Masks are mandatory. A Zoom link has been provided for those that will be joining the meeting remotely. The Pope SWCD is meeting in this manner due to the ongoing Pandemic.

Holly Kovarik is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Pope SWCD Board Meeting
Time: Jan 19, 2021 09:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Meeting ID: 873 0291 0744
Passcode: 031685
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Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation District Annual Business Meeting Notice

The Pope SWCD Board of Supervisors will participate in a virtual Zoom meeting for the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation District Annual Business Meeting on December 8, 2020. The meeting is to conduct business of the state association. The meeting will take place from 9 a.m. to Noon. Board members will be joining the meeting from remote locations for this virtual meeting. A quorum of members are likely to attend this virtual meeting. For questions please contact our office at 320-634-5327.