Water:

Hydration, irrigation key to productive field

BY JAKOB KOUNKEL STAFF WRITER

A farmer can do everything right. They can use just the right amount of fertilizer. They can meticulously plant their crops at the right speed, and they can have the highest quality soil. They can be as punctual as possible. They can buy the highest quality equipment and seeds.

But, as the crops go in the ground, even after going the extra mile with the legwork and due diligence, many farmers have one question on their minds: Will Mother Nature cooperate this year?

There are many elements at the heart of achieving a successful yield year in and year out, and farmers across the spectrum may offer various answers to what contributes most effectively to production. Without hydration, the plight of the farmer intensi es, and everything else becomes noise.

At the Brian and Glen Kaschmitter farm July 13 in Sauk Rapids, irrigation systems and rainfall were top of mind. Benton Soil and Water Conservation District partnered with representatives from the Natural Resources Conservation Service to talk about water quality through a program called “We Are Water.” The Kaschmitters