Your land

Back in September of 1976, The Land began appearing in mailboxes throughout southern Minnesota. To show what comes around goes around, the headline story on the first edition of The Land was about the current drought conditions and its impact on area farmers.

In 2023, drought is still in the news along with other weather-related topics such as climate change and the impact of record-breaking rain and wind events on area farms. Erosion and deteriorating water quality has spawned an entirely new glossary of farm issues: runoff, buffers, silvopastures, CSP, cover crops and vertical tilling.

The 2008 Farm Bill introduced the Conservation Stewardship Program — a voluntary program where farmers implement practices which expands on the benefits of cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better wildlife habitat, all while improving agricultural operations.

Staff

Publisher: Steve Jameson: sjameson@mankatofreepress.com

General Manager: Deb Petterson: dpetterson@TheLandOnline.com

Managing Editor: Paul Malchow: editor@TheLandOnline.com

Staff Writer: Laura Cole: lcole@TheLandOnline.com

Staff Writer Emeritus: Dick Hagen: rdhagen35@gmail.com

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Land Minds

By Paul Malchow

But through it all, over the years, one constant has remained — the basic backbone of farming: the land. Back in the days of my youth, no one ever talked about soil health. It was simply common sense to take care of the precious few acres each farm had to earn a living. Crops were regularly rotated, pasture land was plentiful — as were the number of farm homesteads in every township.

Over the years, pastures were plowed, sloughs were drained, forests were cleared and a landscape once filled with barns and chicken coops became large expanses of black dirt. Top soil fell victim to Minnesota’s harsh winter winds.

The economic crisis of the 1980s dealt the final fatal blow. Double-digit interest rates left many farmers hopelessly in debt with nowhere to turn. Foreclosures and auctions were as common as bib overalls and the core of small rural towns was changed forever.

The 1985 Farm Bill was a landmark lifesaver for those still able to farm. It allowed lower commodity price and income supports and established a dairy herd buyout program. It also gave birth to today’s conservation practices. The Conservation Reserve Program made its debut in the 1985 bill. The program provided incentives for landowners to put a portion of their acreage into conservation — particularly on lands which would be more productive as wildlife habitat than they would be for crops.

In 1987, 15 million acres were enrolled in CRP, and by 1990 more than 30 million acres were enrolled. But by 2007 the Conservation Reserve Program was losing its allure. Increased use of corn for ethanol production and higher export volumes of soybeans made crop farming more profitable. Farmers could make more money growing grain or renting acreage than having land sit idle for the 10-15 year CRP agreement.

States in the central portion of the U.S., from North Dakota down through Texas, make up the vast majority of CRP acres in 2022. But the steep decline (over 12 million acres) in CRP enrollment was doing little to deal with an ongoing need for conservation farming practices.

CSP offers annual payments for implementing these practices and operating and maintaining existing conservation efforts. Annual payments range from $1.56 to $14.06 per acre as reward for past conservation efforts and maintenance costs, plus enhancement payments for adding certain conservation management practices. In addition, 50 percent costshare is available for other new conservation practices. CSP contracts are for five years. Farmers who successfully fulfill the initial contract and agree to achieve additional conservation objectives can apply to renew the contract.

A recent survey by the Center of Rural Affairs of 421 farmers and ranchers in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota and Kansas indicates CSP has promise. Nearly 79 percent of respondents identified the program’s ability to improve the affordability of conservation practices. More than 70 percent of participants said the program improved or is improving the financial health of their operations. About 77 percent of respondents said CSP-supported conservation efforts have improved or are improving their soil health.

Feedback in the survey also showed there are areas in need of improvement within the program. Under 50 percent of respondents reported that CSP has or is helping them understand the nutrient levels in their fields, which shows there’s a need for the Natural Resources Conservation Service to expand its support services for soil testing and data interpretation. More than 58 percent of respondents believe there should be more practices from which to choose. Nearly 75 percent believe they should be able to expand on previous practices in their renewal contract.

Additionally, respondents said the program becomes less accessible after the first five-year contract has been renewed. The renewal process, according to their feedback, was more difficult than their initial CSP contract and would like to see this change.

In President Biden’s recent State of the Union address, the “climate crisis” received a fair amount of air time although the agricultural aspects did not. However, all indications show conservation practices will be a major component of the upcoming Farm Bill.

How big of a piece of the Farm Bill pie will go to further finance conservation efforts is a big question. The enormity of the bill and the services it provides already carries a hefty price tag. The 2018