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Letter: When it Comes to Addressing Nitrates, State Needs an Effective Public Engagement Campaign

LSP & Allies Call for Several Action Steps on the Part of MDH, MPCA & MDA

December 18, 2023

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Note: In April 2023, the Land Stewardship Project joined 10 other groups in filing a petition calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to use its emergency authority under the Safe Drinking Water Act to address the fact that nitrate contamination is causing “an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health” in the karst region of southeastern Minnesota — Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, and Winona counties. In response, in early November the EPA requested that the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDH), the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH develop a plan for dealing with the nitrate pollution issue and provide safe drinking water to residents with wells above the maximum contaminant level. Earlier this month, the state agencies responded to the EPA request with a work plan to address the issue. Last week, LSP, along with several allies, submitted a letter to the MDA, MPCA, and MDH calling for a work plan process that fully engages input from the people most impacted by nitrate pollution in the karst region: the people who live in southeastern Minnesota. The letter from LSP and its allies, which is presented below, lays out several action steps. For more information, contact LSP organizer Martin Moore via e-mail. or at our office in Lewiston (507-523-3366).

Monday, Dec. 11, 2023

Brooke Cunningham, M.D., Commissioner
Minnesota Department of Health
brooke.cunningham@state.mn.us  

Katrina Kessler, Commissioner
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
katrina.kessler@state.mn.us  

Thom Petersen, Commissioner
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
thom.petersen@state.mn.us 

Dear Commissioners Cunningham, Kessler, and Petersen, 

As you know, on Friday, December 1st, the state agencies you lead submitted a work plan to the EPA outlining next steps in addressing nitrate contamination in southeastern Minnesota.  

We are encouraged to see state agencies taking additional steps to mitigate this issue. In the Environmental Protection Agency’s response, it was noted that state agencies are currently in the process of “discussing how to conduct stakeholder engagement with an array of partners… beginning this winter.” Given the Land Stewardship Project’s (LSP) extensive membership/stakeholder base in southeastern Minnesota, and state agencies’ current discussions on this topic, LSP, on behalf of the undersigned petitioner organizations, proposes the following actions be taken as part of a robust and effective engagement campaign. Under your leadership as agency commissioners, we hope you will include these action steps in the final engagement campaign.  

Elements of an Effective Stakeholder Engagement Campaign: 

1. Clear goals, outcomes, and evaluations of the nitrate reduction programs already in place. 

The December 1st response to the EPA listed several nitrate reduction programs already in place throughout the state. Unfortunately, the response did not include additional information regarding the measured efficacy of those programs nor any details on the ultimate end-goals of each program. This is critical information for the public to know. If this information is currently unknown, prompt action needs to be taken to gather and report findings from these initiatives.  

2. Quarterly meetings between state agencies and petitioner organizations. 

Among our respective membership bases, the 11 petitioner organizations represent a broad swath of Driftless Area Minnesotans. Each group also provides diverse areas of expertise and an intimate working knowledge of the April petition and water quality problems in southeastern Minnesota more generally. We believe this knowledgebase would be invaluable to your planning process, making for a robust analysis of the issue and a thorough plan of action that would have the intended effects we all desire. We look forward to opportunities to collaborate and strengthen each other’s work.   

3. Three in-person meetings, led by state agencies, throughout southeastern Minnesota before April 2024 to inform the public about ongoing work and to gather feedback. 

State agencies need to be present and proactive in their engagement with the public. As the people and communities facing nitrate contamination every day, it is critical that the residents of southeastern Minnesota are central to developments moving forward. Community members should be able to meet in-person with state agencies to have their voices heard and to be notified of progress.  

4. State agencies meet with at least 20 farmers in southeastern Minnesota before February 2024 to gather ideas on how state agencies can create solutions, rather than burdens, for area farmers. 

Our region’s farmers are the solution to cleaning up our region’s drinking water. For generations, hundreds, if not thousands, of innovative southeastern Minnesota farmers have implemented a wide array of agricultural practices that keep our water clean and our soils intact. Unfortunately, large-scale economic and policy factors are increasingly making this kind of agriculture less able to remain economically viable. It is imperative that any proposed solutions do not reinforce harmful farming practices and systems in our region. Our public agencies must also support the kinds of innovative, regenerative farming practices that can offer long-term solutions to this problem. Southeastern Minnesota farmers must play a foundational role in this work. We propose that your agencies meet with farmers that represent a diverse background of farming operations present within the region. The Land Stewardship Project would be happy to arrange these meetings. At least 50% of farmers/farms engaged with should meet at least one of the following criteria:  

  • Feedlot under 250 AU. 
  • Acreage under 1,000 acres. 
  • Implementing systems involving perennial forage/permanent pasture/rotational grazing. 
  • Utilizing multiple known soil health practices such as no-till, cover cropping, diversified crop rotations (3 crops or more), etc.  

In the coming days, we plan to seek more input from our members in the Driftless Area. We will keep you updated on their responses. We look forward to collaborating with you and our state agencies to mitigate this critical issue. To contact us, please write to Martin Moore and Sean Carroll at, respectively, mmoore@landstewardshipproject.org and scarroll@landstewardshipproject.org. 

Best,  

Land Stewardship Project 

Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy 

Environmental Working Group 

Minnesota Well Owners Organization 

Center for Food Safety 

CURE 

Food & Water Watch 

Izaak Walton League – Minnesota Division 

Minnesota Trout Unlimited

cc:   

Debra Shore, Regional Administrator & Great Lakes National Program Manager shore.debra@epa.gov

Office of Governor Tim Walz & Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, attn: Joe Birkholz joseph.birkholz@state.mn.us 

Paul Gardner, Clean Water Council Administrator
paul.gardner@state.mn.us  

 

During the Fillmore County Water Forum in November, rural residents listened to presentations on nitrate pollution in the karst region.

  

 

Category: Blog
Tags: karst region • MDA • MDH • MPCA • nitrate pollution • soil health • water quality • well water

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1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Farm-Scale Deep Winter Greenhouse Tour
Saturday June 21
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Farm-Scale Deep Winter Greenhouse Tour
Owl Bluff Farm, 12314 County Road 4 Houston, MN 55943

The University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) and Owl Bluff Farm will co-host an open house to celebrate the completion of the state’s first farm-scale deep winter greenhouse. The event, held on the farm about 45 minutes east of Rochester, is free and open to the public. RSVPs are required at z.umn.edu/OwlBluffOpenHouse.

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LSP-PFI Grazing Field Day at Hoosier Ridge Ranch
Hoosier Ridge Ranch, 15998 Wabasha County Rd 26, Altura, MN 55910, USA

Over the last 50 years, livestock have left many farms. Eric Heins is doing the reverse: bringing cattle – and their poop, pee and hooves – back to his land. Come see how Eric is using his Normande-shorthorn crosses in a variety of grazing situations. During this Land Stewardship Project-Practical Farmers of Iowa field day, you can view permanent pasture, where Eric (like everyone) is battling the cool-season grass takeover. You’ll also learn how Eric is using his cattle in cover crop mixes, prairie and woodlands.

Since purchasing the farm in 2020, Eric has converted the cropland to pasture. He also custom-farms a diverse rotation of crops, covers and small grains on neighboring farms, including an established prairie on Iowa Department of Natural Resources land. A possible bonus: Eric is hoping to have virtual fence collars by the time of the field day, but no guarantees!

A meal featuring Hoosier Ridge Ranch burgers will follow the field day.

See & Discuss

  • Cash-flowing the conversion to pasture on owned versus rented cropland
  • Stockpiling pasture for winter grazing
  • Mechanical buckthorn clearing for silvopasture
  • Grazing agreements on DNR prairie and neighboring cropland
  • A sudangrass mix after a canning pea crop
  • An extended rotation with oats, barley and Kernza

For details and to register, click here.

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Agrivoltaics Field Day
Friday June 27
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Agrivoltaics Field Day
West Central Research and Outreach Center, 46352 MN-329, Morris, MN 56267, USA

Join University of Minnesota Extension for presentations and solar site tours at the West Central Research and Outreach Center. You’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of the benefits, considerations and opportunities of farming using solar energy. Session topics include cattle and sheep solar grazing, solar site forages, grain crops under solar panels, and solar developer perspectives. Register here. Can’t attend the field day? Check out the July 22 agrivoltaics webinar on growing forages and grains.

Saturday June 28

4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
LSP's Boots & Roots: A Celebration of Land & People
Saturday June 28
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LSP's Boots & Roots: A Celebration of Land & People
Dream Acres, Co Hwy 8, Spring Valley, MN 55975, USA

Join Land Stewardship Project members and supporters to kick-start the Driftless summer with an evening of good food, good music, and good times. We’ll have activities for all ages that will get you out in nature, exploring the connection between our region’s farms and your community’s food, land, and water. Bring a side or dessert to share for dinner, and the Dream Acres wood-fired oven will provide locally-sourced pizzas and flat breads. Dinner will be followed by live music and contra dancing by the Crater City String Band.  

To reserve a spot, click here.

Camping sites are available at nearby Masonic Park and Forestville Mystery Cave and Lake Louise State Parks. Camping at Masonic is rustic,first-come-first-serve, free, and does not require a reservation. Fillmore County, who manages the park, only asks that you call the dispatchers at507-765-3874 when you arrive with your vehicle information and phone number in case of emergency. State Park reservations cost $25 a night and can be made online.

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Wednesday July 9
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Risk to Resilience Climate Cohort
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Farming has always required adaptability, and today’s changing weather patterns are creating new challenges and opportunities. The Land Stewardship Project, in collaboration with University of Minnesota Extension, has created a resilience-focused program that gives commodity and small grain growers the opportunity to join a cohort with other like-minded farmers and learn how to prepare their operations for the future. At this Risk to Resilience cohort, you will learn:

  • How changing weather patterns in the Upper Midwest are likely to affect your farm. 
  • How you can prepare a plan that protects your farm from a changing climate.
  • How to improve your planning skills and meet with experts for opportunities to grow climate resilience  on your farm.
  • How to build community with fellow farmers interested in creating operations that are sustainable and resilient in the long term.

Program Details:

  •  Online format — join from your home or farm.
  •  Four sessions, 10-15 hours total investment — built for busy schedules, beginning July 2025. We’ll pause workshops for small grains harvest and resume in August 2025.
  • A $250 stipend will be provided to participants who attend the sessions and provide feedback on experience and content.

Dates of the Risk to Resilience Sessions:

  • Wednesday, July 9, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
  • Wednesday, July 16, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
  • Harvest Break
  • Wednesday, August 20, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
  • Wednesday, August 27, 8 a.m.-10 a.m. 

To register, click here. 

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