Conservation - Project Optimist

Man stands next to donkey in a pasture on his farm.

Rental programs help Minnesota farmers test-drive no-till

Some Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Minnesota rent no-till equipment to farmers, which allows them to plant cover crops. However, maintenance costs and the availability and size of the equipment can be barriers.

Prairie

Not every plant takes root, but prairie interventions help with biodiversity

A St. Cloud church with a 15-acre prairie planted seedlings in 2022 that didn’t take off. Other plantings have worked. Here’s what we learned.

Environment

What's made at a wild rice house in northern Minnesota? Food, community, and more

Driving home, I realize the Finland Wild Rice House experience has worked: I have a new relationship with this native grain.

Conservation

Healthy soil, clean water are central to environmentally-friendly agriculture, but the challenges in the field go deep

The future of agriculture lies at the intersection of economic, environmental, political, and familial forces

Volunteers planted more than 400 plants and roughly 18 different species across 15 acres in late May of 2022 to maintain rest

Environment

How a small church prairie helps habitat and biodiversity in the middle of Minnesota

'15 acres in the grand scheme can be quite a bit,' says Wildlife Habitat Specialist Ryan Rothstein with the Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District.