SLEEPY EYE — Farmers, landowners and community residents learned how conservation practices can benefit farms and rural communities at a meeting at Sleepy Eye Brewing Thursday.

The program included a panel of Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) staff and guest farmer Craig Fischer of Sleepy Bison Acres in Stark Township.

Fischer said his farm isn’t just about bison but a number of other things including chickens, small grains, beans and corn production.

“I reached out to the NRCS and SWCD. We’re getting back to the stuff my grandpa did when he farmed. Things like no-till soybeans that require less fuel and labor but produce as much or more than using other farming methods. The farming changes are hard for some people to believe, but it’s a good experience,” he said.

Brown Soil & Water Conservation District Conservation Technician Jarin Spence urged farmers to walk into his Sleepy Eye office a couple blocks south of Main Street and talk to him.

“I’m not a salesman, but I am trying to sell you conservation. It’s usually a good thing to sit down and talk about. I’ll talk details with you, then visit your farm. We can help with things like gully erosion, which is a main concern with many of our structural projects,” he said. “Our non-structural projects include planting cover crops and tillage reduction. It’s an ever-changing topic. It’s important for farmers and landowners to keep checking with us on what is available.”

For instance, the sign-up deadline for a Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is Aug. 8. Federal disaster assistance programs became available July 10 and have no deadline.

Other programs are for honey bees, livestock losses and loans to build storage bins.

Anyone interested in filing for nomination for 2025 USDA Farm Service Agency County Committee Elections has until Aug. 1 to do so. Ballots will be mailed to eligible voters Nov. 3. The last day to return ballots to local FSA county offices is Dec. 1. Newly-elected county committee members take office Jan. 1.

A 2021 regional model for Minnesota economic impact of conservation programs created 2,527 jobs and showed $228,446,351 spent generating $413,692,920 to the Minnesota economy, generating $1.81 for every $1 spent.

In 2023, the GO FARM CONNECT project led by Renewing the Countryside and funded by USDA was created to connect Minnesota and Wisconsin farmers with USDA resources.