Congratulations to the
over 500 Minnesota Agricultural Producers who have achieved Certification. These producers are managing over 300,000 acres, and are now officially
recognized as Agricultural Water Quality Certified. Their example
demonstrates to all Minnesotans that farms are using agricultural best
management practices that enhance the water quality of Minnesota’s rivers,
lakes, streams, wetlands and groundwater.
Water Quality Protection
The Minnesota Agricultural Water
Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP) is a unique, award-winning program that ensures Minnesota’s farms
and waters can prosper together. Producers who implement and maintain agricultural best management practices and
overall exemplary stewardship receive MAWQCP certification. In turn, they obtain
"regulatory certainty" and are regarded as in compliance with any new
water quality regulations for a period of 10 years. The certainty benefit is
well-deserved: MAWQCP-certified farms have adopted more than 900 new
conservation practices through their participation in the program, practices
that are keeping tens of thousands of pounds of fertilizers and tens of
millions of pounds of soil on farm fields every year. That’s both soil and
dollars saved!
Incentives
MAWQCP benefits participants in many
ways, including regulatory certainty and being formally recognized for
improving Minnesota’s natural resources. In addition, program participants have
exclusive access to multiple sources of financial assistance. One example is
USDA having designated the MAWQCP as a national demonstration project within
the NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). As a result, growers
seeking MAWQCP certification were able to obtain more than $1.8 million in EQIP
financial assistance this past year alone. Additionally, MAWQCP participants
are automatically eligible for grants of up to $5,000 through the Minnesota
Department of Agriculture to offset costs of conservation practice adoption and
management activities. This new source of supplemental assistance has been
effective, and in just the first 13 months that grants have been available more
than $294,000 has been granted to support the conservation activities of MAWQCP
participants. And those dollars have further successfully leveraged an
additional $519,000 from a host of other sources including NRCS, watershed
districts, SWCD cost share, and producer
contributions. Finally, it is important to also acknowledge the economic
benefit of this kind of investment. According to USDA economists, dollars
invested in conservation practices in Minnesota have a multiplier effect of
1.29 in our state’s communities. Therefore, the conservation total of $813,000
leveraged by the MAWQCP supplemental grants was responsible for adding more than a million dollars to Minnesota’s rural economy.
MAWQCP Farm
Certification Reviews
Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certified farms will participate in at
least one individualized certification review during the 10 year certification
period. Reviews are scheduled to begin in early 2018. The process provides the
opportunity to provide further support and assistance to MAWQCP-certified
farms, review and gain insight on improving the certification process, and
discuss any changes to the operation since time of certification. A
letter with more details will be sent in early February to all producers who
will be provided reviews in 2018.
On the subject of reviewing operations and planning for next season, all
MAWQCP-certified farmers should know they are still eligible to participate in
the MAWQCP EQIP sign-up with our partners at USDA/NRCS. Both farmers applying
for MAWQCP certification and those already certified are eligible for the NRCS
financial assistance provided through the Regional Conservation Partnership
Program. Begin by contacting your Certifying Agent. He or she can assess changes
and assist you in seeking financial assistance. The sign-up deadline for 2018
RCPP EQIP is March 2nd.
Additional EQIP funds will be available in 2019.
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