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Local Education Grants
 Education grants were distributed to Local Work Groups throughout Minnesota on a competitive basis in three sequential rounds. In addition, one set of education grants was awarded directly to Conservation Priority Areas (CPA) in 1999.
Proposals were prepared by Local Work Groups for education programs on EQIP-related conservation practices and resource awareness. Topics ranged from manure management to conservation on small acreages. Some projects focused on developing education products such as the videos and demonstration sites cited in the section on Education Materials, but most involved educational events, such as workshops and field days. Grants were limited to $10,000 or less, and were awarded in three sequential rounds of competitive grants, and one group of CPA grants:
Round 1. Activities completed June, 1999.
Round 2. Activities completed June, 2000.
CPA grants. Activities completed December, 2000.
Round 3. Activities completed March, 2001.
Round 1 EQIP Local Education Grants: awarded in June 1998.
Twenty-six EQIP Education Grants were awarded to Local Work Groups in June, 1998, totaling $178,665. Education activities for this first group of grants was completed in June, 1999. A listing of the grants follows:
Southeast
TITLE: BERBI Women's Conservation Education
DESCRIPTION: Conference for women landowners on conservation practices and programs.
CONTACT: Linda Meschke, BERBI, 507-238-5449
TITLE: Cannon River Manure Management
DESCRIPTION: Manure management demonstration site with tours.
CONTACT: Tim Arlt, Steele County Extension, 507-444-7689
TITLE: Ecologically sound livestock production practices in Southeast Minnesota.
DESCRIPTION: Workshops and field days on managed grazing and other techniques for livestock production.
CONTACT: Richard Ness, Land Stewardship Project, 507-523-3366
TITLE: Formulating Natural Resource Agricultural Management Plans in the Trout Brook Watershed.
DESCRIPTION: Workshops on tillage, nutrient, and manure management.
CONTACT: Charlotte Shover, Dakota County Extension, 651-480-7734
TITLE: Mower County EQIP Education Project
DESCRIPTION: Conservation tour, demonstration site, and web & video development.
CONTACT: Bev Norby, Mower SWCD, 507-433-8268
TITLE: On-farm Manure Spreader Calibration, Whitewater River Watershed
DESCRIPTION: Workshops on manure management and on-farm spreader calibration.
CONTACT: Paul Brietzke (private consultant), 608-534-7719
TITLE: Sustainable Resource Management in the Minneopa Creek Watershed, Blue Earth County
DESCRIPTION: Field sessions on tillage, nutrient management, and other topics.
CONTACT: Catherine Fouchi, MN DNR-BERT, 507-389-6257
TITLE: Wells Creek Watershed Education Program, Goodhue County
DESCRIPTION: Field days, workshops, and bus tours.
CONTACT: Glen Roberson, Goodhue SWCD, 612-923-5218
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Southwest
TITLE: Cottonwood River Watershed Project
DESCRIPTION: Grazing management demonstration site, video development, and tours.
CONTACT: Kay Clark, Cottonwood SWCD, 507-8311153
TITLE: Watonwan County "EQIPED" To Educate
DESCRIPTION: Conservation education (diverse program).
CONTACT: Amy Neigum, NRCS, Watonwan County, 507-375-3104
TITLE: Yellow Medicine River Watershed Project
DESCRIPTION: Demonstrations and workshops.
CONTACT: Rose Anderson, Lyon SWCD, 507-537-0396 (Ext 202)
TITLE: Redwood River Watershed Project
DESCRIPTION: Workshops, demonstrations, and tours.
CONTACT: Rose Anderson, Lyon SWCD, 507-537-0396 (Ext 202)
TITLE: Renville WALK, Renville County
DESCRIPTION: Field trip, youth focus.
CONTACT: Steve Cole, NRCS Renville County, 320-523-1553
TITLE: Formulating Natural Resource Agricultural Management Plans in the Diamond Lake Watershed
DESCRIPTION: Workshops on tillage, nutrient, and manure management. (Project was not carried out.)
CONTACT: Jeff Bredberg, Kandiyohi Office of Environmental Services, 320-231-6288
TITLE: Lincoln County Tri-watershed Education
DESCRIPTION: Education to protect local lakes and groundwater.
CONTACT: Pauline Moen, Lincoln SWCD, 507-694-1630
TITLE: Martin County Local Work Group Education Program
DESCRIPTION: Education meetings for agricultural professionals and producers on resource conservation.
CONTACT: Steve Maurice, NRCS Martin County, 507-235-6670
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Northwest
TITLE: Mahnomen County Agricultural Education
DESCRIPTION: Conservation tours and meetings.
CONTACT: Aaron Neubert, Mahnomen SWCD, 218-935-2987
TITLE: Water Use and Water Quality Preservation
DESCRIPTION: Hubbard, Todd, & Wadena counties: Demonstration on irrigation management for reduction of disease, fungicide and nutrient loss.
CONTACT; Malinda Dexter, Wadena SWCD, 218-631-3195
TITLE: Lake Agassiz Beach Ridges Conservation
DESCRIPTION: Clay County Grazing land management demonstration site.
CONTACT: Kevin Kassenborg, Clay SWCD, 218-233-7994
DESCRIPTION: Workshops on nutrient, pest, manure, and tillage management.
CONTACT: Joe Montonye, Grant SWCD, 218-685-5395
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Northeast
TITLE: Ricing Lake Education
DESCRIPTION: Education on lake Wild Rice management.
CONTACT: Joseph Hudspith, Fond du Lac Tribal & Comm. College, 218-879-0872
TITLE: Knife River Landowner Education, St. Louis & Lake Counties
DESCRIPTION: Conservation tours and displays.
CONTACT: Julie Smith, Laurentian RC&D Council, Duluth, 218-720-5225
TITLE: Chisago County Resource Conservation Seminars
DESCRIPTION: Workshops on nutrient, grazing, and wetland management.
CONTACT: Mary Schmitz, Chisago County Water Plan Office, 612-257-0270
TITLE: Flute Reed River Watershed Education, Cook County
DESCRIPTION: Education meetings and display on surface water protection.
CONTACT: Kim Samuelson, Laurentian RC&D Council, Duluth, 218-720-5225
TITLE: Nemadji River Basin Education/Coordination, Carlton County
DESCRIPTION: Workshops on erosion prevention in grazing and forest management.
CONTACT: Kelly Smith, Carlton SWCD, 218-384-3903
TITLE: North St. Louis County Education Project
DESCRIPTION: Landowner education for wildlife and water quality protection.
CONTACT: Mark Lindhorst, North St. Louis SWCD, 218-741-3230
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Round 2 EQIP Local Education Grants: awarded January 1999
Thirteen Local Education Grants, totaling $98,000 were awarded to county and watershed-based Local Work Groups for the second round of grants. Short descriptions of the winning proposals are listed below.
Southeast
TITLE: Land Stewardship Opportunities for Women Conference
DESCRIPTION: One-day regional conference, July 23, in Mankato to educate women landowners and others on conservation opportunities and practices. Concurrent sessions will cover topics ranging from wetlands, prairies, and farm practices to land leases and estate planning in relation to conservation. Twenty concurrent sessions and an exhibit area are featured.
CONTACT: Linda Meschke, BERBI, 507-238-5449
TITLE: Manure and Pasture Management Education for Small Livestock Producers (Hennepin County)
DESCRIPTION: Develop education materials and present a field day with demonstration sites on manure and pasture management for small livestock producers.
CONTACT: Tom Wegner, Hennepin County Extension, 612-374-8437
TITLE: High Island Watershed Manure Extravaganza (Sibley, McLeod, and Renville counties)
DESCRIPTION: A field day on manure management with several demonstration topics, in the High Island Watershed.
CONTACT: Lauren Klement, Sibley County Water Resources, 507-237-4109
TITLE: Formulating Natural Resource Management Plans in the Jefferson-German Subwatersheds (Le Sueur County).
DESCRIPTION: Workshops on manure and nutrient management and erosion control, coupled with farmer self-assessments of cropland conservation practices, will be presented in the Jefferson-German Lake watershed area.
CONTACT: Roger Ruhland, Le Sueur SWCD, 507-357-4879
TITLE: Goodhue County SWCD EQIP Education Program
DESCRIPTION: Workshops on manure and nutrient management for Goodhue County.
CONTACT: Glen Roberson, Goodhue SWCD, 612-923-5286
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Northwest
TITLE: Lake Agassiz Beach Ridges Conservation Priority Area Demonstration (Norman County)
DESCRIPTION: Demonstration site on establishment of native grasses and subsequent grazing management. To serve Norman, Clay, and Wilkin counties.
CONTACT: Curtis Borchert, Norman SWCD, 218-584-5168
TITLE: Nutrient and Water Quality Conservation Using Irrigated Crop Management
DESCRIPTION: On-farm demonstrations and workshops on nutrient, pest, and irrigation management, focusing on farms with irrigated dry edible beans, in Hubbard, Otter Tail, and Wadena counties.
CONTACT: Tom Hovde, Wadena County Extension, 218-631-7623
TITLE: Best Management Practices Demonstration, Field Day, and Workshops for Agricultural Professionals and Producers. (Stearns County)
DESCRIPTION: Workshops and on-farm demonstrations/field days on nutrient, manure, and irrigation management.
CONTACT: Dennis Fuchs, Stearns SWCD, 320-251-6718
TITLE: Improved Nitrogen Management within the Perham Wellhead Protection Area (East Otter Tail County)
DESCRIPTION: On-farm nitrogen rate strip demonstrations at five to eight farms, with field-days and winter workshops on nitrogen management for groundwater protection.
CONTACT: Bruce Becker, NRCS (East Otter Tail), 218-346-2050
TITLE: Pasture Management Education and Tours. (Lake of the Woods and Koochiching counties)
DESCRIPTION: Five grazing management on-farm tours, coupled with newsletters, will demonstrate and promote grazing management techniques.
CONTACT: Kelly Voigt, NRCS, 218-634-2757
TITLE: Best Management Practices for Riparian Land Owners (Mississippi Headwaters)
DESCRIPTION: Educational materials, newsletters, workshops, and other techniques to promote riparian Best Management Practices in seven Mississippi headwaters counties.
CONTACT: Jane Van Hunnik, Mississippi Headwaters Board, 218-547-7263
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Northeast
TITLE: Small Acreage Management Education (Pine and Mille Lacs counties)
DESCRIPTION: Pine and Mille Lacs counties will present workshops on conservation practices for smaller acreages. Topics include nutrient management, wetland protection, shoreland management, grazing management, hardwood forest management, erosion control, pesticide management, and others.
CONTACT: Lori Weddle, Mille Lacs Co. Extension, 320-983-8317
TITLE: Bringing USDA Programs to the Producers. (Itasca County)
DESCRIPTION: Demonstrations on filter strips and terracing to control nitrogen runoff from feedlots, and demonstrations/workshops for intensive grazing management on marginal lands. Demonstrations will be on-farm and at the North Central Experiment Station.
CONTACT: David Hyland, Itasca County Extension, 218-327-2849
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EQIP CPA Education Grants: awarded June 1999
Eight Education Grants, totaling $54,800 were awarded to Conservation Priority Area Local Work Groups in Minnesota. Short descriptions of the workplans are listed below.
Southeast
CPA: Albert Lea Lake/Shellrock River
DESCRIPTION: Conservation Field Day, demonstrating conservation equipment and nutrient management practices.
CONTACT: Chris Borden, NRCS, Albert Lea 507-373-5607
CPA: Lower Zumbro Watershed
DESCRIPTION: On-farm manure calibration clinics for agricultural producers.
CONTACT: Mark Kulig, NRCS 651-565-2646 (ext. 101)
CPA: Sib-Nic
DESCRIPTION: Nitrogen strip demonstration sites on five farms in the St. Peter Wellhead Protection Area. Follow-up field day and winter workshop will be held.
CONTACT: William Geary, NRCS 507-931-6800
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Southwest
CPA: Chippewa River
DESCRIPTION: Newsletter inserts and video on soil erosion and water quality concerns and related BMP's will be developed. Bus tour of demonstration sites and informational meeting will be held.
CONTACT: Randy Nelson, Prairie Country RC&D, 320-231-0008
CPA: Lac qui Parle River Watershed
DESCRIPTION: Brochures on 12 conservation practices, highlighting landowners who have implemented the practices. A tour of the practices will be organized
CONTACT: Lou Ann Nagel, Yellow Medicine SWCD, 320-669-4442 (ext. 115)
CPA: Verdi Wellhead Protection Project
DESCRIPTION: Field days and meetings associated with nitrogen demonstration/research sites.
CONTACT: Pauline Moen, Lincoln SWCD 507-694-1630
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Northwest
CPA: Stearns County (3 CPA's combined: GUS, North Fork Crow River, & City of Paynesville Wellhead Protection)
DESCRIPTION: Workgroup sessions on manure management. Manure, irrigation and crop residue management field days and workshops.
CONTACT: Dennis Fuchs, Stearns SWCD, 320-251-6718
CPA: Red Lake Band Well Sealing Project
DESCRIPTION: Newsletter articles on groundwater protection, septics, and well sealing distributed to all households on the Reservation.
CONTACT: Larry Voltz, NRCS 218-751-3036
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Round 3 EQIP Local Education Grants: awarded in December 1999
Fifteen Local Education Grants, totaling $106,500 were awarded to county and watershed-based Local Work Groups in the third round of grants. Short descriptions of the winning proposals are listed below.
Southeast
TITLE: Fillmore County Grazing Education
DESCRIPTION: On-farm demonstrations/workshops on all aspects of grazing management, primarily targeted to Amish farmers in Fillmore County.
CONTACT: Kevin Scheidecker, Fillmore SWCD, 507-765-3878
TITLE: Land Stewardship Opportunities for Women Conference
DESCRIPTION: One-day regional conference, July 20, in Mankato to educate
women land owners and others on conservation opportunities and practices. Concurrent sessions will cover topics ranging from wetlands, prairies, and farm practices to land leases and estate planning in relation to conservation. Twenty concurrent sessions and an exhibit area are featured.
CONTACT: Linda Meschke, BERBI, 507-238-5449
TITLE: Promoting Ecologically Sound Livestock and Grain Production and
Management Practices.
DESCRIPTION: Land Stewardship Project will organize workshops in five counties of SE Minnesota. Topics include grazing methods, composting, alternative cover crops, and native legume grazing species.
CONTACT: Marsha Neff, Land Stewardship Project, 507-523-3366
TITLE: 'Give Farmers a Hand: Applaud the Efforts. A Crop and Soil Field Day.'
DESCRIPTION: A field day for agricultural producers and professionals will be presented for Sibley and Nicollet Counties, focusing on nutrient and tillage management.
CONTACT: William Geary, NRCS, 507-931-2550
TITLE: Fugles's Mill Educational Project
DESCRIPTION: The Fugles Mill Plant Materials Demonstration Site in Olmsted County will be used to demonstrate native grass species for grazing and woody species for windbreaks and other tree-based practices. A tour of farms using these practices will be organized.
CONTACT: Skip Langer, Olmsted SWCD, 507-280-2850
TITLE: Nutrient and Soil Management in the Prairie Creek Watershed.
DESCRIPTION: A survey of farmers' views of tillage practices, followed by a demonstration of strip tillage and manure injection will be held in Rice County. Follow-up workshops will present the results of the tillage demonstration.
CONTACT: Brad Carlson, UM Extension, Rice County, 507-332-6109
TITLE: Improved Nitrogen Management within the St. Peter Wellhead Protection Project.
DESCRIPTION: Ten on-farm nitrogen rate strip demonstrations will be established in the wellhead protection area. Follow-up workshops will present the results of the demonstration sites.
CONTACT: Gary Hachfeld, UM Extension, Nicollet County, 507-931-6800
TITLE: Livestock Pollution Abatement Tour
DESCRIPTION: A tour of feedlot pollution abatement practices, featuring roof runoff management, diversions, sediment control basins, and filter strips will be held for Houston County livestock producers.
CONTACT: Ralph Tuck, Root River SWCD, 507-724-5261
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Southwest
TITLE: Improved Nutrient Management in the Fairmont Sourcewater Protection Area.
DESCRIPTION: Nitrogen and phosphorus rate strip demonstration sites will be developed on three to five farms within the sourcewater protection area. A summer field day and winter workshop will educate producers on agricultural nutrient and agricultural chemical management for water quality protection.
CONTACT: Steve Maurice, NRCS, 507-235-6670
TITLE: 'Green Saturday for Families'
DESCRIPTION: A day-long conservation day for landowners in Watonwan County will present many conservation practices related to windbreaks, wetlands, tillage, composting, and shorelands.
CONTACT: Amy Neigum, NRCS 507-375-3104
TITLE: On-Farm Strip Tillage Demonstration
DESCRIPTION: Two strip-tillage demonstration sites will be established in Cottonwood County, followed by workshops to present results.
CONTACT: Gary Moreau, NRCS, 507-831-1153
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Northwest
TITLE: Manure Best Management Practices
DESCRIPTION: Workshops and field demonstrations will be presented to agricultural producers and professionals in Stearns County on manure management planning and practices. All livestock producers in Stearns County are required to have a manure management plan. This program is designed to educate producers and professionals on how to meet that requirement.
CONTACT: Dennis Fuchs, Stearns SWCD, 320-251-6718
TITLE: Improved Nitrogen Management within the Perham Wellhead Protection Area
DESCRIPTION: Nitrogen rate demonstration strips will be established at approximately eight farms within the wellhead protection area. Follow-up workshops will present the results of the demonstration sites.
CONTACT: Bruce Becker, NRCS, 218-346-2050
TITLE: Educational Programs to Address Impacted Ground Water Supplies in Hubbard County.
DESCRIPTION: Nitrogen rate demonstration sites will be established around Long Lake, where well water nitrate levels are increasing. Follow-up workshops will present the results of the demonstration sites.
CONTACT: Russell Johnsrud, NRCS, 218-732-9723
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Northeast
TITLE: Rural Living Conservation Management Education
DESCRIPTION: Submitted by Carlton, Kanabec, Mille Lacs and Pine Counties, this program will prepare publications and hold workshops on conservation planning and practices for owners of small acreages.
CONTACT: Lori Weddle, UM Extension, Mille Lacs County, 320-983-8317
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