WRC Home > Outreach and Public Engagement > Animal Waste Managment > EQIP

EQIP Education Programs

EQIP Education in Minnesota was delivered in two types of programs:

State and Regional Programs

Teams of state and regional staff of UM Extension and NRCS developed education materials and delivered workshops on conservation practices related to EQIP. Primary focus was in four areas:

Crop Nutrient and Manure Management

  1. Regional workshops were delivered to 430 agricultural professionals and producers on crop nutrient and manure management planning. Presentations were based on the "Crop Nutrient Planning and Manure Management Training Guide for Minnesota". This set of slides, notes, and Powerpoint presentation were prepared by the team and distributed throughout the state to enable county and regional staff of UM Extension, NRCS, and Soil and Water Conservation Districts to present local workshops following the model of the regional workshops.
  2. Software development and user training. The UM Extension and NRCS nutrient management education team developed the "Nutrient Management Planner for Minnesota" software program, based on UM Extension crop nutrient management recommendations. Training sessions for users were held throughout the state in computer laboratories. In November-December of 2001 and January of 2002, 145 individuals were trained on version 2.0 of the software.
  3. Nutrient application in environmentally sensitive areas is addressed by a new publication "Applying Manure in "Sensitive Areas" which was distributed around the state, and presented at manure management workshops. Click here for a copy of the publication from the MPCA (pdf)
  4. Methods of proper disposal of animal mortalities, primarily through composting, were presented in regional workshops. Distribution of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture publication, "Composting Animal Mortalities", were made through the workshops.

Grazing Management

  1. The EQIP Education grazing management team authored and published the University of Minnesota Extension publication titled "Grazing Systems Planning Guide". The guide is distributed through grazing-related workshops around the state and is available through University of Minnesota Extension.
  2. An exhibit of equipment for livestock watering in managed grazing systems was assembled and is used in workshops around the state.

Tillage Management

Strip cropping has been demonstrated to conserve both soil and fuel, while providing the in-row soil warming and drying necessary in cold spring soils of Minnesota. In cooperation with a local work group, EQIP Education sponsored on-farm demonstrations and workshops of strip tillage. The field days and workshops address economics, tillage technology, agronomic management, and yield expectations.

Conservation on Small Acreages

Rural residents want to know about appropriate practices related to tree planting, woodlot management, pasture management, managing land for wildlife, drinking water protection, septic system management and other natural resource protection practices. They also want to know who to contact for information about programs and technical assistance. Demand for this information was observed in programs funded with local education grants in several counties. A regional Extension team, working with additional counties, organized more education programs addressing topics like those above. In year 2002 these regionally based programs were offered in Kanabec, Chisago, and Carlton counties.