SHERBURNE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
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Rural Resource Management

The Sherburne County Soil and Water Conservation District provides technical assistance for the management of rural resources to landowners, Cities, Townships, and Sherburne County. We assist landowners with activities such as identifying buffer areas, creating nutrient management plans, and designing waterways. We assist local government with feedlot inventories, planning and protection programs.
soil health
Did you know that just one inch of good quality topsoil takes 500 years to produce? Healthy soil gives us clean air and water, bountiful crops and forests, productive pastures, diverse wildlife, and beautiful landscapes. Soil health, also referred to as soil quality, is how well soil does what we want it to do. More specifically, soil quality is the capacity of a specific kind of soil to function, within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and support human health and habitation.
To learn more about Soil Heath or get information on soil surveys done in Sherburne County Click Here.

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pasture management
How you care for the grass in your pastures and deal with animal waste are a few examples of land management.  Good land management protects clean water, animal health and saves money. 

Examples of land management:
•  Reduce animal waste by installing a manure composting system. 
  
By converting manure into compost it
    becomes an asset instead of an eyesore, odor problem or fly magnet.
•  Increase grass cover on pastures by seeding and practicing rotational   
    grazing.  A pasture full of healthy grass cover results in lower feed costs
    and better animal health.
Please contact our office for more information 763-220-3434.
AGBMP
The Ag Best Management Practices (AgBMP) Loan Program provides low interest financing to farmers, agriculture supply businesses and rural landowners to encourage agriculture best management practices that prevent or reduce non-point source pollution identified in the local water plan.  The plan reduces existing water quality problems caused by agricultural activities, helps the County implement the local water plan and can be used to fund the private portion of projects partially funded by state or federal cost-share or other sources of funding.
For more information on AgBMP loan program click here, or contact our office for an application or further information, 763-220-3434.       

Nutrient Management
Nutrient Management Planning is a process that helps producers identify and manage the location, rate, timing, form, and method of all nutrient applications. The goal is to optimize crop yields while minimizing the nutrient movement toward surface and groundwater resources. Nutrient Management Plans are an essential best management practice for good farm management. Sherburne County SWCD offers technical assistance to landowners who are developing nutrient management plans. Please contact our office for more information 763-20-3434.
Irrigation scheduling

Irrigation Scheduling
is the process used by irrigation system managers to determine the correct frequency and duration of watering. The goal in irrigation scheduling is to apply enough water to fully wet the plant's root zone while minimizing overwatering and then allow the soil to dry out in between waterings, to allow air to enter the soil and encourage root development, but not so much that the plant is stressed beyond what is allowable.

Irrigation Scheduling Quick Facts...
  • Irrigation scheduling is the decision of when and how much water to apply to a field.
  • Its purpose is to maximize irrigation efficiencies by applying the exact amount of water needed to replenish the soil moisture to the desired level.
  • Irrigation scheduling saves water and energy.
  • All irrigation scheduling procedures consist of monitoring indicators that determine the need for irrigation.

The importance of irrigation scheduling is that it enables the irrigator to apply the exact amount of water to achieve the goal. This increases irrigation efficiency. A critical element is accurate measurement of the volume of water applied or the depth of application. A farmer cannot manage water to maximum efficiency without knowing how much was applied.

Uniform water distribution across the field is important to achieve the maximum benefits from irrigation scheduling/management. Accurate water application prevents over or under irrigation. Over irrigation wastes water, energy and labor; leaches expensive nutrients below the root zone, out of reach of plants; and reduces soil aeration, and thus crop yields. Under irrigation stresses the plant and causes yield reduction.

Irrigation scheduling offers several advantages:
  • It enables the farmer to schedule water rotation among the various fields to minimize crop water stress and maximize yields.
  • It reduces the farmer's cost of water and labor through fewer irrigations, thereby making maximum use of soil moisture storage.
  • It lowers fertilizer costs by holding surface runoff and deep percolation (leaching) to a minimum.
  • It increases net returns by increasing crop yields and crop quality.
  • It minimizes water-logging problems by reducing the drainage requirements.
  • It assists in controlling root zone salinity problems through controlled leaching.
  • It results in additional returns by using the "saved" water to irrigate non-cash Crops that otherwise would not be irrigated during water-short periods.

    If you would like to be added to this list, please provide your contact information in the form below.

    Climate & Crop Mailing List

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Quick Links
  • Bacteria Reduction Program
  • Cover Crop Program
  • Nitrate Reduction Program
  • Small Farm Night

    Request SWCD on-site assistance for your soil health concerns by completing the SWCD site visit form below:

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Sherburne Soil and Water Conservation Copyright © 2016
  • Home
  • The District
    • Tree Sale >
      • Tree Sale Store
      • Tree Seedling Care
    • Contact Us
    • Staff
    • SWCD News
    • SWCD Events
    • Webinars
    • Employment Opportunities
    • FAQ's
  • SWCD Programs & Services
    • SWCD Services
    • Financial Assistance
    • Forestry Management >
      • March Pruner Calendar
      • Citizen Pruner Dispatch
      • Urban Forestry Program
      • Tree Survey
    • Water Management >
      • We Are Water MN
      • Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) >
        • AIS Grant Program
      • Stormwater Program
      • Sherburne COLA
    • Rural Resource Management
    • Water Quality Monitoring
    • Wetland Delineation
    • MN Buffer Requirements
    • Prairie Planting Program >
      • Grams county Park HELP Grant
    • Backyard Conservation >
      • Lawns to Legumes
    • Education & Outreach >
      • Metro Area Envirothon
      • Webinars
      • Elk River Clean Up
      • Little Elk Lake Watershed
    • Well Sealing Program
  • Board of Supervisors
    • Minutes and Agendas
    • Meeting Schedule
    • Legislative Reporting
    • Elections
    • SWCD Partners >
      • MCD Yellow Pages
  • Completed Projects
    • Raingardens
    • Shoreline Buffers & Stormwater Management
    • Native Prairie Installation
    • Pasture & Manure Management
    • Miscellaneous Projects
  • 2021 AIS Meeting Presentations
  • Highlights Videos
  • AIS Presentations
  • video
  • Rain Gauge Readers
  • Appreciation Dinner