Isanti Soil & Water Conservation District

Agriculture 

If you have questions about your agricultural land, please contact our Agriculture Conservation Specialist, Matthew Remer, at 763-689-3271 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We can provide you with free technical assistance and a site visit to your property to help determine which practices will best suit your operation and goals.

We have funding for a variety of structural and non-structural practices. Our funding and programs can change regularly and may be available only in certain parts of the county. The first step is to reach out to us. We’ll walk you through what’s available, add you to a waiting list if funding isn’t currently available, and can provide free technical assistance to help you move forward.

Funding Rates

A variety of practices are available with built-in flexibility. You can choose to implement one or more practices to suit your needs. Conservation staff will work one on one with you to create an individualized plan to integrate with your system. 

A variety of structural projects are also available for funding with up to 100% cost share. (ex. filter strip, grassed waterway, water and sediment control basins, etc.)

Drill Rental

We are excited to announce that a new no-till drill is now available for rent! This new drill is significantly more reliable and is also equipped to plant cover crops and prairie seedings. The no-till drill is available to anyone seeding a parcel of land within a 20-mile radius of the city of Isanti, or within 30 road miles.

RENTAL FEE:

Inside Isanti County: $15.00/acre; $175.00 minimum 
Outside Isanti County: $20.00/acre; $275.00 minimum

DEPOSIT: A $161.81 security deposit is due at the time of rental. If the machine is returned in unsatisfactory condition such that the seed boxes require cleaning, a $100.00 cleaning fee will be added to the rental fee.

Our previous drill, Truax FLXII-812 drill, is also still available and is pictured below. It is 12’ wide and plants 8’ wide rows with 12 disks at 8” spacing. A 50hp tractor or bigger is needed to pull the Truax which has a pin hitch. Two hydraulic hoses have pioneer ends with o-ring attachment. To facilitate multiple types of seeds, the Truax is equipped with two hoppers. A "small seed box" for dense seed such as clovers, millet, ryegrass and crested wheat, and a "native grasses box" for lighter grasses such as brome, switchgrass, bluestem, and sideoats grama. 

If you have any questions or would like to rent the drill, contact our office at 763-689-3271.

Buffers

The Buffer Law was passed in 2015 and requires landowners to install buffer strips along State Protected Waters and Public Drainage Ditches.  In addition to providing habitat for many forms of wildlife, buffer strips filter nutrients, sediment and other pollutants from surface water runoff.  The law requires a 50-foot perennial vegetative buffer along public waters and a 16.5 foot buffer on public ditches.

For more information click here: Buffer Information

The SWCD offers free technical assistance for: buffer width flagging, planting guidance, compliance certificates, assistance with alternative practices. The Isanti SWCD also monitors compliance and reports to the county through the Buffer Compliance Tracking Plan that was adopted on September 18, 2017. Isanti County Zoning is responsible for the enforcement of the law. Buffer Law State Statue Chapter 85 103F.48.

Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP)

This is a voluntary program designed to help protect Minnesota’s water by implementing and maintaining farm management practices. This program pairs well with Isanti SWCD’s other initiatives to protect water quality.

Participants in the program will receive:

• Regulatory Certainty: Certified farms will be deemed in compliance should any new State water quality rules or laws be enacted during the 10-year period of certification.
• Financial and technical assistance: Priority access to dollars and expertise for any farm practices that would improve water quality.
• Recognition: Stewardship-minded farms will receive recognition from the community for their efforts and a sign that can be displayed on their property.

Applying for the program and meeting with a Certification Specialist is free and does not require an obligation from the landowner or operator. If you would like to learn more about the program and how you can get water quality certified, please contact Matthew Remer at 763-689-3271. 

The Isanti SWCD is proud of our Certified farmers!

Federal and USDA Programs
Our partners at the US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service offer a number of financial incentive programs for projects and practices that benefit environmental quality.  The Isanti SWCD's office is co-located with NRCS. They can offer help with: Conservation Planning, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). 

Contact the NRCS at: 763-689-3354

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

EQIP is a federal program administered by the NRCS and assisted by Isanti SWCD. 

EQIP provides technical assistance, cost share payments, and incentive payments to assist crop, livestock, and other agricultural producers with environmental and conservation improvements to their operations.  Incentive payments may be made to encourage a farmer to adopt land management practices.  This program offers the opportunity to implement traditional approaches but also to use less traditional, alternative practices to protect our soil, water, and related resources.

Eligible practices include but are not limited to:

• Cover Crops
• Irrigation Water Management
• Prescribed Grazing
• Invasive Species Management
• Waste Storage Facilities
• Residue Management-No-Till
• Pollinator Habitat
• Water and Sediment Control Basins

There are over 60 eligible practice that EQIP can provide assistance for.  Further information can be found on the Minnesota NRCS EQIP page: www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/eqip/

Contact the NRCS at: 763-689-3354 to discuss how EQIP programs can help with your land.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

The CRP and Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP) are voluntary programs for agricultural landowners.  Landowners enrolled in these programs can receive annual rental payments based on the Farm Service Agency (FSA) Soil Rental Rates, and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible farmland.

Eligible Practices include but are not limited to:

• Field windbreaks
• Grassed waterways
• Filter Strips
• Riparian Buffers
• Pollinator Habitat

More information can be found in the MN NRCS CRP page: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/mn/programs/?cid=nrcs142p2_023677
Contact the Farm Service Agency (763-689-3354) to discuss eligible conservation practices and to see if you are eligible for CRP or CCRP.

Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

CSP is a voluntary program that encourages agricultural and forestry producers to address resource concerns by undertaking additional conservation activities and improving/maintaining existing conservation systems.  Put another way, CSP looks at the conservation you are currently doing on your farm or woodlot, along with new activities that you are willing to do, and offers conservation payments based on these existing and new activities.  Eligible lands include cropland, pastureland, and non-industrial forestland.

Eligible Practices include but are not limited to:

• Wildlife Corridors
• Pollinator Habitat
• Continuous Cover Crops
• Extended filter strips for water quality

Additional information can be found on the NRCS CSP page: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/mn/programs/financial/csp/
Contact the NRCS at: 763-689-3354 ext 3, to learn more about CSP practices that could work on your land.

Conservation Planning

A good plan is the foundation of successful land management and natural resource protection.  Conservation plans include an inventory of the property with a skilled conservation professional to identify resource concerns, objectives and goals. In developing a conservation plan the existing production methods are combined with recommended conservation practices.  This helps producers make informed decisions to manage their operation's unique natural resources while allowing for sustainable growth, productivity, and improvement.

Recommended conservation practices can provide benefits of improving soil health, water quality, forest stewardship, and wildlife habitat.  Through conservation planning producers also learn of further programs that may assist with land management goals.

Helpful Resources:

The Agricultural BMP Handbook for Minnesota

USDA NRCS Minnesota: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/mn/home/

The University of Minnesota Extension has information on a wide variety of agriculture topics: Extension at the University of Minnesota (umn.edu) 

Ag Best Management Practices (AgBMP) Loan Program

The AgBMP Loan Program provides low-interest financing to farmers, agriculture supply businesses and rural landowners. The purpose is to encourage agricultural Best Management Practices that prevent or reduce runoff from feedlots, farm fields and other pollution problems identified by the county in local water plans.  The program provides loans up to $100,000 with a maximum interest rate of 3% interest plus usual customary fees charged by lenders.  Kanabec SWCD administers this program for Isanti SWCD.

Examples of eligible practices:  Composting structures, feedlot improvements, ivestock improvements, nutrient management plans, water conservation or reuse, riverbank or shoreline stabilization, and septic system upgrades or repairs.

For a full list of eligible practices and more information, visit the MN Department of Agriculture Website: http://www.mda.state.mn.us/agbmploan.