Welcome!

 

We are All Moving! Here’s Where to Find Us

Our building has been sold and is changing into a different business so the Rice SWCD and our conservation partners have found new locations. Unfortunately, we are all not able to be under one roof. Below is information about everyone’s new locations. We will continue to work collaboratively with our partners and do our best to provide you with the best service we can under this new circumstance. Please feel free to reach out to us or our conservation partners if you have any questions. We appreciate your patience during this transition.

Rice SWCD new location is at 302 1st Avenue NW, Faribault, MN 55021. Our phone number will stay the same at 507-332-5408.

Rice County Farm Service Agency’s (FSA)  new location will be in Faribault but will not be available until summer. Their temporary home is at the Le Sueur County FSA, 181 W. Minnesota Street, Le Center, MN 56057. Our phone number will remain the same at 507-332-7418 ext 2.

Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) new location will be in Faribault but will not be available until summer. Their temporary home is at the USDA Farmington Service Center, 430 3rd Street, Farmington MN 55024. The phone number there is 651-463-8665. Marlene Coon and Taylor O’Bryan will be working in the Farmington office until the new space is ready. Chris Schmidt will work out of the USDA Le Center Service Center, 181 W. Minnesota Street, Le Center, MN 56057, until the new space is ready. Lucas Altwegg will split time between the Farmington office and the Rice SWCD office (see details for the Rice SWCD move above). Staff can also be called directly at :

  • Lucas Altwegg work cell: 507-838-9518
  • Taylor O’Bryan work cell: 507-838-9517
  • Chris Schmidt work cell: 507-412-7186
  • Marlene Coon: no work cell, call the office number

Rural Development’s (RD) new location will be in Faribault but will not be available until summer. Their temporary home is at the St Paul Rural Development Office at 375 Jackson Street, Suite 410, St. Paul, MN 55101-1853. The phone number will remain the same at 507-332-7418 ext. 4.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources-Division of Forestry’s temporary location is at the Minnesota State Academies- Tate Hall, Olof Hanson Dr., Faribault, MN. Walk-in access by appointment.  The phone numbers will remain the same. 

  • Jake Froyum; Region Wildfire Specialist: 507-497-1350
  • Andy Kernan; Forester: 507-497-1351

Native Plant Sale Continues!

The Rice Soil and Water Conservation District is pleased to announce that we are now accepting orders for the 2024 Rice SWCD Native Plant Sale. Whether you want to create habitat for butterflies and bees or a rain garden to treat rainwater runoff, we have a beautiful selection of native plants for your conservation project.

Our native plant flats consist of 48 plants* (12 different species) and usually arrive in mid-June.

Visit the Rice SWCD online store at www.riceswcdonlinestore.com to view the selection of native plants and place your order from the comfort of your home. A paper order form may also be downloaded below. If you would like to receive a paper copy through the mail, please contact the Rice SWCD office at 507-332-5408. Please place your order by April 21, 2024.

Various cost-share programs are available for restoring native prairies. Learn about these programs and find links to learn about selecting the right species and the restoration process on our online store website.

If you are looking to restore a native prairie or install a rain garden and need assistance with planning or design, please contact the Rice SWCD office. District staff are available to answer any questions you may have regarding species selection and can help you make the right choice of native plants. Contact the district today!

*Substitutions may be made based on availability from our supplier. On occasion, there may be a plant or two in the flat that is not viable. We cannot guarantee that every tray will be full of 48 plants.

Tree Pick-Up Day Scheduled!

Just a few trees are left! Order today!

 www.riceswcdonlinestore.com

For those who ordered trees through the 2024 Rice SWCD Tree Sale pick-up will be Friday, April 19th, from 7:30 – 4:00 pm at the Conservation Building, Rice County Fairgrounds. 
 
Customers who have placed an order can drive up to the conservation building, and wait for staff to greet them. Customers should stay in their vehicle, and District staff will find their order and load it into the back of the vehicle. Please have the back of your vehicle cleaned out so the trees can be loaded quickly. (See map below.)

 
Visit the Rice SWCD online store website at www.riceswcdonlinestore.com to order planting supplies such as tree mats or planting flags. You can also purchase supplies when you pick up your trees. For questions about tree pick up, please call the Rice SWCD office at 507-332-7418, ext. 117.

Rice SWCD April Board of Supervisors Meeting Scheduled 

The Rice Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will hold an in-person Board of Supervisors Meeting in April. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 10th, 2024, at 9:00 am at the Rice SWCD office, 302 1st Avenue NW in Faribault. If you need handicap accessibility to attend the meeting, please contact Steven Pahs at 507-332-5408 or by email at Steven.Pahs@riceswcd.org.

May Meeting Scheduled for the Cannon River Watershed Joint Powers Board

In May, the Cannon River Watershed Joint Powers Board (CRWJPB) will meet in person for its quarterly board meeting. The meeting will be on Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, at 9:00 am in the Straight River Room at the Rice County Fairgrounds, 1900 Fairground Drive in Faribault.

The CRWJPB was formed in June of 2020 to implement the Cannon River Watershed Comprehensive Management Plan and improve local water quality. The CRWJPB represents the members of the Cannon River Watershed Joint Powers Organization. Learn more about this organization and its efforts to improve the Cannon River Watershed at http://www.riceswcd.org/crwjpo.

The Rice SWCD Cover Crop Incentive Program is OPEN!

Interested in trying cover crops? Signup for the Rice SWCD Cover Crop Incentive Program! Cover crops can help protect your farm from erosion, store valuable nutrients, improve infiltration, and reduce compaction. They also can be harvested for feed or used for early winter pasture. Stop in or call our office at 507-332-5408 for more details. If you have land in a county adjacent to Rice County, contact the corresponding SWCD for information on cover crops. Many districts across Minnesota have similar incentive programs.

 Farmers Building Healthy Soils Featured on New Regional Tour 

A new self-guided tour is highlighting farmers in southeast Minnesota who are pursuing conservation practices on their operations. The goal is to showcase the benefits of these practices and encourage other farmers to seek out more information.  

Four farmers from Rice County (and the Cannon River Watershed) are participating in the tour. They include Twin Oaks Farm (Mike and Kay Peterson), Honken Farms (Dan and Erin Honken), Simple Harvest Farm (Kathy Zeman), and Sommers Farm (Bob and Rich Sommers).

Large signs along the edges of the nine farmers’ fields highlight practices — such as conservation tillage, grazing livestock, and planting cover crops — that they implement to reduce erosion and improve the health of their soil. 

Accompanying flyers available at the tour stops and an interactive website provide more detail about each farmer’s experiences. Visitors can connect with local Soil Water and Conservation District offices to learn about available resources and email participating farmers to ask questions about their experiences.  

Information about the tour, including the interactive map of the farm locations, can be found at www.soilhealthfarmtour.org and at local Soil Water and Conservation District offices.  

The Soil Health Farm Tour is coordinated by Environmental Initiative in partnership with Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Fillmore, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, and Waseca counties and the Cannon River Agricultural Collaborative.

 Free Well Testing Kits for Landowners in the Zumbro River Watershed

Private landowners living in the Zumbro River Watershed in southeastern Rice County are eligible to receive free well water testing kits from the Tap-In Safe Drinking Water for SE MN program and the Rice Soil & Water Conservation District.  

The “Tap In” initiative was started by SWCDs and counties in southeastern Minnesota and is funded by the Minnesota Department of Health’s Accelerated Implementation Grant Program. Well-testing is also a priority in the Greater Zumbro River Water Management Plan developed by the Watershed Alliance for the Greater Zumbro River.

Click here to learn more about the program and get your free well-testing kit.

 Public Comments Welcomed for the Lower Minn 1W1P

The Lower Minnesota River East Partnership would like to invite you to share your input on issues and priorities for the Lower Minnesota River East Watershed.  These priority issues and resources will help guide the Partnership on where to focus efforts for management, implementation activities, and education/outreach for for the Lower Minnesota River East One Watershed One Plan (1W1P).

Learn more about the planning process and submit your comment at the link below.

The New Rice SWCD Interseeder in Action!

Got Pheasants? Cost-Share Available for Habitat Restoration

The Rice County Chapter of Pheasants Forever has cost-share assistance available to Rice County landowners who would like to establish, food plots, nesting cover, or woody cover for pheasants. The program pays up to 50% of the landowner’s cost after any other available cost-share payments. Pheasants Forever may also be able to provide volunteer labor for your project. Read more about this program on our blog.

Know Minnesota’s Nitrogen Fertilizer Restrictions

Updated Minnesota Groundwater Protection Rule Maps Now Available

MDA encourages farmers to review the changes

Anhydrous ammonia applied to a field. Photo by Lynn Betts, courtesy of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

St. Paul, MN: The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has issued updated maps that will help farmers across the state comply with the Groundwater Protection Rule. The rule restricts fall application of nitrogen fertilizer in areas vulnerable to contamination and it outlines steps to reduce the severity of contamination in areas where nitrate is already elevated in public water supply wells. An updated map of public water supply wells with elevated nitrate levels can be found here on the MDA’s website.

The MDA has also made changes to the Fall Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Restrictions map which is also viewable on the MDA website. The restriction of fall application on these acres will begin September 1, 2022. Farmers are encouraged to check the new maps prior to the fall of 2022 to determine if their fields are subject to these restrictions.

Consider Before Spreading:
Minnesota Runoff Risk Advisory Forecast

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has developed a new tool to help farmers and commercial applicators determine the best time to apply manure. The Minnesota Runoff Risk Advisory Forecast (RRAF) is an interactive map that can be used to determine if conditions for spreading manure are optimal. Weather events like rain and snow melting can cause runoff of manure if it is applied to the ground, which can lead to loss of nutrients for crops and pollution of our waters. Learn more about the Minnesota Runoff Risk Advisory Forecast (RRAF)at the links below.

Native Planting Options: Alternatives to CRP

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is the program most often suggested when a landowner is looking to put land into native grasses or trees. With the future of CRP open enrollment unknown, along with the limited practices available in past signups, alternate options to CRP are increasing in demand.

In Rice County, there are a variety of programs available to landowners for many different conservation objectives. Learn more about them on our blog.

 

The Minnesota CREP sign up is OPEN! It includes funding for buffer strips, wetland restorations, and wellhead protection areas. Contact our office at 507-332-5408 for details!

The sign up for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program is Open!

Learn About Available Conservation Programs!

Click here to read and download our guide to all the conservation programs available to Rice County landowners!

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