agriculture

by Peter LaFontaine

April 6, 2020

You know it when you smell it — good soil is healthy! Here's an explainer for how soil organic matter can make a difference for plants, animals and downstream neighbors. >>

Why rivers flood

by Trevor Russell

February 14, 2020

Community water supplies at risk. Sediment and pollutants washing downstream. Catastrophic floods right around the corner — A recent Star Tribune article reminds us of the growing threat high flows and erosion pose for the Minnesota River — and the toll that takes on our waters and communities. >>

Viruses, floods and an economic shoving match: All in a day's work on the farm

by Peter LaFontaine

February 10, 2020

What does coronavirus have to do with the economic prospects of rural communities in 2020? In our endlessly entangled global market, it turns out that a public health crisis on the other side of the planet can have shockwaves felt here in Minnesota. We see this as yet another sign that it's time to shift our agricultural practices, for both the river and our farming communities. >>

You say potato, I say fiasco

by Peter LaFontaine

January 22, 2020

Here's what one farmer's fight tells us about agriculture, public health and our state's exasperating approach to balancing priorities. >>

Report: One in eight Minnesotans drink groundwater with elevated nitrate

by Trevor Russell

January 15, 2020

Drinking water for an estimated half a million Minnesotans is drawn from groundwater contaminated with elevated levels of nitrate, a toxic pollutant that is linked to cancer and is especially dangerous for infants, according to a recent Environmental Working Group analysis of federal and state test data. >>

Thank you, River Guardians!

by Sophie Downey

December 11, 2019

Thank you, River Guardians! We deeply appreciate you advocating for clean water and sustainable and equitable development along the river this past year. >>

Another brutal year for MN farmers

by Peter LaFontaine

December 5, 2019

Wet weather, a trade war, and low crop prices combined to deal a blow to Minnesota's rural communities in 2019.

Why is this Water Blog news? Because the same strategies that FMR supports to reduce river pollution from agricultural sources can also make farms more profitable and resilient long-term. >>