Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program Certifies 300th Farm

The Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP) has surpassed 300 certified farms, marking a year of strong growth with a milestone. This voluntary program works with farmers and landowners to identify and mitigate risks to water quality on a field by field basis. The Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program has certified 306 farms representing virtually every kind of agricultural production from all across the state.  The 306 farms certified by the MAWQCP represent over 175,000 acres of working lands. To date, these farms have generated 531 new best management practices that are keeping 14.7 million pounds of soil on Minnesota fields annually, and keeping 9.7 million pounds of sediment and 6,086 pounds of phosphorous from entering our lakes, rivers, and streams annually. After being certified, each farm is deemed to be in compliance with new water quality laws and regulations for 10 years. Certification is also an approved practice farmers can use to comply with the new state buffer law. Certified farmers and landowners can use their certification status to promote their businesses as protective of water quality.