The Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Conservis partner to deliver statewide water conservation and sustainability program

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and Conservis announced today a public-private partnership to improve water quality in the State of Minnesota. The partnership supports the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program, an initiative that aims to accelerate voluntary adoption of farming practices that enhance water quality, while maintaining Minnesota’s productive agricultural economy. The program has enrolled over 208 farms, totaling over 114,000 acres. Today, Conservis announced it has committed to enrolling an additional 100,000 acres.

“I thank Conservis for their leadership in the areas of agriculture, business and conservation,” said Governor Mark Dayton. “The agriculture industry, which contributes greatly to the state’s economy, understands how vital our ground and surface water is for continued prosperity. That is why it is imperative we all come together to improve water quality through partnerships like this one.”

Farmers who implement and maintain approved conservation plans will be certified and, in turn, assured that their operations meet water quality goals and standards. Conservis will work through their network to engage farmers in the program and expand participation.

"It has long been our vision that Conservis is a business partner and solutions provider for farms in Minnesota and across the country,” said Pat Christie, CEO of Conservis. “In the spirit of that vision, and understanding how important the protection of water resources is to the farming community and the public at large, we felt it was our calling to engage with our customers and other growers to see this program more broadly implemented."

“We are pleased to partner with leaders in agriculture who can help expand water conservation to more farms across Minnesota,” said Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson. “Conservis has a strong track record of working with farmers and we believe this partnership will yield a significant increase in certified acres which will lead to better water quality outcomes for our state.”

Governor Dayton has made improving water quality in Minnesota a top priority. This session, Governor Dayton proposed a $220 million proposal to ensure safe, clean, and affordable water for everyone, everywhere in Minnesota. And Governor Dayton has been highlighting the serious challenges facing Minnesota's water supplies, convening the first-ever Governor's Water Summit in February, hosting Water Action Week in Minnesota last month, and calling for a Year of Safe Water Action beginning this summer, to inform Minnesotans about our water challenges and gather input and ideas to bring to the legislature in 2017.

Since its inception in 2014, the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program has kept over 8.2 million pounds of sediment out of our rivers, while saving nearly 11.2 million pounds of soil and 5,100 pounds of phosphorous on farms, each year.

To learn more about the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program, visit http://www.mylandmylegacy.com

About The Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program

The Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program is a voluntary opportunity for farmers and agricultural landowners to take the lead in implementing conservation practices that protect our water. Those who implement and maintain approved farm management practices will be certified and in turn obtain regulatory certainty for a period of ten years. After a successful pilot phase in 2014-2015, the program is now available to farmers and landowners statewide.

About Conservis Corporation

Based in Minneapolis, Conservis is dedicated to helping farmers as the business of farming changes. The company’s cloud-based platform offers farmers a service-centric platform to track activity, integrate to outside data, manage resources and make better decisions. Data can be shared at the farmer’s discretion with partners, landowners, funders and insurance companies. Conservis was founded in 2009 and serves farms across the U.S., Canada, Australia and Eastern Europe. To learn more, visit http://www.conserviscorp.com. You can follow us on Twitter (@conserviscorp) and Facebook.