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Last week, the Mower County Soil & Water Conservation District announced that it enrolled another square acre into the MN CREP program.

In short, the MN CREP program is a voluntary program that allows landowners to enroll land that is either marginally useful as cropland or is flood prone or erosive. That land is then transformed into native prairie or wetlands.

To date in Mower County,  613 acres have been enrolled in the program, with 344 of those acres restored completely.

This program is a win-win for all. First, it takes land that isn’t producing at a high level and transforms it into land that not only supports prairie grasses, but the return of native wildlife and pollinators that in turn are advantageous to farmers.

But it also serves in helping clean water through buffer strips and plays an active role in flood mitigation.

It’s a way to take an active part in conservation efforts that can benefit everyone.

We encourage those landowners who haven’t taken part in the MN CREP program, to consider setting aside some of your land for this worthwhile endeavor. It helps all of us to build a stronger environment we all share.