Minnesota Farming Solution Fits in Palm of Your Hand

(Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota via Minnesota News Connection)

(By Mike Moen. Minnesota News Connection) – When Minnesotans turn on their kitchen faucets, the water quality might be tied to the health of regional farmland. Some farmers just finished planting seeds that help tie it all together as regional suppliers ensure there are enough cover crops to go around.

Cover crops can be planted at the end of the fall harvest. Over winter, certain varieties enrich the soil with nutrients, preventing future nitrate runoff into waterways.

But these seeds are an added expense at a time when farmers are juggling other financial headaches. TJ Kartes is a farmer and sales rep for Saddle Butte Ag specializing in cover-crop seeds.

There’s a buzz for these products, but he noted it can be dicey at times projecting what demand will look like.