Green Lands, Blue Waters A Vision and Roadmap for the Next Generation of Agricultural Systems

1. Green Lands, Blue Waters A Vision and Roadmap for the Next Generation of Agricultural Systems

2. Hansen, MN Exp Sta

4. Farris et al, Iowa DNR

6. Farris et al, Iowa DNR

7. DNR Farris et al, Iowa DNR

8. Minnesota Harvested Soybean and Alfalfa Acreages

9. Portion of total MN Crop land in Corn and Bean Production

10. Corn and Soybean Acreage6 County Southeast MN Gyles Randall,2003

11. Corn and Soybean acreage11 County South Central Minnesota Gyles Randall,2003

12. Areas of annual Row cropping April 5 - 18 Areas of perennial vegetation May 3 - 16 2002 Growing Season

13. May 31 – June 13 June 28 – July 11 2002 Growing Season

14. July 26 – August 8 October 4 - 17 2002 Growing Season

16. Cottonwood River WatershedPrecipitation and Runoff

17. Annual Tile Drainage Lossin Corn-Soybean RotationWaseca, 1987-2001 Gyles Randall, 2003

18. Corn and Soybean Nitrate-N Loss Concentrations • Tile drainage system • U of MN - Lamberton Gyles Randall, 2003

19. (from Dinnes et al., 2002)

21. Mississippi River Sedimentation

23. Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico Rabalais et al. 2000

24. January 2001 GOAL: By the year 2015, subject to the availability of additional resources, reduce the 5-year running average areal extent of the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone to less than 5,000 square kilometers -25,000 -20,000 Square Kilometers -15,000 -10,000 -5,000 -0

25. Gulf Hypoxia: Areal Extent of Bottom-Water Hypoxia in Mid-Summer 5-year Average Long Term Average Area (mi2) Action Plan Goal no data Source: Nancy Rabalais, LUMCON

26. Diversification of Agricultural Landscape Systems Chippewa River Wells Creek

27. Chippewa River Land Use 80% in cultivation and includes a portion of Montevideo Cultivated Land Grassland Deciduous Forest Urban Catchment size: 17,994 ha

28. Four Scenarios A Extension of current trends • Increased field size, focus on annual crop production B Adoption of best management practices • Shift to conservation tillage, use recommended nutrient application rates,30 m riparian buffers C Expand diversity • Five year crop rotation, more grazing • Wetland restoration • D Managed year-round vegetative cover • • Cover crops, increased managed grazing, prairie restoration, 90 m buffers

30. 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40 Surface Runoff Wells Chippewa Creek River Change from Baseline (%) Scenario A Scenario C Scenario B Scenario D

31. Habitat and Bird Species Richness From Best, L, et al. American Midland Naturalist, Vol 134, No 1, July 95 (1-29

32. Green Lands, Blue Waters A Vision and Roadmap for the Next Generation of Agricultural Systems

33. Initiative Vision To improve water quality in the Mississippi River Basin, increase economic options and profitability for farmers, improve wildlife habitat, reduce flooding potential, strengthen vitality and quality of life of rural communities, and enhance human health.

34. Initiative Mission To support development of and transition to a new generation of agricultural systems in the Mississippi River Basin that integrate more perennial plants and other continuous living cover into the agricultural landscape.

35. Objectives: Develop and promote profitable enterprises • Build Capacity of stakeholders regarding continuous living cover systems and water quality; • Significantly expand the knowledge base regarding continuous living cover systems and their impacts and potential • Coordinate and build on related new and existing activities • Heighten visibility and increase financial support of andfocus on continuous living cover systems • Identify and promote supporting policy changes

36. Potential Ecosystem Services Provided by Perennial Cropping Systems Nutrient Cycling, Flood Management, Natural Pest Management, Soil Health,Wildlife Diversity, Water Quality, Erosion Control, Carbon Management, Climate Mediation

37. Grazing Systems • Perennial ryegrass Winter hardiness, Seed production, Rotational grazing • Illinois bundleflower and other native legumes Mixed warm season grass-rotational grazing systems

38. Biomass Energy • Willows, Salix sp. • Alfalfa, Medicago sativa, JoAnn Lamb USDA-ARS St. Paul • Perennial sunflower, Helianthus sp. • Perennial flax, Linum perenne • Native legumes, False indigo, Amorpha fruticosa

39. Trees and Shrubs • Willows, Salix sp. Decorative and energy • Hybrid popular, Populus sp. Energy and fiber • Hazelnuts, Corylus avellana x C.americana and C. cornuta Oil, confectionary, and energy

40. Perennial Native Legumes • 50 species preliminary evaluation Winter hardiness • 10 species more detailed studies Production and selection Feeding trials—swine Antioxidants—Food, fuel, feed and cosmetics Antimicrobial—Food, cosmetics and feed

41. Oil Seed Crops • Perennial flax, Linum sp. • Perennial sunflower, Helianthus sp.

42. Wetland Restoration • Willow, Salix sp. Nitrogen harvesting, energy, water retention • Native wetland species Unique industrial chemicals, wildlife habitat-hunting

43. Cover Crops • Red clover, Trifolium pratense • Winter rye, Secale cereale, Paul Porter • Brassica sp. • Alfalfa, Medicago sativa • Birdsfoot trefoil, Lotus corniculatus • Native legumes April 30, 1999

44. Advantages to Production Agriculture • Improve environmental performance • Improve economic diversity/profitability • Keep working lands working • Adopt a non-regulatory, long term strategy

45. Strategy 1 Involve diverse stakeholders • Audubon Society, Upper Mississippi Basin Initiative • Iowa Farmers Union • Illinois Stewardship Alliance • Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy • The Land Institute • Land Stewardship Project • Minnesota Farmers Union • Mississippi River Basin Alliance • The Nature Conservancy, Upper Mississippi Basin Project • The Practical Farmers of Iowa • Trout Unlimited • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency • US Environmental Protection Agency • USDA/US Forest Service

46. Strategy 2:Engage land-grant institutions • The University of Illinois** • Iowa State University, including the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture** • Louisiana State University • North Dakota State University ** • University of Minnesota ** • University of Wisconsin** ** indicates collaborators who have signed letters of participation

47. Strategy 3:Organize at the Watershed, State & Basin Levels • Watershed Learning Groups (CIG / EPA Grant Pending) • Initially focus on two watersheds/state • Develop learning groups • State Coordinating Committees (Federal Leopold) • Representatives from learning groups and the consortium • Responsible for planning, implementing and monitoring in that state • Multi-state consortium (Charter Partners &McKnight) • Land-grants, NGOs, and government agencies • Responsible for overall planning, monitoring and budget oversight

48. Strategy 4: Targeting a portion of the most environmentally sensitive lands will maximize the environmental benefit Strategy 5: Develop Supporting Infrastruture Market – Technical – Financial Social – Human - Policy

49. Strategy 6:Imbed in Mainstream Thought Strategy 7:Rely on Voluntary Approaches

50. Ten-Year Outcomes • Development of new crops, products, and associated markets for products of continuous living cover systems • Increased continuous living cover on the agricultural landscape in the Mississippi River Basin • Reduced N loading from agricultural production at the watershed level by 30% • Reduced number of impaired waters in the watersheds • Increased migratory waterfowl and neo-tropical songbird populations at the watershed level by 30% or more. • Shrinkage of the hypoxic zone from its 2002 level