While I am a native Michigander, prior to my time at Michigan Farm Bureau I did spend some time in the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes’ (Minnesota) and I have to say: Michigan still does lakes better. However, with being the Great Lakes State, there comes a lot of conversations on water and water quality.
Water quality is a complex topic to discuss because it is impacted by multiple sources (agriculture, septic systems, urban run-off, etc.) and there is no silver bullet, one-size-fits-all solution to water quality concerns.
In the Agricultural Ecology Department at Michigan Farm Bureau, we talk about water issues a lot from wastewater regulation to voluntary stewardship programs. One program that I have been involved with is supporting the development of farmer-led watershed groups in the Saginaw River Watershed (generally, the Saginaw Bay).
What is a farmer-led watershed group, you may be asking? It’s a group led by farmers, for farmers, that promotes adoption of practices that protect water quality in the community. This provides the opportunity for farmers to learn from each other about different best management practices in casual, social groups. Similar to the conversations you have in your Community Action Groups!
The groups in the Saginaw Bay area are just getting up and running, so if you’re around that area and interested in participating, keep an eye out for those opportunities by following the Saginaw Watershed Farmer Network Facebook page or reaching out to me (contact information below). At some of the initial meetings, there has been great discussion on cover crops and some future topics proposed include no-till, carbon markets, relay cropping, relevant research updates, and more!
These new Saginaw Bay groups are based, in part, on a farmer-led watershed group in the Western Lake Erie Basin. This group has been meeting since 2016 and encourages farmer participation in the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP), adoption of best management practices, and communication about the benefits of conservation practices to the larger community.
If you farm outside the Western Lake Erie or Saginaw Bay watersheds, there are opportunities to start your own farmer-led watershed group, or you could also participate in conservation programs. Check with your county Farm Bureau to see if other farmers are interested in gathering to discuss watershed protection, and talk to your local conservation district, MAEAP Technician, or NRCS Office for conservation program opportunities that would be a good fit for your operation!
Go ahead, and start the conversation right now with these discussion questions:
- Have you participated in any voluntary programs related to water quality before? What was your experience like?
- What additional resources would be helpful for farmers looking to implement best management practices (no-till, cover crops, etc.) to protect water quality?
- What conversations happening in your community around water quality from an agricultural perspective and from the perspective of the general public?
- How can agriculture communicate better on all the things farmers do to protect water quality?
HOW TO RESPOND (Please include your name & CAG affiliation.)
- Email: [email protected]
- Conventional, postal mail: MFB Community Group Discussion, ATTN: Michelle Joseph, 7373 W. Saginaw Hwy., Lansing, MI 48909
Tess Van Gorder is the Associate Policy & Regulatory Specialist in the Agricultural Ecology Department in the Public Policy & Commodity Division at Michigan Farm Bureau. She works on environmental issues, which includes everything from recycling to anaerobic digesters. If you’re interested in participating in a farmer-led watershed group in the Saginaw Bay, Tess can be reached at [email protected] or 517-323-6711.
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