Sustainable Answer Acre Research Farm
Located near Lansing, Minnesota – 15 miles from Riverland Austin West campus
Research Farm’s Mission Statement: “To test current agronomic practices that affect nitrate movement in the soil profile and groundwater while maintaining crop productivity and improving soil health”
Formed in the spring of 2018 by a collection of local public and private organizations, the Sustainable Answer Acre (SAA) Research Farm provides real-world and solution-based research into improving best management practices (BMP) for farmers across Minnesota. SSA can be found in Lansing township and spans an area of over eight (8) acres. The research farm is unique in that it is “farmer-led,” highlighting practical research that Mower County and southern Minnesota farmers have an inquisitive interest in.
The Research Farm is situated in very close proximity to the Cedar River, allowing researchers, staff, and students to readily identify point-source pollution and remedies that can be used to improve water quality.
Background Of The Research Farm
The research farm is supported by a multitude of organizations, including:
- Northern Country Cooperative
- Mower County Soil Water Conservation District
- Riverland Community College
- University of Minnesota
- Nature Conservancy
- Minnesota Corn Growers Association
- Bayer Crop Sciences
- Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
- Compeer Financial
- United Farmers Bank
Individual contributors to the project include Austin/Mower County area farmers:
- Tom Cotter
- Jim Kellogg
- Alan Slowinski
Research Farm Methodologies
The research farm’s intended goal is to test commonly used agricultural practices that which area farmers employ while also testing futuristic and proactive agronomic practices that enhance the profitability and environmental sustainability of Minnesota agriculture.
A list of the current practices that are being analyzed are:
- Nitrate-Nitrogen rate, amounts, and timing
- Cover Crops
- Tillage/No-Tillage
- Monitoring and measuring of soil health
- Water quality
- Cropland productivity and profitability
Riverland Community College Student Involvement
Riverland Community College Agricultural Science students have unique ties and interactions with Sustainable Answer Acre Research Farm. Faculty and staff encourage and promote ways to include students with the ground-breaking research that is conducted at SSA. Agricultural Science students take what they learn in the classroom and apply it at the Research Farm.
Students enrolled into AGSC-1020: Introduction to Soil Science will learn important concepts at the Research Farm including:
- Soil genesis and formation
- Soil structure and development
- Soil surveying and classification
- Soil drainage and tillage
- Soil productivity
- Farm Business Management
- Soil health and cover cropping
Riverland Community College students enrolled into AGSC-1030: Crop Production will discover at SSA new ways of:
- Using and implement soil conservation practices and techniques
- Soil sampling and prescriptive-based analytics
Agricultural Science students enrolled into AGSC-2010: Introduction to Precision Agriculture will learn:
- Data extraction
- Yield monitoring data uploading and analysis
- Operate state-of-the-art precision agriculture technologies
Agricultural Science students also serve as interns with the Northern Country Cooperative or the Mower County Soil Water Conservation District, allowing them to receive work experience, networking and relationship building, and valuable ways to expand on what they learned in the classroom.
To learn more about the Sustainable Answer Acre Research Farm, please contact Agriculture Instructor Nick Schiltz or visit:
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“Project summary: "Reducing nitrate in surficial sand aquifer, Mower County"
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https://www.smartertogether.info/learning-on-the-sustainable-answer “LEARNING ON THE SUSTAINABLE ANSWER ACRE”