Join Jeff Duchene and Jared Holm for a webinar on Brush Management, Conservation Practice Standard 314, exploring how this conservation practice addresses resource concerns related to soil, water, plants, and animals. Learn how unmanaged brush can deplete soil organic matter, degrade soil organism habitats, reduce water quality, and increase wildfire risks. We'll cover strategies for controlling invasive species, promoting native plant communities, and balancing forage availability with wildlife habitat needs.

What goes into creating a fertilizer recommendation? Dr. Daniel Kaiser discusses the approach the University of Minnesota takes in creating fertilizer recommendations along with covering similarities and differences with surrounding states. This session covers how recommendations are made for each crop, why they are different in different regions, why soil testing is important, and how the research is conducted. There is also information on up and coming changes to recommendations.

April 2025 webinar training for CREP wetland restoration practices and application workbook  

This year’s series explores how forest management impacts wildlife habitats, economic decisions, and climate resilience. Forests play a critical role in supporting Minnesota’s diverse wildlife, providing food, shelter, and breeding grounds at every stage of succession - early, mid, or late. Join us to learn how to identify the stage of your forest, discover which wildlife thrive in each stage, and explore management strategies that create resilient habitats while meeting economic and environmental goals.

 Join us to discuss the complexities of early successional habitat management on private and public lands. We will also go over some species that benefit from this management. We will learn about/discuss the impacts of parcelization, ag practice changes, changes in the forestry market and the biofuel market & how those impact this work. After lunch, we will have a field trip to see some work in action and further our discussion.

The Nutrient Management Tool (NMT) includes a GIS based mapping component as well as the ability to keep land application records. George Schwint, principal engineer for the MPCA feedlot program, provides an overview and demo of the new tool. George also highlights another resource from the MPCA, the Nutrient Management Planning Map. This is a publicly available interactive map that displays the best available data for sensitive features across the state and provides BMPs and requirements for land application of manure in these areas.

Dr. Miranda Meehan provides an overview on virtual fence and considerations when integrating it into a grazing system based on her team’s experience the last two years. She also gives an update on research being conducted using virtual fence to manage grazing on rangeland and annual forages in North Dakota.

Margaret Wagner (MDA) provides an update on the implementation of the Groundwater Protection Rule to minimize potential sources of nitrate pollution to the state's groundwater. Margaret also highlights voluntary efforts such as partnerships with ag retailers as well as work with the UMN and SWCDs.

This is a recording of the MN CREP webinar training session from 3/18/2025. Training for this program focused on the amended MN CREP agreement and covered general program information related to practice eligibility. This webinar was put on specifically for NW area staff but it can be applied to the entire 66 county CREP area.