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AGRICULTURE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES LOAN PROGRAM (Ag BMP) –
Low Interest Financing For Water Quality Improvement
- Provides low interest financing to farmers, rural landowners, and agriculture supply businesses to encourage agricultural best management practices
that prevent or reduce runoff from feedlots and farm fields and other pollution problems identified by the county in local water plans. - Provides loans for projects that reduce existing water quality problems caused by agricultural activities or failing septic systems.
- Helps landowners comply with water related laws or rules.
- Can be used with state and federal cost share or other sources of funding
- Has funds available in most counties
Who May Apply for Loans -
Farmers
Rural Landowners
Agriculture supply businesses
What are Eligible Activities -
Feedlot improvements
Upgrading manure storage basins
Improved manure handling, spreading and incorporation equipment
Terraces, waterways, stream bank protection, sedimentation basins, wind breaks and other practices that prevent erosion
Conservation tillage equipment
Repair of individual sewage treatment systems
Sealing abandoned wells
What are Ineligible Activities -
Most new construction projects
Financing projects already completed
Improvement for feedlots with more than 1,000 animal units
Activities for operations that have criminal proceedings against them
Where to Apply -
The program is run locally through the Morrison Soil and Water Conservation District.
The contact person for the loan program is Helen McLennan.
The borrower proposes a project to the local county. If the borrower meets state eligibility requirements and the project addresses local water quality priorities,
the county may approve the project and refer it to a cooperating banker. The local banker evaluates the financial aspects of the project. With the approval of
the county and the local bank, the project can be implemented. Once the project is complete, funds are sent from the MDA to the local bank and the loan is
drawn up between the local bank and the borrower. Local Decision Making -
The Ag BMP Loan Program allows local governments the flexibility needed to address specific local water quality concerns. The local loan fund is jointly
administered by a local government and a cooperating local bank or financial institution. The Local Government helps farmers, agriculture supply business and landowners identify problems and find solutions to water quality issues related to the
agricultural industry or failing septic systems. The Local Banker is responsible for assessing the economics of the proposed project and determining if a loan is financially feasible for the individual. The banker
makes lending decisions, administers the loans, and collects payments from borrowers. Because the money is a loan and must be repaid, only those projects
that are financially feasible and provide environmental benefits will be funded. Amount of Funding Available:
Since 1995, a total of $51 million has been made available through the federal Clean Water Act and the Minnesota Legislature. Over 6200 loans have been
issued and currently, about $10 million is available for Agricultural Best Management Practices and upgrades to failing septic systems. Please
contact the Morrison Soil and Water Conservation District if you are interested in this program. Terms of Loans – Loan amounts are limited to $50,000 to any one individual or project.
Maximum Loan Length:
Animal Waste Storage – 10 years
Equipment – 5 years
Septic systems – 5 years
Well sealing – 2 years
The maximum interest rate is 3%, interest plus usual and customary fees charged by the lender.
The county and local banker may set additional terms and requirements for eligibility of projects.
These loans are meant to encourage water quality protection and may only be used to solve existing water quality problems.
Comparison of Typical Interest Paid on 3% and 9% loans for 2 to 10 years.
|
Length of Loan |
Loan Amount |
Total Interest Paid at 3% |
Total Interest Paid at 9% |
Cost Savings |
| 2 |
$5,000 |
$226 |
$685 |
$459 |
| 5 |
$5,000 |
$459 |
$1,427 |
$968 |
| 10 |
$30,000 |
$5169 |
$16,746 |
$11,577 |
| 10 |
$50,000 |
$8,615 |
$27,910 |
$19,295 |
Potential borrowers should contact the Morrison Soil and Water Conservation District for more information about loan availability in the county. Local units of government, lenders or individuals wishing additional information should contact Dwight Wilcox at:
Agriculture Best Management Practices Loan Program
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
90 West Plato Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55107
(651) 215-1018
The Native Buffer Program is a voluntary program that encourages the creation of high quality shoreland and streambank buffers that protect water quality within the Mississippi River Watershed. A shoreland buffer is a naturally vegetated plot of land, located between the water’s edge and the land uphill. A shoreland buffer can be composed of a mix of native aquatic plants, grasses, wildflowers and/or shrubs and trees. Basically, it is undisturbed land at your shoreline; this means that your lakeshore would not be mowed or manicured into a sand beach.
Shoreland buffers provide benefits to people, the environment, wildlife, and aquatic life. Restored vegetation at the lake’s edge restores the function of the ecosystem which originally protected the lake before it was altered by humans. Some of the benefits of a buffer include: filtering of pollutants such as sediment and phosphorous out of runoff from uphill land uses, prevent shoreline erosion by holding soil in place (native plants have deep root systems), provide habitat for wildlife, deter geese from congregating on the lakeshore, and they allow for more leisure time to relax and enjoy the nature of life at the lakeshore.
Morrison SWCD currently monitors the water levels of 16 wells in Morrison County. This data provides a good historical picture of the fluctuations in the water table. The static water levels fluctuate according to dry and wet periods as can be seen in hydrographs of the wells.
Monitoring of ground water levels in Minnesota began in 1942 and, starting in 1947, was expanded by a cooperative program between the DNR and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The number of observation wells (obwells) has remained constant at approximately 750 obwells over the last few water years. Data from these wells are used to assess ground water resources, determine long term trends, interpret impacts of pumping and climate, plan for water conservation, evaluate water conflicts and otherwise manage the water resource. Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) and other cooperators, under agreements with DNR Waters, measure the wells periodically and report the readings to DNR Waters as part of the Ground Water Level Program. Readings are also obtained from volunteers and electronically at other locations. The data from these recordings is then used to assess groundwater resources, determine long-term trends and interpret the impacts of pumping and climate. The readings also help DNR and our staff plan for water conservation, evaluate water conflicts and manage the water resources in the county. Findings for the DNR wells are reported to the DNR Waters Division and are available online for public viewing at www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters.