By Tim Ruzek

Mower SWCD

Low-interest loans for projects that help prevent pollution are being expanded by the state to include larger livestock operations.

Minnesota Department of Agriculture is expanding the Agricultural Best Management Practices – better known as AgBMP – loans under an agreement with the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program in Louisiana. Livestock operations holding National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits or those with more than 1,000 animal units now can apply.

A formal letter of understanding recently was signed recognizing the importance of coordinating pollution-prevention efforts throughout the Mississippi River watershed locally in Minnesota and in distant downstream areas, including the receiving waters of the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary in Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico.

“This is great news for Mower County’s numerous livestock operators,” said Justin Hanson, district manager for Mower Soil & Water Conservation District. “We hope this leads to even more AgBMP funds being secured for local projects.”

In 2017, Mower SWCD has assisted Mower County producers and rural homeowners across the county in securing AgBMP loans for 10 pollution-prevention projects totaling about $450,000 overall, Hanson said, adding that there’s plenty more funding available for local projects.

AgBMP funds in Mower County have helped purchase equipment for tillage and manure handling as well as; tillage equipment; and septic replacements but also could cover participation in conservation programs or practices, Hanson said.

Since its inception in 2015, the state’s AgBMP Loan Program has issued more than 13,000 low-interest loans to Minnesota businesses and landowners financing more than $220 million for projects addressing erosion, runoff, manure management, septic treatment, and drinking water problems. Under AgBMP, producers and landowners can apply for a 3.5 percent low-interest loan by working with their local SWCD and local bankers to secure the loans. SWCDs manage the allocated funding from the state for each county’s AgBMP program and approve the applications as well as provide project oversight to ensure they follow state rules.

The SWCD’s primary role is giving assistance if landowners or bankers need help in the application and eligibility process.

“AgBMP is the easiest program that we run because it involves the least amount of red tape and paperwork,” Hanson said.

Applications for an AgBMP loan is one sheet and easy to fill out, Hanson said. Tracking and approvals typically can be processed within a day locally, he added, with loan approvals usually approved by the state within one or two weeks.

The state’s letter of understanding recognizes that pollution does not stop at state boundaries and that a multi-state perspective should be considered when addressing pollution problems, according to the MDA.

“All along the Mississippi River, we need to work with our partners and follow the same road map to manage the watershed while still recognizing that people and communities use the land in a variety of ways,” said MDA Commissioner Dave Frederickson. “Expanding the number of farm operations eligible for AgBMP loans here in the Mississippi River’s headwaters state is another step toward managing and protecting this important watershed.”

For more information about how to apply for an AgBMP low-interest loan in Mower County, contact District Manager Justin Hanson, 507-434-2603.