Farm Horizons
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Feb. 8, 2016
forts.
I’m sharing my perspective, not to boast, but to ensure
that the voice of the farmer is heard in the ongoing discussion of agriculture and water quality. Too often, farmers’ voices fail to rise above the racket of political rhetoric and finger-pointing, which brings me to the governor’s
water quality summit.
As a farmer, I hope that the summit is an opportunity
for everyone to come together and talk about solutions to
water quality. I’ve talked a lot about farmer-led efforts
to address water quality, but I’ll be the first to admit that
farmers are not perfect. When it comes to water quality,
we can do better, and we’re working every day to improve.
Speaking of improvement, a recent report from the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency showed reductions
in five of seven pollutants found in Minnesota waterways
over a 30-year span.
As a farmer, I work every day to increase my knowledge of good farming practices, take advantage of technological advancements, and use the latest research to become a better steward of land, soil, and water resources.
I know there are plenty of non-farmers out there doing
the same. Yes, we might disagree on a few things, but
we all share the same goal: improving water quality in
Minnesota.
Let’s make sure the summit is an opportunity for everyone to work together. Minnesotans are sick of politi-
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Sarah
Esser
Specializes in Crop and
Whole Farm Insurance
Cell (320) 224-4535
[email protected]
PKN Inc
PKNAgency.com
Your local crop / farm insurance agency
cal rhetoric and name-calling. They want to see people
working cooperatively and thoughtfully to achieve realworld solutions.
Improving our state’s water quality might seem like
a daunting task, but we’re making progress and are on
track to make further improvements.
Here’s hoping the governor’s water quality summit puts
us on a collaborative path toward additional progress.
Noah Hultgren is a famil