A Sustainability Success Story in Central Minnesota
On a farm in central Minnesota, Ben Mergen raises corn, soybeans, alfalfa, a small amount of wheat, beef cattle and meat goats, all while working persistently to try new techniques that improve the sustainability of his operation.
“From planting cover crops to practicing no-till and strip till, Ben is always looking for opportunities to improve his soil health and protect water quality, all while maintaining or even increasing his yields,” remarks Brad Redlin, Manager of the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program.
“There are so many ways to be sustainable,” Mergen says. “You have to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. Once you try it, hopefully you can find success with it – sustainability can be a win-win for the environment and for yourself and your land.”
Through his involvement in the Farming for the Future of Central Minnesota Fieldprint Project, Mergen uses the Fieldprint Platform to better understand the benefits of his practices and how he compares to his neighbors.
“It’s always nice to have more tangible results, especially if you can compare them to other farms doing the same thing,” Mergen explains. “Since you can’t always see the benefits in the field, the spidergram generated through the Platform is really helpful to see a visual difference. You can actually see the difference between conventional and non-conventional, too, and that gives me another layer of comfort.”
Results from his Fieldprint Analysis have indicated high confidence in carbon accumulations and low soil loss. In 2021, Mergen’s soil carbon accumulation was higher and soil loss was lower than the project averages across all crops. These results and more have encouraged Mergen to continue expanding his use of cover crops and other conservation practices.
Mergen’s operation is a model for producers in his area on how they can simultaneously build soil health, sequester carbon, protect water quality, spend less time in their tractor cab, maintain their yields, and introduce new revenue streams to their operations.
In 2019, Mergen further committed to reduced tillage by purchasing a strip-till machine. On top of using it on his own operation, he runs a custom business using the machine for a couple dozen farmers in the area, helping spread access to this equipment and practice.
“I had one farm who had me come out a couple years, saw the benefits, and has now purchased their own strip-till machine,” remarks Mergen. “Those few years convinced them it was working. I hope I can continue to spread that good word and get more people on board with this sustainability practices.”
Ben Mergen
Albany, Minnesota
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