Soil Health Farm Tour
Farmers in southeastern Minnesota are taking steps to build healthy soil by deploying a range of conservation practices on their land. This self guided tour is an opportunity to learn about their experiences.
Large signs along the edges of farmers’ fields highlight practices — such as cover crops, conservation tillage, and grazing livestock — that they implement to reduce erosion and improve the health of their soil. The signs direct visitors to web pages that provide more detail about each farm and an opportunity to connect with the farmer.
Explore the interactive map and resources below.
Soil Health Farm Tour Stops
Farms featured on the tour are located in the Cannon, Cedar, and Root River watersheds.
Twin Oaks Farm
Cannon River
- Cover crops
- Grassed waterways
- No till and strip till
- Nutrient management
Honken Farms
Cannon River
- Cover crops
- No till and minimal till
- Nutrient management
- Perennial plantings (Kernza®)
- Prescribed grazing
Simple Harvest Farm
Cannon River
- No till
- Nutrient management
- Perennial plantings
- Prescribed grazing
Sommers Farm
Cannon River
- Buffer strips
- Cover crops
- Grassed waterways
- No till and minimum till
- Nutrient management
- Sediment basins
Twin Oaks Farm
Mike and Kay Peterson own and operate a third-generation farm in Northfield, Minnesota with their sons Blake and Shane. They implement conservation practices such as cover crops, no till and strip till, and nutrient management on their 800 acre corn and soybean farm.
Honken Farms
Dan and Erin Honken have implemented conservation practices on their farm since they took over the operation from Dan’s father in 1994. They interseed about 200 acres of cover crops into their corn and soybean rotation.
Simple Harvest Farm
Kathy Zeman and her brother Nick operate a 20-acre farm with a perennial pasture and livestock. The livestock, land, crops, and produce are all organic.
Sommers Farm
Brothers Bob and Rich Sommers have been farming together in Rice County since 1993. They plant cover crops into a corn-soybean rotation.
Hilltop Farm
Hilltop Farm is an 100-acre dairy operation with about 50 heads of cattle. Wayne Scholljegerdes first added cover crops to his operation in 2013 and has since expanded his soil health practices.
Welter Farm
Jason Welter has seen reduced erosion, increased organic matter, and increased natural drainage on his fields thanks to the addition of strip till, manure management, and cover crops.
Angell Farm
Gary Angell has been refining the ridge tilling method on his 1,500-acre operation since he took over the farm from his father in the 1980s. He grows corn and soybeans and raises about 10,000 hogs.
Hamilton Farm
Terry, Cindy, and Travis Hamilton farm more than 1,200 acres on a corn-soybean rotation. The land has been in the family since Terry’s grandfather purchased it after the Great Depression.
TJ Kartes Farm
TJ Kartes is using cover crops to try to rebuild carbon and soil structure on land with sand and gravel below the surface.
Help us share the good news
Environmental Initiative aspires to expand farmer soil health storytelling efforts across Minnesota. Contact us to discuss contributing or to learn more.
Project Contacts
The Clean River Partners lead a multitude of programs in the region, including the Soil Health Farm Tour.
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