When Corey Hanson first heard about the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP) from fellow farmer Mike Skaug, he was a bit hesitant, but there’s a reason why Skaug, a director with the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, felt that Hanson would be a good candidate to enroll in the program.

“Turns out, a lot of the practices under the program I was already doing, so there was no reason to be nervous,” said Hanson, who farms northwest of Gary in Norman County.

MAWQCP is a voluntary opportunity for farmers such as Hanson to take the lead in implementing conservation practices that protect Minnesota’s water. In return, producers receive regulatory certainty and are deemed in compliance with any new water quality rules. Farmers also receive recognition and priority for technical assistance for implementing practices that promote water quality. As part of the enrollment process, Hanson worked with his Area Certification Specialist, Glen Kajewski of the East Polk Soil and Water Conservation District, to complete an assessment of his conservation practices and on-field verification. It was through that process Hanson learned he was already utilizing some of the qualifying conservation practices, including reduced tillage and nutrient management, but through the MAWQCP he was able to make tweaks and improvements and add additional practices as well, such as planting cover crops.

“I want to leave the soil in better shape than what I got it in, and if I’m good to the soil, it’ll be good to me,” Hanson said. “It hurts me in the wintertime when you see dirt piled up in the road ditches from wind erosion.”

Farmers in northwest Minnesota battle soil erosion from both the wind and water where the landscape is unobstructed and overland flooding is common in the spring. For those reasons, MDA hopes to see more producers in the region take advantage of the MAWQCP to protect soil health. “The northwest corner of the state is a place where we at MDA would like to grow the MAWQCP,” MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen said during a January 2025 visit to Hanson’s farm. “I appreciate producers such as Corey Hanson and Mike Skaug, who are great leaders for agriculture and also see the importance of the program.”

The impact of MAWQCP isn’t just being noticed on the Hanson Farm or across the state; people have taken notice across the world. Through his involvement as a director on the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, Hanson has had conversations with potential purchasers in Europe who appreciate his conservation practices.

“When I was in Netherlands this last year on a trade mission, they were well aware of our efforts to protect water quality,” he said. “It was good to have discussions with them and reassure them that our farmers care about the environment and being enrolled in this program allows me to do that.”

Since the program’s statewide launch a decade ago 1,590 producers totaling over 1.16 million acres have been certified across Minnesota. Those farms have added 9,352 new conservation practices. New practices are reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 54,000 metric tons annually and have kept more than 57,000 tons of sediment out of Minnesota rivers while saving 170,000 tons of soil and 73,000 pounds of phosphorous on farms each year.

“A lot of the practices are common sense and are simple to do for preventing the soil from blowing around, and a lot of them are becoming more common practice for farmers anyways which is nice to see,” Hanson said. “We as farmers need to police ourselves and do what’s best for the environment because in the end that’s what’s best for us as well.” After becoming certified, farmers receive a 10-year contract ensuring they will be considered in compliance with any new water quality laws, along with an official
MAWQCP sign to display on his farm,. Tot be able to showcase the sign on his farm, which uniquely enough sits adjacent to some of the only land in the state to have never been tilled, is a point of pride for Hanson,

“It shows my appreciation for the work that I’m doing on my farm,” he said, “and I’m proud to be able to be able to show others that I care for the land that I rely on to make a living.”