Alt. practices under the buffer law: A farmer-led framework for success
Since its implementation in 2016, the “buffer law” has generated wide-spread discussions on how landowners can achieve compliance with the legislation. In the soybean growing areas of Minnesota, many landowners and local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) staff have been wrestling with how to approve alternative practices under this law. The law gives landowners the option to install a 50-foot buffer (16.5 feet on some watercourses) or alternative practices that provide similar water quality treatment for the regulated watercourse.