ST CHARLES, Minn. — Driftless Area Ag Alliance, a non-profit farmer-led conservation group dedicated to keeping soil, water and air healthy, held its annual meeting on Feb. 9. With over 30 local farmers, community members and supporters in attendance, the group gathered to reflect on last year’s accomplishments while looking forward to continued progress ahead.
Rita Young, DAAA president, welcomed attendees and shared, “It takes tremendous dedication from everyone in this room to keep our group going and for us to continue making progress. Thank you for all of your hard work and support. We’re truly making a positive impact within our communities and on the farm.”
DAAA currently has 18 members, consisting of 14 farms and 4 community members.
Kaitlin Heusel from Farmers for Sustainable Food provided an overview of the group’s 2025 Member Conservation Survey results. This is the second year DAAA has tracked farmer conservation practices. The survey results included 16 farm members and encompassed 17,471 acres of cropland. The group demonstrated an overall increase in conservation practices compared to 2024.
Neil Trygestad of Corteva discussed the importance of maximizing nitrogen in manure. One way to do that is to add a nitrogen stabilizer, which prevents nitrogen from being volatilized into the air or leached into groundwater. This keeps nitrogen in the soil and available to the plant, allowing for increased nutrient absorption and higher yields.
Kevin Kuehner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture shared updates on local well testing studies and discussed the groundwater implications of the region’s unique geology. He emphasized the importance of understanding nitrate trends and groundwater age.
Warren Formo of the Minnesota Ag Water Resource Center discussed the importance of using multiple conservation practices rather than sticking to just one, since in some years the weather may be more agreeable to a certain practice and less to another. Diversity in practices ensures there will always be some success in conservation efforts, no matter the weather conditions.
During the business portion of the meeting, the group held board elections. Dean Smith and Dave Scheevel were recognized as outgoing members of the board. Bradley Miller was elected to the board, and Sidney Greden, vice president, was re-elected.
Other board members include Rita Young, president; Becky Clark, secretary; Mitch Thompson, treasurer; and Carey Tweten. Advisors include Gene Goenner and Dale Heintz.
For more information about Driftless Area Ag Alliance events, visit driftlessareaag.org or email driftlessareaagalliance@gmail.com.
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About Driftless Area Ag Alliance:
Driftless Area Ag Alliance is a nonprofit farmer-led conservation group based in the City of Lewiston, Minn. This group of area farmers is devoted to keeping their local water, soil and air healthy as they adopt innovative technologies and share their stories. Their vision is to ensure a healthy environment and community for generations to come. More information: driftlessareaag.org.
